Behaviour Is Communication
Every so-called 'challenging' behaviour is a signal, not a problem to be eliminated. This workshop helps educators read the story behind a child's actions — the unmet need, the sensory overload, the stress response hiding underneath. You will leave with a practical way of pausing before reacting, and language to use with colleagues and parents that keeps the child's dignity intact.
Led by Amy Byrne — BA (Hons) Level 8 in Early Childhood Education and Care, currently studying a Level 9 postgraduate in play therapy, Children First trained and a Mandated Person. One hour, with a take-home booklet and a dated certificate of attendance.
Who this is for
For early years educators, room leaders and setting managers who want a shared, consistent way of responding to behaviour across their team.
What we cover in the hour
- The difference between behaviour as a symptom and behaviour as the problem itself.
- Common triggers in early years settings: transitions, noise, hunger, tiredness and change.
- How the stress response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) shows up in young children's bodies.
- A simple pause-and-ask framework for the moment a behaviour occurs.
- How to distinguish an unmet need from a boundary that still needs holding.
- Practical scripts for talking to colleagues and parents about what you observed.
What you'll leave with
- A one-page 'behaviour detective' checklist for your room.
- Three co-regulation phrases you can use immediately.
- A shared vocabulary to bring back to your team meeting.
- Guidance on when a behaviour pattern warrants closer observation or referral.
- Confidence to hold a boundary without shaming a child.
Inside the booklet
The take-home booklet includes the pause-and-ask framework, a trigger-mapping template and space to log patterns over a fortnight.
This workshop draws on the Aistear theme of Wellbeing and supports Síolta Standard 3, Parents and Families, and Standard 9, Health and Welfare, by grounding practice in respectful, needs-led responses.
How it can be delivered
| Format | Price |
|---|---|
| Public ticket — live onlineOne hour, small group, booklet emailed | €20 per person |
| Public ticket — in personOne hour in a venue near you, booklet in hand | €35 per person |
| Private 1:1 with Amy30 minutes €25 · full hour €50 (3 for €135) | from €25 |
| Private group — onlineParent evening or staff session, minimum 5 | €35 per person |
| Private group — in personYour setting or venue, minimum 6 | €45 per person |
No VAT and no booking fees. An itemised receipt is emailed instantly, and invoices are available before you book. Running this across a whole setting? Setting packages start at €399.
Common questions
- Will this give my team a single, consistent approach?
- Yes — the aim is a shared language and framework your whole team can use, so children get a consistent response no matter who is in the room. Many settings book this as a full staff session for that reason.
- Does this replace our behaviour management policy?
- No. It sits alongside your existing policy and gives staff a practical lens for understanding why a behaviour is happening before deciding how to respond within your policy's boundaries.
- What age range does this apply to?
- The principles apply from birth through to school age, though examples in the session focus on the 1–6 age range most common in Irish early years settings.
- Is this suitable for a whole staff team, or just room leaders?
- Both work well. Whole-team sessions build shared consistency; room leader sessions focus more on modelling and mentoring less experienced staff.
- Do we get a certificate for our files?
- Yes, each attendee receives a certificate of attendance, which is useful evidence for your Quality Action Plan. It is not a CPD-accredited certificate.
Related workshops
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- Positive Boundaries Without ShoutingClear, age-appropriate limits while protecting connection, modelling regulation and reducing power struggles.
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More in this theme: Behaviour is communication · All workshop themes · Upcoming dates
Available live online across Ireland, and in person in Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Louth, Cork and other counties.
Trusted early years resources
Every workshop is grounded in Irish early years frameworks and national guidance.
- Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA)
- Síolta: the National Quality Framework
- Children First national guidance (Tusla)
- First 5: Ireland's strategy for babies & young children
- Early Childhood Ireland
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