Join Nefertiti Bruce-Poyner (Keynote Speaker) for a Pre-Conference Session:

Transform Challenging Behavior with FLIP IT! 

Are you interested in supporting the social and emotional development of young children and reducing their instances of challenging behaviors?

FLIP IT® is a strategy that offers a simple, kind, strength-based, commonsense and effective four step process to address children’s day to day challenging behavior. The four steps are embodied in the FLIP IT mnemonic which stands for F – Feelings, L – Limits, I – Inquiries, and P – Prompts. FLIP IT is nothing new, but transforms best practice into a strategy that is easy to remember, applicable in a variety of challenging situations and portable.

   Gently talk with the child about his feelings. Tell him what you see and hear as a result of his emotions. Help him to identify the root feelings causing the behavior.

Remind the child of the positive limits and expectations you have for his behavior. Loving and simple limits help surround children with a sense of consistency, safety and trust.

Encourage the child to think about solutions to his challenges. Ask questions that promote problem-solving and healthy coping skills. Inquiries invite children to think, learn, and gain self-control.

Provide creative cues, clues, and suggestions for the child who is having difficulty. Enthusiastic, bright ideas can lead the way to better problem-solving skills.

Research Supports FLIP IT!

The Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs at Miami University recently published an evaluation of the OH Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ state-wide pilot of the FLIP IT strategy. The researchers also reported that parents were “overwhelmingly satisfied” and “100% of the comments described positive outcomes.” They recommended that the state continue to sustain and support the use of FLIP-IT concluding that it, “offer(s) parents effective parenting skills that can improve the lives of their children and family members.