Collaborative Problem Solving

Our fundamental approach to how we interact with students and respond to their challenging behaviors is called Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS). The foundational belief of this approach is that “Kids do well if they can.” CPS views challenging behaviors as lagging skills, rather than behaviors seeking attention, manipulation, or lack of motivation.

One of the hallmarks of the CPS approach is that it is proactive. The goal is to get ahead of challenging behaviors so that reactivity is not the prevailing response.

Through CPS, our focus becomes assessing specific problems that need to be solved, identifying the skills a child lacks, then teaching those lagging skills. Although traditional behavior modification systems do teach kids basic skills, they rely on extrinsic motivation.

Our desire is for students to:

• Develop complex thinking skills
  
  
• Stay emotionally regulated
  
  
• Build relationships
  
  
• Work toward relying on internal rewards as the motivation for their actions