RED HILL, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Identifying behaviors that may be impeding or disrupting a child’s functioning requires a careful analysis of all relevant factors that may be contributing to the development of the problems. Behavioral health care and screenings help families and educators understand the needs of children to ensure their mental and emotional health and welfare and provide access to effective treatment.

Dr. Kimberly Rehak is a certified behavior analyst and co-founder of the International Institute for Behavioral Development, an organization which has provided many different types of services throughout the years. Formerly, one of the responsibilities of the organization was to help design learning environments, in all their forms, and to help implement services where children and adults could thrive. IIBD provided educational, psychological, and behavioral health and support services, using precise techniques to interpret behavior and deliver proactive solutions for the student or client and everyone supporting those students and clients.

Dr. Rehak holds doctoral degrees in special education, education, and behavior analysis, in addition to graduate level degrees in clinical and counseling psychology, with a concentration in addictions. She is a member of many professional organizations, and she has worked in educational, community-based, home, and clinical settings, as well as the juvenile justice and justice system. She has applied all this experience to her behavior analysis as well as all other services she had provided through IIBD.

“A certified behavior analyst is needed to conduct a functional analysis when an analysis is needed,” says Dr. Rehak. A certified behavior analyst is the professional on the team who should be determining whether this type of evaluation is recommended. “Of course, this isn’t to say any other member or specialist's role on the team isn't important; they are the experts in their areas; it is simply to make sure everyone understands there are precise types of analyses only board certified behavior analysts ought to be doing in this type of a situation, including to help determine whether medical intervention may also be needed.

“If a child is only acting out in response to instructional demands in a certain setting, we can determine what the triggers are and help teams ensure necessary supports are put in place. If all things are wonderful for that learner, but they're still engaging in problem behaviors, that would indicate to us something else may be going on that could be medical. We have worked with many medical doctors and specialists of all kinds. There's a very systematic way to analyze the controlling variables that only a certified behavior analyst should be doing, and professionals need sufficient training to isolate those variables.”

According to Dr. Rehak, too often the group dynamic of a classroom or other environment is prioritized over one student’s or client's individual needs, among other factors at other levels of influence. Of course, we need to consider the safety and welfare of everyone involved and this includes the individual exhibiting challenging behavior. Those professionals trying to do what is right for everyone involved should not have their efforts impeded or disrupted.

“It's the elephant in the room,” says Dr. Rehak. “People are making decisions that alter the trajectory of innocent children’s lives. Meanwhile innocent kids are denied appropriate services or preventative care and their families, the staff, their communities, our world is denied the right to improve and evolve. It’s heartbreaking and upsetting to me. This work needs to stay focused on the solutions because it affects outcomes for all of us.”

CUTV News Radio will feature Dr. Kimberly Rehak in an interview with Jim Masters on June 12th at 11am EST.

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio

If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389

For more information on The International Institute for Behavioral Development, visit www.theiibd.com

To find a certified behavior analyst near you, visit www.bacb.com/bcba

Lou Ceparano
CUTV News
+1 (631) 850-3314
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