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Whats is ADHD? great article.

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ADHD (Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder) is a neurological condition. This means that it originates in the brain; ADHD is not a behavioral disorder, a mental illness, or a learning disability. ADHD falls into the category of " neurodivergent."

ADHD significantly impacts the parts of the brain that control executive functioning - things like planning, attention, organization, and self-awareness. There is a gap between ABILITY and PERFORMANCE - meaning that an individual with ADHD has the ability to complete a variety of tasks, but is often unable to perform them. For example, a child with ADHD may have the ability to plan and build a Lego structure, however due to symptoms of ADHD such as challenges with initiation, attention, and sequencing, they are unable to perform the actions.

Additionally, ADHD can impact an individual across their lifespan, beginning in childhood and affecting them in adulthood - creating challenges in academics, social situations, and daily self-care tasks. However, the symptoms of ADHD often change as the individual ages - they may struggle more with hyperactivity as a child, inattention as an adolescent, and combined-type in adulthood.

ADHD is often seen in combination with other conditions or disorders. An individual with ADHD may also have a learning disability, anxiety, depression, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), or may be Autistic. However, one does not automatically equal the other.

What causes ADHD?

There is no one determining factor that has been identified to "cause" ADHD. Some studies have shown that ADHD is highly hereditary - ADHD is known to run in families and occurs more often in identical twins than in fraternal twins.

Studies have also shown that exposure to certain chemicals and toxins can have an impact on ADHD. One study specifically found that, "in the case of the phthalates which have been observed to increase psychological disorder, specifically attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)." Another study found that, "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with heavy metal exposure during adolescent development."

Some studies have shown that ADHD may appear after a child suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). One study showed a connection between maternal autoimmune disease and ADHD among children. Other studies have shown that ADHD is more likely to occur if there were complications during pregnancy, if the child was exposed to alcohol or tobacco in utero, or if the birth was traumatic. It's important to note that ADHD is a brain based condition and research has shown that the brains of individuals with ADHD do have physiological differences.

Symptoms of ADHD

ADHD symptoms can vary person to person, but they often share similar symptoms, such as:

Sleep challenges

Emotional dysregulation

Low self esteem

Sensory overload

ADHD can be broken down into 3 different types:

1. Primarily Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD

2. Primarily Inattentive ADHD (formally ADD)

3. Combined Type ADHD

Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD

This is when the individual needs to be moving - constantly fidgeting, squirming, sensory seeking. They may talk non-stop and interrupt during conversation as well as struggle with self-control / impulse control. This type is often what we see with children and is often seen more in boys.

This child will be constantly "on the go," is unable to sit still for focus tasks such as in the classroom or for a meal, and can't seem to control their impulses. They struggle to wait in line and seem to have no patience for quiet-time tasks.

Inattentive ADHD

This is when the individual struggles to focus on tasks - they have difficulty with attention and focus. They may make careless mistakes and struggle to follow multi-step instructions. This type is most often seen in adults and more often in girls.

This adult will struggle to follow a conversation and may appear bored or "spaced out." Working memory is very difficult, they are easily distracted, and they lose or misplace things frequently. Any task that requires sustained attention is difficult - reading a book, sitting for a lecture, or cooking a complex meal. Organization is often poor and forgetting appointments happens frequently.

Combined Type

This is when an individual displays symptoms from both above types.

Diagnosing ADHD

ADHD begins in childhood and in order for a diagnosis, symptoms will have appeared at a young age. Keep in mind that children often exhibit symptoms of ADHD due to other factors, such as SPD, sleep deprivation, nutritional deficiencies, or even just due to their age - a toddler may seem "hyperactive" when in reality, a toddler is supposed to be on-the-go frequently. Therefore, when diagnosing ADHD, the symptoms must be seen in multiple environments over a period of at least 6 months, and must significantly impact daily functioning.

A physician will assess the symptoms and will use the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) to identify if the symptoms match ADHD.

Executive Functioning

Executive functioning is a set of skills that help to plan, execute, and monitor tasks and goals. There are 7 areas of executive functioning:

1. Self-awareness

2. Inhibition (impulse control)

3. Working memory

4. Emotional regulation

5. Motivation and initiation

6. Planning

7. Problem solving

These executive functioning skills are necessary for daily tasks such as showering, cooking a meal, and following a routine; work and school related tasks such as following directions, planning and executing a project, and sustaining attention for a lecture; and maintaining social relationships which includes holding meaningful conversations, planning hang-outs with friends, and establishing boundaries and managing emotions. For children, executive functioning skills are also required for play - planning and imagining play activities, completing building activities (including drawing or writing), and controlling their body for physical activities.

Executive functioning is a key factor in ADHD - an individual with ADHD will often show symptoms of executive dysfunction. An individual with Primarily Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD may struggle significantly with self-awareness, inhibition (impulse control), working memory, and emotional regulation. An individual with Primarily Inattentive ADHD (formally ADD) may struggle significantly with self-awareness, motivation and initiation, planning, and working memory.

