2.3 The possible reasons for the behaviour

This guide will help you with answers for NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Behaviour that Challenges 2.3 The possible reasons for the behaviour.

Understanding the reasons behind challenging behaviour is important in health and social care. Knowing why someone might act out can help you manage and reduce such behaviour. It can improve the person’s quality of life and your ability to support them effectively.

Biological Reasons

Challenging behaviour can often have biological roots. It’s important to consider these factors:

Genetic Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): People with ASD might struggle with communication and social interactions, leading to frustration.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD can result in impulsive actions and difficulties in concentrating, often perceived as challenging behaviour.

Medical Conditions

Pain or Discomfort: Chronic pain or discomfort from conditions like arthritis can make someone irritable.
Mental Health Issues: Disorders such as depression or anxiety can cause behaviours like aggression or withdrawal.

Psychological Reasons

Psychological factors also play a big role in challenging behaviour.

Unmet Needs

Emotional Distress: If a person feels misunderstood or neglected, they may act out to express their feelings.
Security and Safety: A sense of insecurity can cause someone to behave aggressively. They may feel threatened in their environment.

Trauma

Past Experiences: A history of abuse or traumatic events can manifest as challenging behaviour. This is a way to cope with or express unresolved issues.

Social and Environmental Reasons

The social and environmental context can influence behaviour significantly.

Social Interaction

Lack of Social Skills: Difficulty in socialising can lead to frustration and, consequently, challenging behaviour.
Peer Influence: Negative behaviours can sometimes be learned from peers.

Living Conditions

Overcrowding: Living in cramped spaces can increase stress levels, leading to aggression.
Noise and Chaos: A noisy or chaotic environment can be overwhelming, causing someone to act out.

Communication Issues

Communication barriers are another major reason for challenging behaviour.

Verbal Communication

Speech Impairments: Difficulty in expressing needs verbally can lead to frustration and aggressive behaviour.
Language Barriers: Not understanding or being understood due to language differences can escalate tensions.

Non-Verbal Communication

Body Language: Misinterpretation of non-verbal cues like gestures can result in misunderstandings and conflict.
Sensory Sensitivity: People who are sensitive to sensory input might react strongly to things like bright lights or loud noises.

Systemic Reasons

Sometimes, the structure of support systems can contribute to challenging behaviour.

Inadequate Support

Lack of Personalised Care: One-size-fits-all approaches in care plans often don’t meet individual needs, leading to frustration.
Understaffing: Understaffed facilities can mean less personalised attention, causing residents to feel neglected and act out.

Inconsistent Care

Changes in Routine: Frequent changes in schedules or caregivers can create a sense of instability, causing anxiety and resultant challenging behaviour.
Variable Expectations: Inconsistent rules and expectations can confuse individuals, leading to behaviours that challenge.

Sensory Issues

Sensory input can also play a significant role.

Overstimulation

Crowded Places: Busy environments with lots of people can be overwhelming, triggering challenging behaviour.
Loud Noises: High decibel levels can lead to distress and cause someone to act out.

Understimulation

Boredom: Lack of engaging activities can make someone feel useless or restless, often leading to challenging actions.
Isolation: Being socially isolated can create feelings of loneliness and subsequent challenging behaviour.

Final Thoughts

By understanding the varied reasons for challenging behaviour, you can tailor your approach to meet individual needs more effectively. Each person is unique, requiring a personalised strategy that considers biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. This understanding fosters a more compassionate and effective way to support individuals exhibiting challenging behaviour. As a support worker, your insight and actions can make a significant difference in their lives.

Example answers for unit 2.3 The possible reasons for the behaviour

Example Answer 1: Genetic Conditions

One possible reason for challenging behaviour that I’ve encountered frequently is related to genetic conditions. For instance, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with social interactions and communication. This can lead to frustration, causing them to display challenging behaviour like aggression or self-harm. In my experience, understanding ASD and tailoring my support strategy to the individual’s specific needs can actually improve their behaviour and overall well-being.

Example Answer 2: Communication Barriers

I’ve noticed that communication barriers are a significant factor in challenging behaviour. When individuals have speech impairments or language barriers, they often feel frustrated because they can’t express their needs or feelings. For example, I support a resident who has severe speech impairment. Before we introduced a communication board, he would often scream and throw objects out of frustration. Now, with the board, his challenging behaviour has greatly reduced as he can communicate more effectively.

Example Answer 3: Medical Conditions

Pain and discomfort from medical conditions can also lead to challenging behaviour. For example, I once worked with an elderly resident who had chronic arthritis. The constant pain made her very irritable, and she would often snap at staff or other residents. Understanding that her aggression was a result of her pain allowed us to manage her behaviour better. We made sure she had her pain medication on time and also engaged her in gentle exercises, which helped reduce her discomfort and, consequently, her challenging behaviour.

Example Answer 4: Sensory Sensitivity

Sensory sensitivity is another reason some individuals exhibit challenging behaviour. I work with a child who is extremely sensitive to loud noises. When he hears loud or sudden noises, he often becomes very anxious and may even have a meltdown. By recognising this trigger, we’ve made adjustments like providing him with noise-cancelling headphones, which have helped manage his anxiety and reduce his challenging behaviour.

Example Answer 5: Inconsistent Care

Inconsistent care can be very destabilising and can lead to challenging behaviour. For example, due to staff shortages, an adult in our care experienced frequent changes in caregivers. This instability made him anxious and resulted in him becoming quite aggressive. By implementing a more consistent caregiving schedule, even if it meant fewer different people but with more consistency, we noticed a marked improvement in his behaviour. Stability provided him with a sense of security, reducing his anxiety and aggression.

Example Answer 6: Lack of Social Interaction

Lack of social interaction can also lead to challenging behaviour. An individual in our care was showing signs of aggression because they felt isolated. They lacked social skills, which made it hard for them to interact with others, leading them to act out to gain attention. By organising more group activities and social skills training sessions, we saw a reduction in their aggressive behaviour. They felt more included and valued, which diminished their need to seek attention through negative behaviours. It was important for us to take a holistic approach in addressing the challenging behavior, by identifying underlying issues contributing to their social isolation. Through individual therapy sessions, we were able to uncover past experiences that had led to a lack of social skills and feelings of exclusion. By addressing these underlying issues, we were able to support the individual in developing more positive and healthy ways of seeking attention and connection with others.