Explosive Episodes The Explosive Child by Dr. Ross W. Greene describes in detail the characteristics of an explosive episode, the causes of the explosive episodes, and ways in which parents can help reduce these episodes. What Is An Explosive Episode Dr. Greene creates a new term, “inflexible-explosive”, to better describe the explosive episodes that occur in some children. These episodes can vary in intensity and involve both physical and verbal aggression. They can occur as frequently as a dozen times a day or as minute as once or twice a week. The episodes can also vary in location, whether it is consistently at home or in a public setting. The children display signs of limited flexibility and a low tolerance for frustration. In this limited flexibility, the child tends to view things as black and white and is unable to negotiate or compromise. In the midst of their frustration, they are unable to think clearly and often times view the world as a frustrating place. The children also become overwhelmed easily and have frequent meltdowns. During these meltdowns the child has very little control over their behaviors (Greene, 1998). What Causes An Explosive Episode Explosive episodes can be found in children who have been diagnosed with any variety of psychiatric or learning disorders such as, ADHD, Mood disorders, Anxiety disorders, Aspergers, and learning/processing impairments. Dr. Greene suggests that the children do not have these explosive episodes due to “poor parenting”, but instead suggests they are caused by the biological-based vulnerabilities described above with an inclusion of temperament (Greene, 1998). What Can You Do to Help In order to reduce the intensity and frequency of explosive episodes, Dr. Greene indicates that it is essential for the parent to have a better understanding of the child and the reason behind the explosive episode. The parent not only should work on reducing the episodes, but should also work on developing the child’s self-control. One way to work towards these goals is to better understand what skills the child needs help with such as, expressing their needs, managing their emotions, finding solutions to problems, handling transitions or unpredictability. Dr. Greene reveals that traditional approaches such as, rewards and punishments do not reduce the likelihood of reoccurring meltdowns. The child does not respond well to the traditional approach because during the meltdown the child is incoherent, not present and has limited control over the behavior, therefore the child is unable to anticipate the consequence for their action. Hence, the parent should move from a punishment approach to a skills building approach (Greene, 1998). * Greene, R. W. (1998). The explosive child. Harper.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 23:46:33 +0000
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