So ...My Child is
Demonstrating Oppositional Behaviour –
Is it a Reaction to Their Environment?
Sometimes
no matter how much we try and encourage positive behaviour in children and
model appropriate behaviour for them, there are moments when a child expresses
defiant or oppositional behaviour. The initial reaction is often to tell the
child the behaviour is inappropriate and correct it, but it is more important to
try to understand what triggered the oppositional behaviour and how
the child processed the situation which led to that behaviour. Although
the behaviour may concern us or we may even feel embarrassed if the
oppositional behaviour occurred in public, it is important to understand that
often oppositional behavioural is the result of deficits in encoding cues from
the environment or in misinterpreting the affective state of others or the
intent of others in their environment.
How does this happen?
For
every reaction or behavioural response we elicit to an event, there is a neural
(central nervous system) basis that processes and interprets (in brain) the initial environment. Our brain encodes
the information presented to us, interprets it, and then that interpretation
will dictate how we choose to respond to the initial information. The process
of encoding, interpreting, and responding to environmental information and
social interactions is directed by our brain, specifically in the limbic system
and the frontal cortex. These two regions of the brain are responsible for our
affective states and emotional responses to information, as well as directing
our decision-making processes and actions. It is the integrative functioning of
the amygdala, caudate nucleus, and prefrontal cortex that consistently direct
and manage our emotional responses and actions to events in the world, and any
disruption or errors in exchanging information within this system often leads
to disruptive behaviour (Marsh et al., 2008; Finger et al., 2000). In social
interactions, we must be able to correctly infer emotions of others to respond
appropriately. So when our child displays oppositional behaviour, it could be a
result of them not accurately interpreting the affective states of others,
whether it was from our tone in our voice when speaking to them or from
correctly interpreting our nonverbal cues such as body language. Another
possibility that led to the oppositional behaviour could be their expression of
frustration from responding to an event believing it was appropriate, but then
not receiving the positive reinforcement from the interaction they expected.
This is a result of a deficit in their encoding, so the perception of the
emotion or the event is distorted when interpreting it, and they act out
inappropriately in that given situation (Cadesky et al., 2000). Both of these
situations are frustrating for both the child exhibiting the oppositional
behaviour and the parent or peer interacting with the oppositional child – both
have a goal of experiencing a positive interaction, but the unique neural basis
of the oppositional child is making the communication process difficult and
frustrating, causing disruptive behaviours.
So if
the child is exhibiting oppositional behaviour, is there any way it can change
to positive behaviour? The simple answer is yes, with consistency and
patience, the oppositional behaviours can be reduced and even be replaced with
appropriate behavioural responses. The way to change the behaviour is to adapt
our interactions with the child to cause brain-based changes in their
neurochemistry. Since disruptive behaviours are often a result of less
responsiveness from the integrated system of the amygdala, caudate, and
prefrontal cortex, interactions in the social world and environment must
consistently stimulate the child to fulfill the need for reinforcement when
positive reactions occur (Marsh et al., 2008; Finger et al., 2000). Fulfilling
the positive reinforcement needed for behaviour will assist in reinforcing the
interpretations that led to preferred behavioural outcomes, and thereby reduce
the frequency of oppositional behaviours and unemotional traits such as reduced
empathy and unemotional responses. Every child likes to know when they have
done something that makes us happy, and every child likes to know they are
improving their relationships with their friends and family. It’s interesting
to know that every emotional response we have to a given interaction has a
neural basis and that with effective intervention we can adapt our reactions to
lead to more positive relationships.
written by Orla Tyrrell, Special Needs Supervisor and SPP Facilitator, BODiWORKS Institute