ADHD and Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is the ability to organize and understand sensory information - this includes the things that you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. It also includes your ability to organize and understand movement and emotions. There are eight senses in your sensory system:

1. Tactile (sense of touch)

2. Visual (sense of vision; not how well you see, but how you understand what you see)

3. Auditory (sense of hearing; not how well you hear, but how you understand what you hear)

4. Olfactory (sense of smell)

5. Gustatory (sense of taste)

6. Proprioception (sense of how your body moves through space; aka kinesthesia)

7. Vestibular (sense of movement and balance; directly related to head position changes)

8. Interoception (sense of internal workings - hunger, illness, emotions, etc.)

ADHD and sensory processing challenges often go hand-in-hand. For example, an individual with Primarily Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD may be very sensory seeking - they seek out specific types of sensory input, specifically vestibular and/proprioception (movement and heavy work activities). An individual with Primarily Inattentive ADHD (formally ADD) may fall on the other side of sensory processing - sensory avoiding. Additionally, individuals with ADHD may often feel a sense of sensory overload - the sensory input in their environment is "too much" and they feel anxious and overwhelmed, and are unable to utilize strategies that help (due to the symptoms of ADHD such as challenges with initiation and problem solving).

You can learn more about sensory processing challenges here.

Tips and Tricks to Help

First, it's best to seek out a trained professional to help if you or your child is struggling with ADHD. This may be a therapist or counselor, an occupational therapist, or another professional with experience and training in helping ADHD individuals. Research is showing that a combination of specific, personalized strategies and treatment works best.

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on tips and tricks for children with ADHD. However, these strategies can also be adapted for adults!

Neuroplasticity and neurofeedback training

Neuroplasticity is defined as "the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections" ( NIH). Think of it as a "growth mindset" - the ability to change your brain! This can be especially helpful for individuals with ADHD, since ADHD is a neurological condition.

Some ideas for teaching a growth mindset:

Empathize with the struggle - verbalize that you understand that your child is struggling and that it's ok to have challenges; normalize the struggle!

Encourage your child to complete challenging activities and talk about the benefits of "doing hard things."

Model doing hard things and overcoming challenges. How can you set an example for your child to try new, challenging things?

Vocalize positive self talk. Instead of "I can't do this, it's too hard," try "This is hard and I can't do this YET. But I'll keep trying and get better!"

Develop strategies for challenging situations. This will be very personalized to each individual and each situation.

Along with neuroplasticity and teaching a growth mindset, look into neurofeedback training. Research is growing in this area and demonstrating positive results in relation to helping those with ADHD. One study found that "Standard neurofeedback protocols in the treatment of ADHD can be concluded to be a well-established treatment," while another stated that, "The thought is held that frequent use of neurofeedback will strengthen neural networks needed to sustain focus and improve executive function."

Learn more from Michael Klinkner, LCSW by listening to this podcast episode - All Things Sensory Podcast Episode 80.

Environmental strategies

Changing the environment (home) and setting up specific strategies throughout the day can be a game changer. The trick - individual each strategy to fit the child AND be consistent.

Sleep and the bedtime routine

Setting up a consistent bedtime routine to ensure good quality sleep is a huge factor. Sleep is when we recharge after a long day, our body can rest, and our brain can repair itself. Without good quality sleep, ADHD symptoms will be magnified and the day will be extra difficult.

Set up the bedroom for quality sleep by using black-out curtains, decreasing the clutter (put toys away in the closet, use bins, etc.), changing the night light to a red light, and using a noise machine if necessary.

Set up the bedtime routine with a few key strategies to help prepare the brain and body for sleep:

First, meet the child's sensory threshold 1-2 hours before bedtime. This means providing them with the sensory input they are seeking out. Learn more about meeting the sensory threshold here.

After the child's sensory threshold has been met, utilize calming strategies such as heavy work, deep touch pressure, dimming the lights, listening to calm music, and using calming scents like lavender.

Be sure to limit food, water, and screen time 1-2 hours before bedtime.

Additionally, ensuring that the child gets enough outside time and movement throughout the day will help the brain and body feel more calm at bedtime.

Screen time

Overall reducing the amount of screen time during the day can help with ADHD symptoms. Oftentimes, extended amounts of screen time can play a role in challenges with emotional regulation and impulse control.

Try these tricks with screen time:

Set firm and consistent boundaries. Don't give in if you've established screen time rules.

Use movement before and after screen time.

Get outside before and after screen time. Try to include more outside time when your child has been using a screen during the day.

Limit screen time before bed.

Go on a screen detox once a week.

Model healthy screen time boundaries - the more you are on a screen (that includes your phone), the more your child will want to be on a screen.

Nutrition

"One of the earliest treatments for ADHD comes from Hippocrates, who described patient with features similar to ADHD as having "quickened responses to sensory experience, but also less tenaciousness because the soul moves on quickly to the next impression". His treatment suggested various dietary interventions and physical activities ( 69). Modern day dietary interventions for ADHD include restricted elimination diets (eliminating food associated with hypersensitivity), avoidance of artificial food color and supplementation of free fatty acid." ( NIH)

Take some time and look at your child's diet. Are there any nutritional deficiencies? Are they getting enough protein? Do they have any food sensitivities or allergies? What types of chemicals are in the foods they're eating? Do you notice an increase in ADHD symptoms after eating certain foods? It can be helpful to work with a functional nutritionist.

Clutter and organization

One of the symptoms of ADHD is often challenges with organization. This can lead to a messy space - challenges with keeping materials organized and decluttered. This also leads to losing and forgetting materials often.

First step - declutter! Do a purge of your child's bedroom and donate anything that your child hasn't used in the past 6 months. It can be helpful to do this on a regular basis. Don't forget to do the same for your own room *wink wink.*

Additionally, because toys are the often-most purchased gifts for children, identify other gift ideas that don't include buying MORE toys that will be donated 6 months later. What about a gift certificate to your child's favorite ice cream shop or book store? Or a ticket to your child's favorite amusement park. Experiences often last longer (in memory) than toys. Plus, they don't add to a cluttered bedroom.

