Laying the Foundation – Early Childhood Behaviour Support for Better Learning

Leo (name changed to protect privacy) is a profoundly curious, affectionate, and energetic four-year-old boy. He possesses a deep fascination with trains, loves constructing elaborate wooden railways, and enjoys sensory play like water tables and sandpits. However, as Leo transitioned into a structured early learning center (childcare), his big emotions began to overwhelm his developing communication skills.

Leo was presenting with intense, physically aggressive behaviours whenever he faced a developmental demand or social conflict. If another child approached his train set, or if an educator announced it was time to transition to group mat time, Leo would engage in hitting, pushing, and occasionally biting. His presenting behaviour issues also included severe separation anxiety; morning drop-offs were characterized by screaming, clinging to his mother, and extreme distress. Faced with the heartbreaking possibility that Leo might be asked to leave the childcare center due to safety concerns, his exhausted parents reached out to the early childhood specialists at daar for expert intervention.

The Challenge

Leo’s sensory overwhelm and subsequent aggressive behaviours were severely obstructing his early learning journey and placing immense stress on his family:

• At Home / Drop-offs: The mornings were a traumatic experience for the entire family. Anticipating the overwhelming environment of childcare, Leo would begin crying the moment he woke up. The actual drop-off took over 45 minutes of consoling, peeling him off his mother’s leg, and leaving him in tears. His parents went to work every day feeling immense guilt and anxiety, waiting for a phone call from the center to pick him up early.
• At Childcare: The early learning environment was rapidly becoming unsafe. Leo’s inability to share or navigate peer proximity meant he was constantly monitored by an educator, isolating him from natural peer play. Furthermore, his refusal to join mandatory routines, like group mat time or transitioning from the Playground to the classroom, disrupted the learning environment for the other children. The center was struggling to manage his needs, and his early educational development was stalling.

Leo urgently needed specialized early childhood behaviour support that addressed his sensory needs, empowered his educators, and gave him the tools to learn safely.

Therapy Approach

The early childhood experts at daar understand that the preschool years are a critical window for neurological development. Punitive measures, like "time-outs" for biting, are highly ineffective for toddlers because they do not teach the missing skill. Our approach focused on proactive teaching and comprehensive environmental design.

We implemented a targeted early intervention strategy combining positive behaviour support and proactive behaviour therapy:

• Environmental Modification (PBS): Using the core tenets of positive behaviour support, our clinicians collaborated directly with Leo's early childhood educators. We realized the sensory input of the main classroom was too high for Leo during transitions. We helped the educators create a "Calm Cubby" in a quiet corner of the room to provide a low-sensory escape when the noise level spiked.
• Visual Communication Systems: To ease his transition anxiety, we introduced a visual schedule lanyard for his educators to wear. Before a transition occurred (like moving from trains to lunch), the educator would show Leo a picture of the upcoming activity paired with a visual sand-timer, completely removing the element of shock and unpredictability.
• Targeted Behaviour Therapy for Sharing: To replace the hitting and biting, our behaviour practitioners initiated specific behaviour therapy focusing on functional replacement skills. Through play-based roleplay, we explicitly taught Leo how to hold out his hand and say "Stop" or "My turn" when a peer approached his toys. We heavily rehearsed this in 1-on-1 sessions before guiding the educators on how to prompt these words in real-time.
• Drop-off Routine Restructuring: To heal the morning trauma, we designed a structured transition routine for his parents. We instituted a "Sensory Goodbye." Instead of lingering at the door, his mother would walk him directly to a preferred, calming sensory activity (the water table), give him one tight "bear hug" (deep pressure input), use a specific goodbye phrase, and leave immediately. This consistency reduced the window for anticipatory anxiety.

Results & Progress

By transforming the early learning environment to meet his sensory needs and proactively teaching him early communication skills, Leo’s challenging behaviours rapidly declined. He was finally able to access the curriculum and enjoy his childhood.

Within just six weeks, the morning dread evaporated. The new "Sensory Goodbye" routine provided Leo with the deep pressure and predictability he craved. The 45-minute drop-off battles were reduced to a calm, 5-minute transition directly into play.

At childcare, the transformation was remarkable. Equipped with his visual schedules and functional replacement words, Leo no longer felt the need to lash out physically. If a peer approached his trains, he was successfully prompted by educators to use his "Stop" hand instead of biting. By tracking his progress meticulously, the threat of exclusion from the center was completely removed. Leo even began voluntarily joining group mat time for short durations, building block towers with friends, and engaging in collaborative early learning.

90%

reduction via functional communication teaching. 

5mins

 Calm transition

10mins

Consecutive minutes of engagement