- (a) Use of behavior guidance shall show that the caregiver understands each child’s needs and shall promote self-discipline and good behavior.
(b) Acceptable behavior guidance techniques include:
- (1) Look for appropriate behavior and reinforce the children with praise and encouragement when they are behaving well;
- (2) Remind the children on a daily basis of the rules by using clear positive statements of how they are expected to behave rather than what they are not supposed to do;
- (3) Attempt to ignore minor inappropriate behaviors and concentrate on what the child is doing properly;
- (4) Use brief supervised separation from the group only when the child does not respond to a verbal command which instructs the child as to how he or she is supposed to behave;
- (5) When a misbehaving child begins to behave appropriately, encourage and praise small positive steps rather than waiting until the child has behaved for a long period of time; and
- (6) Attend to the children who are behaving appropriately, and other children will follow their example in order to obtain your attention.
- (c) Physical punishment shall not be administered to children.
- (d) The length of time a child is placed in time-out shall not exceed one (1) minute per year of the child’s age.
(e)
- (1) The following activities are unacceptable as behavior guidance measures and shall not be used.
(2) These include but are not limited to:
- (A)
(i) Restraints.
(ii) Restraining a child briefly by holding the child is allowed when the child’s actions place the child or others at risk of injury;
- (B) Washing mouth with soap;
- (C) Taping or obstructing a child’s mouth;
- (D) Placing unpleasant or painful tasting substances in mouth, on lips, etc.;
- (E) Profane or abusive language;
- (F) Isolation without supervision;
- (G) Placing child in a dark area;
- (H) Inflicting physical pain, hitting, pinching, pulling hair, slapping, kicking, twisting arms, biting or biting back, spatting, swatting, etc.;
(I)
- (i) Yelling.
- (ii) This does not include a raised voice level to gain a child’s attention to protect the child from risk of harm;
(J)
- (i) Forcing physical activity, such as running laps, doing push-ups, etc.
- (ii) This does not include planned group physical education activities that are not punitive in nature;
- (K) Associating punishment with rest, toilet training, or illness;
(L)
- (i) Denying food (lunch or snacks) as punishment or punishing children for not eating.
- (ii) Children shall not be forced or bribed to eat;
- (M) Shaming, humiliating, frightening, physically or mentally harming children, or labeling children; and
- (N) Covering the faces of children with blankets or similar items.
(f)
- (1) Posted group behavior charts shall not be used.
- (2) Individual behavior charts that are not viewable by children and individual charts used by therapists are allowed.