As for organization of materials, take pictures of the space when it is organized and use it as a reference when cleaning and organizing. For example, a picture of the bathroom sink or drawer when it is cleaned and organized. Or a picture of your child's clothes closet or desk. This can also be a helpful strategy at school - a picture of your child's school desk when it is organized. Following a visual example for cleaning and organizing is especially helpful for a child with ADHD who already struggles with this.

Use visuals

Do you use a visual schedule, like a calendar? Maybe it's a calendar on your phone, or a large family calendar on the wall. Why do you use a calendar? To keep track of activities and appointments most likely.

A child with ADHD likely struggles with planning, initiating, and organizing daily tasks. This is where a visual schedule is helpful. Identify what daily tasks are challenging and create step-by-step visual schedules for each. For example, if your child struggles with the daily morning routine of getting ready for school, you can create a visual schedule (written or pictures, or both!) of each task they need to complete each morning.

Some tips when creating and using a visual schedule:

Include your child in the process of making the visual schedule and talk about WHY it will be helpful. Try to avoid blaming your child - "we have to use this because you can't stay focused in the morning." Instead try saying "we're making this so that the morning routine is easier for both of us!"

Make it fun and motivating. Does your child like checking off boxes? Or would they prefer a velcro schedule where they can remove each item as they finish it?

Practice and be consistent. Your child may not "get it" the first couple of mornings. Be sure you practice it with them, stay consistent, and help facilitate success and independence. Patience is key here.

Additionally, visual timers are often helpful for the child to see how long they have left for a task. This can help them improve their attention to a task in order to complete it in a certain period of time. It can also help with tasks that are non-preferred; they are able to visually see how long the task will last and may be more motivated to complete it if they know it will end soon.

Calm down corner

Create a space in your home where your child can go to "calm down" or decompress. Children with ADHD often get overloaded with too much information and they can easily shut down or explode. A calm down corner (or name it something that works for your family) is a place where your child can go when they feel overloaded with too much information. This is especially helpful after school or after an event, like a birthday party.

Some tips when creating a calm down corner:

It should be enclosed in order to decrease the amount of visual stimulation.

The items in the calm down corner should be calming for your child: pillows and weighted blankets, twinkle lights, soft music, fidget toys, etc. It will be very personalized.

Have your child help you make the calm down corner.

Talk about what it is for and role play different situations.

Do not use it as a punishment.

Watch this YouTube video for more tips on creating a calm down corner.

Caregiver training

If your child is struggling with ADHD, or if you know of a caregiver with a child, participating in caregiver training can be especially helpful. First, learning more about ADHD is essential. Then, learning different strategies to help your child will provide great benefits to the entire family.

Learn how to:

Co-regulate. When your child is experiencing a very challenging moment, it's important to know how to co-regulate and be their safe space.

Set them up for success. This includes teaching them strategies that they can use independently.

Set clear and consistent expectations. This can be difficult when your child is struggling, but it's very important.

Provide positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement. This includes rewarding the small things and building up over time, as well as rewarding effort over results.

Emotional regulation and stress management

"A 2018 systemic meta-analysis of RCTs ( 49) found that "meditation-based therapies" (which included mindfulness, vipassana, yoga, among many others) resulted in a moderate effect size in improving childhood ADHD symptoms, with higher benefits in inattention than in hyperactive-impulsive symptoms." ( NIH)

"A 2017 systemic review ( 66) attempted to look at benefits of mindfulness in both children and adults who had ADHD, and found that in adults, mindfulness-based interventions had significant improvement in attention." ( NIH)

Learning more about mindfulness techniques, yoga for kids (and adults!), and other types of self-awareness strategies can be very helpful. This might include reaching out to a trained professional who can provide services. There are many apps available that are geared towards teaching children mindfulness techniques. Find the one that works best for your family.

Another strategy is looking into an emotional regulation program. This program should include teaching your child about different emotions and what events or activities elicit certain emotions, as well as personalized strategies to incorporate into the daily routine, and in-the-moment strategies.

Sensory strategies

As briefly discussed in the section above about sensory processing, a child with ADHD is likely to also struggle with sensory processing. They may fall into the category of "sensory seeking" or "sensory avoiding." It's likely that your child falls into both categories, for different sensory systems. For example, your child may be "sensory seeking" of movement, while simultaneously "sensory avoiding" of tactile input. Or your child may be "sensory seeking" of tactile input while simultaneously "sensory avoiding" of visual input.

When looking into using sensory based strategies (which is recommended!), be sure to take these into consideration:

Always meet your child's sensory threshold (sensory needs) during the day. This means including specific sensory input that your child seeks out and enjoys.

Use calming proprioceptive sensory input to help calm the nervous system.

Fidgets and oral motor tools are a great way to help provide proprioceptive input and improve attention to certain tasks (it's important to teach your child the benefits and the "why" behind using these strategies).

Get outside. The benefits of being outdoors have been researched in numerous studies and the benefits are extraordinary.

Use frequent sensory breaks. Movement has been shown to improve learning outcomes, therefore frequent movement/sensory breaks should be incorporated into the daily routine, especially at school.

