Stress Management

4. Coping with stress

4.4. The iceberg model

In this video we will introduce you to the ‘Iceberg Model’. We will explain how the iceberg is used as a metaphor for understanding children with intellectual disabilities, where the top of the iceberg represents behaviour, and the submerged portion represents the reasons behind. The video also includes a step by step review of how to use the iceberg model for analysis as well as a review of a specific example.

The Iceberg Model

(9 min. 5 sec.)

Presentation in PowerPoint:

The iceberg model

Activity		30 minutes
	Should I do the activity alone?	You can do the activity alone. If you are in a two-parent family, try to do the activity together.
	After completing the activity…	You should be able to analyse the behaviour of your child so that the interventions you take are more targeted to the actual reasons of problems.
	Before I start, what will I need to do this activity?	A piece of paper and a pencil. You can draw a simple iceberg on your paper.
	What do I have to do?	Find a problem that you want to analyse. The problem should be as specific as possible. Use the written guide and watch the video while filling in the Iceberg Model specific to the current issue. Write down as many details as possible: how it happened, when, with whom and where before you begin to talk about the reasons why. Then write down 5 reasons why the problem has arisen based on your knowledge of children with intellectual disabilities. Then, when the latter is completed, help each other to find possible solutions based on the hypotheses you have made about why the problem had arisen.
	What to do next?	Choose what solution you want to start testing and agree on how to get started.