“There’s Gotta Be Something More That I Can Do”: Childcare Providers’ Reflections on Teaching Children with Persistent Challenging Behavior

Abstract

In this article, we highlight the experiences of 11 U.S. Midwest childcare providers working with preschoolers characterized as engaging in persistent challenging behaviors (PCB). We focused on how these providers were impacted by the children’s PCB, the strategies they used, and what they recommended others do to address the PCB. Childcare providers shared their experiences and offered suggestions that might assist other professionals as they seek supports and services for young children. We included two semi-structured interviews with each childcare provider. Key findings were: (a) the personal impact of working with children who engage in PCB on early childhood professionals and (b) strategies and supports used by early childhood professionals when working with children with perceived PCB.

Keywords

challenging behavior childcare EC education strategies preschoolers

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