Bayan Jaber Deciphers the ‘Why’ Behind Challenging Behaviors

Bayan Jaber is an Educational Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) expert in Summerville, South Carolina. She has earned her Master’s in Education Psychology/BCBA from Wayne State University and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Saint Elizabeth University. Bayan’s expertise and knowledge in behavioral analysis make her stand out in the town. Her unique perspective is a result of her academic background and experience in the field.

The Intersection of Education and Behavior

Bayan Jaber’s path toward educational psychology began with her studying Criminal Justice in college. This background helped her understand how society works and how people behave, making her interested in how these affect education. She decided to become an educational psychologist because she wanted to use her knowledge to help children learn better early instead of waiting until they had problems to fix.

Core Concepts of Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, is a scientific discipline that applies techniques based on learning principles to change behavior of social significance. It has proven particularly effective in working with children who exhibit challenging behaviors. Bayan’s expertise shines as she demystifies the core concepts of ABA, making them accessible to parents, educators, and caregivers.

ABA focuses on observing the relationships between a child’s behavior and their environment to determine the function of their behavior. According to Bayan, behaviors, even challenging ones, are a form of communication. These behaviors can generally be classified into a few categories: attention-seeking, escape, access to tangibles, and sensory satisfaction.

Identifying the Function of Challenging Behaviors

One of the critical contributions of Bayan Jaber’s work is her ability to identify the function behind a child’s challenging behavior. This is crucial because understanding the ‘why’ behind a behavior can lead to more effective strategies for addressing it. 

For example, suppose a child is acting out to escape from demands or tasks. In that case, the plan might involve adjusting how tasks are presented or the environment in which they are performed rather than focusing on the behavior itself.

Strategies for Parents and Caregivers

Bayan offers practical strategies for parents and caregivers to address challenging behaviors. These include:

1. Functional Communication Training (FCT): Teaching the child alternative, appropriate ways to communicate their needs instead of using challenging behavior.
2. Positive Reinforcement: Reinforcing desired behaviors with meaningful rewards to the child, encouraging those behaviors to occur more frequently.
3. Environment Modification: Changing the learning environment to reduce triggers of challenging behaviors. This might involve adjusting sensory inputs like lighting or noise levels or changing the physical layout to better accommodate the child’s needs.
4. Consistency and Patience: Bayan emphasizes the importance of consistency in applying behavioral interventions. Consistent application helps the child learn and adapt to new behaviors more effectively.

Key Takeaways

Bayan Jaber’s work is a testament to the power of education and understanding in transforming lives. Her approach to behavioral challenges in children aims to mitigate these behaviors and understand and address their root causes. For anyone grappling with the complexities of challenging behaviors in children, Bayan’s insights offer a valuable resource for making meaningful change.

Through her professional endeavors in Summerville, Bayan continues to impact educational psychology and behavior analysis, providing strategies and hope to those she works with. Her commitment to understanding and improving the behavioral outcomes of children serves as an inspiring example of what dedicated professionals can achieve in educational psychology and applied behavior analysis.