Movement and exercise

Going along with sensory strategies, including movement and exercise into the daily routine has numerous benefits. Many different types of movement and exercise have been studied in relation to ADHD and they seem to have positive outcomes.

Some different types of exercise to look into for your child:

Martial arts

Yoga (as previously discussed, this also helps with mindfulness)

"Yoga offers strategies to increase attention regulation and emotion regulation skills, which are core to ADHD." (NIH)

Primitive Reflexes

If you're not familiar with primitive reflexes, read this article to learn more.

One study in particular found that primitive reflexes and ADHD are linked. Another study found a link between inattention and retained primitive reflexes in preschoolers. And another study found a link between 2 specific primitive reflexes and ADHD symptoms (as well as balance deficits).

If your child is struggling with ADHD, it can be helpful to learn more about primitive reflexes and seek out a professional trained in primitive reflex integration.

Accommodations at school

Some accommodations that can be utilized in the school setting for children with ADHD:

Medication

It's important to talk with your pediatrician about medications for ADHD symptoms. Be sure to carefully weigh the pros and the cons of putting your child on medication. Also make sure you understand all of the risks and side effects.

Weigh the pros and cons

Know the risks and side effects

"ADHD is a chronic condition that impacts functioning throughout the span of life. It requires multimodal interventions and though medications approved by FDA form the cornerstone of treatment of ADHD, many studies have shown non-pharmacological interventions also have become helpful to overall management of ADHD. Though many parents use some form of integrative medicine in ADHD, there are mixed results from studies. More research is needed in the mind-body, herbal and other integrative interventions for ADHD." ( NIH)

Final thoughts

If you or your child is struggling with ADHD, try one strategy at a time. Identify where the greatest need is and implement a consistent strategy for a couple of weeks. Reevaluate to identify if the strategy is helping to improve quality of life. Work with a professional who can help with this.

Watch our video on 6 Strategies for ADHD
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Do you or your child struggle with ADHD? Check out our in-depth article all about ADHD and the best strategies to help.

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Great PD Self Paced

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Professional development certificates are available for the IRIS STAR Legacy Modules listed on this page. You can read a more detailed description of each module by clicking on its title. When you have selected the module(s) for which you would like to earn a certificate, click Add to Cart.

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Assists with data collection process

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An assessment tool for reviewing and evaluation Tier II interventions.

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PBISApps | Targeted Interventions Assessment Tool

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Form: An assessment tool for reviewing and evaluation Tier II interventions.

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Aids in the creation of a token economy or BSP

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Behavior contracts are a tier 2 intervention and should be considered when tier 1 strategies have not been effective in creating positive change and problem behaviors continue to persist.

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Adapted behavior support plan (BSP/BIP) template that incorporates prompts for identifying measures of fidelity and outcomes as well as supplemental team worksheets for evaluating technical adequacy, contextual fit, and intensity of the support.

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This document is an adapted behavior support plan (BSP/BIP) template that incorporates prompts for identifying measures of fidelity and outcomes as well as supplemental team worksheets for evaluating technical adequacy, contextual fit, and intensity of the support.

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PBISApps | Behavior Support Plan Template (Adapted 2019)

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Sample/Template: This document is an adapted behavior support plan (BSP/BIP) template that incorporates prompts for identifying measures of fidelity and outcomes as well as supplemental team worksheets for evaluating technical adequacy, contextual fit, and intensity of the support.

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Resources Tools Positive Behavior Support PBS

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This website was made possible by Cooperative Agreement # H326B170003 which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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The functional assessment process is completed with the development of a behavior hypothesis statement. The behavior hypothesis statements summarize what is known about triggers, behaviors, and maintaining consequences and offers an informed guess about the purpose of the problem behavior.
Once a functional assessment is complete, the next step is to develop a hypothesis statement-a prediction or "best guess" of the function or reason a child's challenging behavior occurs. This includes a description of the child's challenging behavior (i.e., what the behavior looks like), information about the specific predictors or triggers that occurred before the child exhibited challenging behavior, the perceived purpose or function of the child's behavior, as well as the maintaining consequences that followed. Predictors include both what conditions immediately precede the child's behavior, as well as any setting events that may be presumed to increase the likelihood of the challenging behavior's occurrence (e.g., lack of sleep, allergies/illnesses, social and interactional factors). Hypothesis development is a critically important step toward developing interventions that are directly linked to the function of the child's challenging behavior (O'Neill et al., 1997).

Very young children have brief learning histories (Dunlap & Fox, 1996). In many cases, those with a limited repertoire of behavior will often use one behavior for several different purposes. For example, children often use a general tantrum (prolonged screaming, crying, pulling away) for multiple functions (e.g., request object and escape transition). Therefore, when sorting out hypotheses the support team should address all of the circumstances in which challenging behavior occurs rather than trying to match an individual function to each challenging behavior.

Once the behavior support team identifies its hypotheses, attention should be paid to the way by which hypotheses are written. They should be carefully written either as a series of sentences that include each component (e.g., description, predictors, purpose, maintaining consequences), or as a "when...then" or "if...then" statement (Hieneman et al., 1999). Remember the more clearly articulated the hypothesis, the more likely the hypothesis will clearly communicate the team's understanding of the child's challenging behavior.

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Positive Behavior Support PBS Process Steps Planning Assessment Outcome

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The functional assessment process is completed with the development of a behavior hypothesis statement. The behavior hypothesis statements summarize what is known about triggers, behaviors, and maintaining consequences and offers an informed guess about the purpose of the problem behavior.

