Behavior is communication of an unmet need

When someone with disabilities or cognitive decline is described as having "challenging behavior", our number one job is to listen to that behavior and try our best to figure out what the person is telling us. People who do not feel heard will communicate with us in many ways other than speech. What our systems describe as "challenging behavior" is always communication of an unmet need.

The work with this organization is probably some of the most humbling I am privileged to do. This work involves:

• Mining years and years of records to look for patterns of good times and not-good times. What worked during the good times? What did we learn from what did not work? Is anyone still applying that learning?
• Not just engaging with the provider staff and person, but the family if they're involved, and the person is okay with me speaking with them; engaging with former teachers, staff, friends, neighbors: anyone who may have additional information to consider.
• Assessing the person and their supports holistically. What is happening clinically? What is happening in other parts of the person's life (e.g., are their routines and rituals honored, is their culture supported, do they have control over the parts of their life where it matters to them?)
• Developing recommendations for unique and non-traditional supports, as seen through the lens of person centered approaches.