Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Credit

Program Information

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

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Canada Credit - *

NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.

Continuing Education Information:  Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. 
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession.  As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.  

For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

 

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Canada Credit - ---

Earn up to 6.25 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession. 

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Canada Credit - Canadian Counsellors and Psychotherapists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 6.0 credit hours.

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Canada Credit - Social Workers - National ASWB ACE

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2026 - January 27, 2029. Social workers completing this course receive 6.25 Clinical continuing education credits.

Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

 

Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities offered by providers approved by the ASWB ACE program for ongoing professional development.

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Canada Credit - Other Professions

This self-study activity qualifies for 6.25 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

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US National Boards - Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants

 

PESI, Inc.  is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Approved provider # 3322. This Distance-Learning Independent activity is offered at .625  CEUs Intermediate , OT Service Delivery Foundational Knowledge . The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.   Full attendance at this live activity qualifies for 6.25 contact hours.

 

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Handouts

Speaker

Michael Whitehead, PhD Related seminars and products

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Michael Whitehead, PhD, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, and developer of Integrative Systemic Play Therapy (ISPT). He earned his PhD in human development and family studies from Michigan State University and MS/BS degrees from Brigham Young University. In full-time practice at Aspen Grove Family Therapy in Twin Falls, Idaho, he special high-conflict families, childhood behavioral challenges, and family reunification therapy. A part-time professor and published author, Dr. Whitehead is also the author of Treating Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders and a frequent speaker and professional leader in play and family therapy.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Michael Whitehead has employment relationships with Aspen Grove Family Therapy and National University. He receives a speaking honorarium and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Michael Whitehead is a member of the Association for Play Therapy, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the Coalition of Associations for Systemic Therapy.

Additional Info

Program Information

Access never expires for this product.

Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.

Objectives

1. Identify three reasons why traditional behavior plans may escalate rather than reduce disruptive behaviors in neurodivergent children, and how play therapy interventions don't.
2. Identify key concepts from Coercion Theory, Family Systems Theory, and Temperament Theory that inform systemic play therapy treatment approaches for Disruptive Behavior Disorders to improve participation in daily activities.
3. Classify each component of the BISON play therapy model (Bio-emotion Regulation, Individual Play, Successful Communication, Organized Play, Nurturing Play) with its corresponding therapeutic goal or strategy to improve participation in play.
4. Select appropriate play therapy intervention tools for improving regulation and functional skill-building in children with disruptive behaviors.
5. Choose strategies that bridge clinical play therapy interventions with considerations for the educational environment, including methods for collaboration with teachers and support staff.
6. Differentiate between evidence-based and evidence-informed play therapy approaches for behavior to improve participation in play.

Outline

Why Behavior Plans Fail Children 

• Compliance-based systems that silence play and expression  
• Reward/consequence systems that backfire with neurodivergent kids   
• How adult reactions can escalate aggression and shutdowns 

Foundations for Healing Through Play Therapy

• Top strategies based in Coercion Theory to shift power struggles into connection   
• Family Systems approaches to reduce triangulation and chaos   
• Temperament Theory insights to personalize intervention   

The BISON Model: A Framework for Intervention   

• Bio-Emotion Regulation   
  • Tools for heart rate variability tracking (HeartMath®, Mightier)   
  • Interoceptive and somatic play activities for nervous system awareness  
• Individual Play Therapy  
  • Child-centered play therapy activities to build safety and agency  
  • Play therapy based engagement  for nonverbal, shutdown, or explosive kids   
• Successful Communication   
  • Filial play therapy coaching to strengthen parent-child dialogue 
  • Effective command techniques that reduce defiance   
  • Family meeting templates that create consistency without chaos   
  • In-session parent coaching framework   
• Organized Play Therapy  
  • 10+ classroom-ready tools using games like SORRY!®, LEGO®, and origami   
  • Directive play therapy plans to target frustration, rigidity, and problem-solving   
  • Juggling and movement-based regulation activities   
• Nurturing Play Therapy  
  • Filial play therapy structures to empower caregivers   
  • Attachment-building routines for home carryover   
  • Sensory-rich fine-motor play therapy to soothe and regulate 

Clinic-to-Classroom Carryover   

• School scripting examples for classroom communication   
• Regulation visuals and shared behavior tools   
• Reframing “defiance” as distress through play therapy informed strategies 

Real Families, Real Change   

• Case study: “Adam” from intake to transformation   
• Integration of systems therapy, play therapy, and school collaboration   
• Ready-to-use handouts, scripts, and session templates   

Research, Risks, and Rethinking Behaviorism   

• Key limitations of behavior-first approaches   
• Evidence-informed vs. evidence-based debate—what matters most   
• Risk assessment checklists for providers, schools, and families  

Target Audience

• Play Therapists
• Counsellors
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Psychotherapists
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Teachers
• School Guidance Counsellors
• Case Managers
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Educational Paraprofessionals
• School Administrators
• Other Helping Professionals who Work with Children