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ABA in simple terms

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Applied Behavior Analysis Defined

Although it's been around for a long time, many people are still unfamiliar with applied behavior analysis and how it works. Although it's most often used in reference to autism spectrum disorder, applied behavior analysis is actually used in many other situations. ABA is a type of therapy used to decrease inappropriate behavior and increase appropriate behavior. Here is an overview of ABA in simple terms.

What is ABA?

Used as a scientific approach to understanding different behavior, ABA is a method of therapy used to improve or change specific behaviors. In simple terms, ABA changes the environment in order to change the behavior. It's not just used to correct bad behavior. While we often think of the word "behavior" as meaning bad behavior, that's not always the case. In reference to ABA therapy, behavior is what we do and how we act. ABA therapy is used to improve behaviors like social skills, reading, academics, and communication as well as learned skills like grooming, hygiene, fine motor dexterity, job proficiency and even simple things like a child keeping his room clean.

How Did ABA Start?

Anyone who took a high school or college psychology class will recognize these three famous names: Ivan Pavlov, John Watson and B.F. Skinner. All three helped contribute to the psychology field of behaviorism. Pavlov was the Russian scientist who worked with dogs. He discovered how to train the dogs' reflexes and named the learning method classical conditioning. He was one of the earliest psychologists to prove that an environmental stimulus, such as a ringing bell, can be used to stimulate a conditioned response, such as drooling. John Watson applied Pavlov's theory to human subjects and officially established behaviorism as a field of psychology in the early 1900s, B.F. Skinner was the psychologist who created the concepts of operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement.

Explaining Behavior Basics

Did you know that there are some basic reasons why challenging behaviors occur? The reasons include avoidance, such as taking an exam or doing an unpleasant chore, as well as getting attention, which could be either positive like a hug or negative like a lecture. The challenging behaviors could occur because the individual wants to get something or go somewhere. They also occur because the individual wants to experience something positive through their senses, such as elation or excitement. Other motivations for behavior include reward, curiosity and competition.

Do You Know Your ABC's?

ABA therapy uses a three-step model to analyze the behavior of clients called antecedent, behavior and consequence. The antecedent is an event that happens before a behavior occurs or triggers the reaction. This could be anything in the client's environment like a rude comment by a peer or a sudden change in schedule by a teacher. Internal triggers include any physical state, such as discomfort or hunger. Note that ABA therapy minimizes the complex cognitive psychology factors such as memory, perception, emotions and mental processes. Next, the behavior section refers to external actions that are measurable and observable. These behaviors may be internal, such as anxiety or anger, but ABA therapists usually focus on quantifiable actions. Finally, consequences are anything that results from the behavior, which can either decrease or increase the likelihood of repeat behavior.

Sample ABC in Action

Let's say an ABA therapist works with children on the spectrum in a special classroom. The goal is to replace less desirable behaviors with appropriate and sustainable solutions. Every child will likely have their own behavior plan that sets approved consequences for specific behaviors based on functioning and importance. These plans will usually include tools and methods to teach appropriate behavior alternatives. The success of ABA depends on the therapist's ability to identify and teach replacement behaviors in unison with the reduction of the challenging behaviors. So if a student gets upset when they must transition between activities, the therapist may help the student understand how to appropriately request attention and respectfully communicate needs. The therapist may also minimize transition challenges through gentle timers, color scheming and geographic classroom zones.

Positive Reinforcement

Unlike traditional therapies that try to determine how and why a person behaves the way they do, ABA therapy focuses on replacing one type of behavior with a more appropriate behavior. It utilizes positive reinforcement. One example would be a child who dislikes cleaning his room but dislikes washing dishes even more. A parent might give the child the choice of not washing dishes if he cleans his room. When the child is finished cleaning his room, he gets praise for a job well done. This falls back to the "change the environment to change the behavior". Another way ABA is used to continually ask the patient to do a certain task repeatedly until the patient does what is asked. When the client complies, the client is praised.

Prompting

A prompt is anything that effectively helps the client respond to the therapist. Prompts are antecedents in the above mentioned ABC model. They are used if the client hasn't completed the task and if they aren't ready for positive reinforcement. There are verbal prompts, like the therapist repeating a word that is being learned, as well as gestural prompts, such as pointing or nodding. A visual prompt involves noticeable cues like a picture, symbol or video. Modeling prompts involve the therapist showing how to do something, then asking the client to imitate. A full physical prompt means the therapist will direct the client with hands-on guidance, such as helping the client-child use scissors appropriately. A positional prompt requires the therapist to place the correct answer or object near the client.

How Often is ABA Therapy Used?

ABA therapy is often distinguished as behavior therapy for autism patients, but it can't be stressed enough that ABA therapy is used for child and adults needing behavior modification for many conditions or situations. To be most effective, ABA therapy should be used for at least 20 hours a week. Children in need of ABA therapy should begin receiving the therapy prior to the age of 4. ABA therapy is even used for elderly patients who have lost certain abilities due to aging or memory loss, etc. It's not used to get the patient's abilities back but to help them better cope with the loss. It's also used with couples having relationship difficulties or even with employees in the workplace.

Is ABA Scientifically Sound?

