Ok, so we can a little bit, to a point. Some behavioral gestures are so common, like smiling, laughing, etc., that we can safely infer meaning.
But, if we go past the basic observation, we can also get our selves into some pretty deep trouble ... pretty quickly ... by over reaching - interpreting more complex behaviors, one's that matter a bit more.
We can see that a client is angry, but we cannot know what specifically she is angry about -- even if we observe a conflict in action. The client may have been angry about something that happened early in the day, last week, a few years ago, and / she may be trauma reactive (more on this another time), and then brought her pre-existing condition into a current situation.
Note: We all bring our pre-existing condition into current situations.
The problem with interpreting behavior is ... it requires us to become psychics, to read minds. We can observe a behavior, but we cannot know what it means without asking the child, who may or may not know.
We all try to interpret behavior. It's like a behavioral staff hobby. But, it's pretty disrespectful to interpret behavior without any input from the client / child and ... we are most often wrong.
An observed behavior is like an ambiguous situation.
We observe it but we don't have all the facts, the whole story, then we make up a story about what we think is happening. This is the same thing that happens when psychologists give projective tests, like the Rorschach or Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Subjects are asked to look at an ink blot or picture and tell what they see in the ambiguous image. Observing behavior is like peering into an ink blot or TAT image. We often project our own stuff into the behavior and make up a story about what we think we see.
We even do it with pictures of animals. Most people who looked a the cat image above had some inkling ideas about what the cat is thinking flickering through their mind. It's that automatic. But, we cannot possibly know what the cat is thinking. Go ahead and try it, if you did not before. Scroll back up and look into the cat's eyes, examine it's posture. What happens to your mind when you do?
Really good behavioral observationists know the limits of interpretation. They resist the temptation to over-reach.
It's best to observe the behavior then suspend decision-making about what it means until further information is obtained. We might be able to see a look of anger written onto a child's face, but is it anger, concentration, determination ... ? We will need to ask.
Asking the child is a really good place to start.
*****
A cautionary note: if the behavior we observe is dangerous, if it poses a risk of significant and imminent harm to self or others, we must act. The key operational words here are: significant and imminent. The potential for harm has to be large enough and likely to happen very soon in order to warrant the risk of a direct intervention. This can be a difficult judgment call. If the risk is not imminent, it's best to slow the process down and wait. If the risk of harm is not significant, it's better to utilize de-escalation techniques to try to avert a behavioral crisis. Behavioral staff should always adhere strictly to the policies and procedures manual at their work place. Safety and well-being are always the highest priority.
Kenneth H. Little, MA / 135 Lee Brook Road / Thornton, NH 03285 / 603-726-1006 / Achieve-ES.com
