Behaviors
When working with individuals, a Recreational Therapist may encounter different behaviors. These behaviors could be verbal or physical. Below are some methods to practice when an individual is engaged in a behavior:
• When an individual is having a reoccurring behavior, the best practice is to ignore any attention seeking behavior. While this is difficult to do, giving attention to an attention seeking behavior with only encourage the behavior to continue.
• As a therapist working with many individuals, there will be times when a behavior occurs in a public setting. It is important for therapists to remain calm and not feel the need to conform to social norms. It is best practice that as long as an individual is not harming themselves or others, to allow them to explore the environment around them.
• All behaviors happen for a reason. It is important to note any triggers an individual may have. When a behavior occurs, it is important to document the antecedent to the behavior, the behavior itself, the reaction to the behavior, and the consequences of the behavior.
• It is important to document all behaviors in our progress notes. It is through our notes that we can see how often a behavior occurs and how severe a behavior is when it occurs.