Research by the National Institutes of Health shows that ABA therapy is an evidence-based practice (EBP) that is also beneficial in early childhood education. The American Psychological Association categorizes ABA under their Division 25 (Behavior Analysis). Many studies show that ABA interventions are effective for improving language, cognition, adaptability and social skills. They can also help reduce anxiety and aggression. These scientific studies may follow experimental groups of children who receive anywhere from 20 to 40 weekly hours of ABA therapy for years. Some researchers feel that children with autism spectrum disorder should have access to at least 25 hours a week of comprehensive training to increase communication skills and reduce maladaptive behavior. Researchers and teachers generally agree that parents and caregivers who strongly advocate for consistent, high-quality interventions will maximize the optimal outcomes.

How to Become an ABA Therapist?

ABA therapists are licensed psychologists who have completed a training program and obtained certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Based on what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, psychologists must complete at least a bachelor's degree. However, most state governing boards require licensed therapists, counselors, social workers and clinical professionals to have a master's degree. Psychology Today states that to obtain the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential, the ABA therapist must complete at least a master's degree and a specific number of hours of clinical education and experience.

How to Choose the Right Degree

A graduate student who wants to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) should carefully choose their degree program. The BACB works with universities to create fast-track programs for future ABA therapists. The BACB usually requires colleges issuing degrees in behavioral analysis to include 18 to 20 credit hours of specific psychology courses. This includes classes in ABA ethics, foundations, applied design, technique applications and school based interventions. This course set will be only available to current students or graduates of a master's degree in education, psychology or behavior analysis. Most university ABA-based degree programs require students to get at least a B grade in all classes. The degree program will likely include at least 1500 hours of supervised field experience that may be performed under an active BCBA.

Applied Behavioral Degrees

The most common degree for BCBAs is the master of science in ABA. Students learn to apply behavioral principles to everyday situations in homes, classrooms and community settings. Students are trained to use behavioral analytics to identify the maladaptive behaviors and make appropriate plans to reduce or increase target actions. Coursework highlights include special education law and how it applies to ABA assessments and interventions. Students master how to perform behavioral consultations, collaborate with professionals and produce measurable and functional outcomes. One important skill is the ability to understand the subculture, such as a school or hospital, in order to maximize communication and cooperation effectiveness.

Related resource: 10 Best ABA Master's Degree Programs

Applied behavior analysis is more and more recognized as an effective method of therapy with not just autistic patients but with anyone needing changes in their behavior. Because of its effectiveness, ABA therapy is now a popular method of therapy used in medical facilities, community centers, schools and even in the home.

Related:

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What is Applied Behavior Analysis in Simple Terms? - ABA Degree Programs

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Although it's been around for a long time, many people are still unfamiliar with applied behavior analysis and how it works. Although it's most often used in reference to autism spectrum disorder, applied behavior analysis is actually used in many other situations. ABA is a type of therapy used to decrease inappropriate behavior and increase appropriate behavior.

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"Kids do well if they can"

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Rethinking Challenging Kids-Where There's a Skill There's a Way | J. Stuart Ablon | TEDxBeaconStreet

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Teaching Children Resilience

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Instead of centering the conversation around the student being a problem, center the conversation around getting the student to succeed.

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iStock/DGLimages
A few days later Devin got in trouble with me for something else and I was able to have him agree to see me after school (that itself was another small ordeal).

That meeting actually ended up being a turning point for our relationship. Here's what I did...
The Problem
Most likely you've tried giving a student "a talk" - a "see me after class" conversation. I mean when you pull them aside/outside and have a private conversation, usually detached from the event when emotions aren't charged anymore. You have enough time that you're not rushed and you can hold a meaningful conversation. So what does that conversation sound like? Whether it's told gently or angrily, this is probably what most "see me after class" conversations sound like *to the student*:

"You're being a problem. This is why you're a problem. This is why you need to stop being a problem. This is what you need to do or not do to stop being a problem. [Next conversation] Why are you still being a problem. I need you to stop being a problem. [This may even happen] Here - I'll even make this deal with you if you stop being a problem so at least the rest of us can have a chance at success."

If this is all a student hears, what do you think he'll do the next time he's pulled aside for another talk? He tunes you out.

Of course you don't literally say those words (I think), but if you think about how most of these "conversations" go, what would you say is the purpose of the conversation? The student and most likely the teacher would say the purpose is to get the student to- well, stop being a problem. While this may be what we want - and legitimately so because the student *is* being a problem and should stop being a problem, a conversation like the above is pretty limited in which students it works with and it most likely has a negative effect on the relationship (even though sometimes it may yield compliance).
Let's Switch Things Up
The Mindset Instead of centering the conversation around the student being a problem, center the conversation around getting the student to succeed (but don't worry, we'll still address the problems caused by the student). In the conversation, the bottom line is the student's learning, safety, and success. The idea you want her to leave with is that "This is about you and your success - right now you are not achieving this thing you want to achieve and I want to make sure I do what I can to help you achieve that." The idea you don't want her to leave with is that you're just trying to make your own life better or just trying to defend other students.

That's all fine and dandy, but how do we actually do that?
Tactic 1: Start the Conversation on the Right Foot with These Three Elements
Your student likely expects to hear nag nag nag, so if you start off with anything like that, you risk getting tuned out before the conversation even starts. Instead, you open the conversation with appreciation and concern. No judgment. Start the conversation with these three elements...

1. Recognize/thank the student

2. Describe signs that the student's success is at risk

3. Ask how you can support the student

Here's an example. "Thanks for coming in to talk. I know you'd like to do well in this class and I'd like you to do well, too. I'm concerned... I noticed you haven't been completing assignments and you've been doing poorly on quizzes, causing your grade to go down. Is there something I should know about or something I can do to help you do better in this class?"

Recognize - Show appreciation - doesn't have to be for a major accomplishment: "Thanks for coming in to talk". If possible, acknowledge any positive things the student is doing - improvement, effort, etc. If you reeeally can't think of anything, at least presume something positive: "I know you'd like to do well in this class...". Even if you're not sure that's true, instead saying something like "You don't even care if you fail" won't help the situation in any way.

Describe - Give observations that are evidence the student is being negatively impacted: "I noticed you haven't been completing assignments and you've been doing poorly on quizzes, causing your grade to go down." You are NOT describing the student's problem behaviors - you are describing the objective negative impacts of those behaviors as relates to the student's success.

Support - "... I'd like you to do well, too. Is there something I should know about or something I can do to help you do better in this class?"

If the student actually opens up, you must be willing to listen. What she says most likely won't excuse her behavior, but we weren't asking for excuses anyway. Your priority is to understand the student and make her feel understood. If you are asking the student to share her needs and she starts placing blame on you, it doesn't help you convey concern for her if you seem more concerned about defending yourself. That doesn't mean you need to agree with any accusations or comply with any requests, but at least acknowledge feelings and empathize. Do not get defensive. Your reaction here conveys to the student whether your interest is in her needs or in your own. If the student chooses not to share or she claims everything's fine, that's okay. By asking, you've helped establish your intentions around the conversation.
Tactic 2: Relate Every Point Back to the Student's Success
For the remainder of the conversation (including the part where you tell the student what he should or shouldn't be doing), as much as possible, connect your points to how they impact the student's success. Bonus points if you can connect them back to concerns the student raised earlier in the conversation.

"The other thing I wanted to discuss was that when I'm walking around helping students, I often see you on websites not related to what we're doing in class. It's tough for me to help you and for you to work on the assignment when you're not on the right website."

Next, frame the problem in terms of impact on other students (this has a better chance of being effective if the target student has a good rapport with fellow students)

"I don't know if you've noticed, but when you're on those other websites, your neighbors get distracted and start looking at what you're doing instead of working on their assignment. Then you guys start talking, which gets you distracted even more and it's even harder for you to learn."

Lastly, if you believe relevant, frame the problem in terms of impact on you (like before, the effectiveness of this is correlated with the student's rapport with you). When describing the problem's impact on you, try to wrap this back around to describe how that impacts the student (and/or the class as a whole).

"When I see you with your earbuds in, I get distracted and start getting frustrated, which interrupts the lesson for everyone [or] which makes it more difficult for you and other students to get help when I'm all flustered."

Almost anything can be brought back around to the student through his learning environment:

- Your behavior => impacts other students => impacts your learning environment => impacts you

- Your behavior => impacts teacher => impacts your learning environment => impacts you It's like how when you were taught to write an essay, you were told to keep reconnecting your points back to the thesis statement.

Same thing here, but the thesis is "Let's get you to succeed".
Aftermath
At the end of our conversation, Devin gave a relieved sigh, smiled, and lamented "Man, Mr. X [his other teacher - not his real name] never talks to me like this." I didn't want to throw a colleague under the bus so I just said something wishy washy about how different teachers have different styles. After that day there was a noticeable difference in Devin's behavior and demeanor. He was more focused in class, asked for help more freely, and always smiled and waved at me when he saw me in the hallways. He was even playful enough to joke around the next time I asked the students to stay in their seats - he pretended he was about to walk past me again and immediately cracked a grin and jumped back into his seat.

In terms of addressing Devin's concerns, he said he just felt lost in the class sometimes and I suggested a couple things I could try to help. I don't remember doing much more than just checking on him more frequently and giving him a bit more individual assistance when he needed it. I doubt my actual accommodations played a major role in Devin's improvement. Maybe he was used to being treated "as a problem" in most classes and it helped him to know I was willing to look beyond that and show concern about his learning and success instead of seeing him as just something that inhibits the learning and success of others. Maybe knowing his teacher went out of the way to make him feel understood goes a long way.
Takeaways
There's of course no magical thing you can tell a student that will just get them to turn things around, so while this may not "work" (aka "fix the problem") with every student in every situation, I know this has helped me de-escalate situations, reduce defensiveness, and strengthen relationships. My results with Devin are not typical, but that turning point also would not have happened if we hadn't had that conversation. More important than the exact tactics - which can be modified for your situations - is the overall philosophy of approaching a conversation with a student by framing the discussion in terms of their success. The point isn't to be disingenuous and "trick" students into thinking you care, but oftentimes we do fixate on the problem a student causes for us (naturally) and keeping this technique in mind may help remind us to shift our focus back to the student's needs.

(This post is an abridged version of the original blog post.)

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How to Talk to a "Problem Student" Without Them Tuning You Out

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iStock/DGLimages A few days later Devin got in trouble with me for something else and I was able to have him agree to see me after school (that itself was another small ordeal). That meeting actually ended up being a turning point for our relationship. Here's what I did...

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Any student may refuse to cooperate at times, but handling students with oppositional defiant disorder requires that teachers have a plan.

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Any student may refuse to cooperate at times, but handling students with oppositional defiant disorder requires that teachers have a plan.

We all have students who test our limits. Most kids can be uncooperative at times, especially if they're tired, hungry, or feeling overwhelmed. For certain age groups, like 2- to 3-year-olds and teenagers, noncooperative behavior is a normal part of development.

In addition, up to 16 percent of all children and 40 percent of students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), which is characterized by a pattern, in multiple settings over time, of consistent negative and hostile behavior that can include deliberately annoying or upsetting others, explosions of anger and hostility, defiance or frequent arguing with adults, and then blaming others for misbehavior.

Often teachers react defensively to obstinate behavior, creating a situation where teacher and student may become locked in a power struggle or an ineffective pattern of communication.

So how does a teacher handle a student who openly defies rules, purposely tries to irritate the teacher, or has a pattern of hostile behavior toward authority? Here are some suggestions to help you avoid problems or to manage them when they arise.

Remain Calm

As a new teacher, I quickly determined that showing anger was counterproductive with students who were oppositional. It made the behavior worse as they were often amused or encouraged by upsetting an adult.

Even when you're upset or frustrated, it's important not to allow the child to see your emotional response. Keep a positive tone to your voice, and adopt neutral body language by keeping your hands by your sides. Be cautious about approaching the student or entering their personal space as this might escalate the situation.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Learning to use "I statements" helped me immensely in working with students with difficult behavior. When a student is noncompliant, often our first impulse as teachers is to point out the behavior by using a statement that begins with "You" and gives a command. For example, "You never listen and follow directions. Don't get out of your seat again!"

Rephrasing this as an "I statement" is much more effective. For example, "I would like for all of my students to sit down, listen, and follow directions so that they know what to do next."

This statement is less judgmental, and it instructs by describing the positive behavior desired. Remember to keep directions concise and deliver them in multiple ways (in writing, spoken aloud, or using signals, for example).

When possible, offer choices where you will be happy with either outcome. For example, "Students may sit on the beanbags or at their desks to work quietly." Choices make students feel like they have agency without having to display defiant behavior.

Reinforce Positive Behavior

Switch your focus from recognizing negative behavior to seeking out demonstrations of positive behavior. Look for and reward even small steps toward flexibility, compliance, and cooperation.

When a student shows improvement, give it attention. I found positive notes home to be especially effective. I sent postcards to my students who demonstrated improvement in their behavior. A parent once told me that not only was this the first positive note the student had received, but he was so proud of it that he kept it on the refrigerator to look at every day. Don't underestimate the power of positive words in shaping behavior.

Determine the Cause of the Behavior

When does this behavior happen or not happen?

What happens before and after the behavior?

Who is the audience?

Are there factors outside of the student's control that might be causing or contributing to the behaviors? (For example, has the student experienced trauma? Does he or she come from a household with housing or food instability?)

What alternative behavior would be more acceptable than the one being displayed?

Behaviors help students obtain something desirable or escape something undesirable. Learning to think of behavior as feedback or a form of communication helped me to work more effectively as a teacher with students who display problem behaviors.

Consider that there may be understandable reasons for the misbehavior. For example, as a teacher I often saw students create a problem to avoid doing work that was too difficult for them. Some students act out because of difficult issues in their homes or communities. I also saw students act tough or argumentative to impress peers or avoid bullying or victimization by other students.

Understanding the cause of the behavior will help in establishing a plan to address the challenges.

If a student frequently displays problematic behavior, it also may be possible to request a functional behavior assessment (FBA), which looks at academic and non-academic factors that could be contributing to or triggering behavior. While the law only requires an FBA after a suspension of 10 days or more, an FBA may be requested at any time. An FBA is usually conducted by a team, which can include a special education teacher, general education teachers, parent or guardian, school administrators, and specialists (such as a speech therapist, psychologist, or behavior specialist). The FBA is then used to create a detailed behavior intervention plan (BIP).

Once a behavior is identified and assessed, a plan may be developed to prevent it from continuing. A BIP outlines steps a teacher will take when a problem behavior occurs.

A BIP should teach the student more productive behaviors and strategies, reward positive and appropriate behaviors, and outline who is responsible for each intervention.

Perhaps changes can be made in the environment, like moving the student's seat, or instructional methodology changes could be made, like shortening or modifying an assignment to match the student's capability for independent work. Teachers could also consider altering routines if there are times when the behavior is likely to occur.

The teacher will provide the student with a set of questions about the lesson to answer on paper and turn in instead of answering questions aloud.

The student will be responsible for asking for a short break or alternative location to complete assignments when they are feeling overwhelmed.

Each day, if the student turns in their answers after the lesson, they will receive a positive note home and 5-10 minutes to work on their art projects.

For example, if a student is having an outburst every time they're called on in class or asked to present information in front of their peers, the plan might offer alternatives such as:

The behavior plan that the team comes up with should be implemented in all classes. The team should meet to hear teacher and parent/guardian feedback, and the plan should be revisited periodically to change ineffective interventions or modify interventions where the student shows improvement.

We all have the capacity to learn, change, and grow. When given the right tools and environment, students with problematic behavior can learn more productive strategies that will help them have positive and effective interactions with others.

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Any student may refuse to cooperate at times, but handling students with oppositional defiant disorder requires that teachers have a plan.

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The behaviors associated with oppositional defiant disorder can be challenging in the classroom, but there are strategies to help build relationships and make way for learning.

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To find more strategies and resources for working with kids with ODD, read the 2021 Edutopia article " 6 Ways to Help Students With ODD " or learn more about the studies and articles cited in the video from the links below:

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Understanding and Supporting Your Student With ODD

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The behaviors associated with oppositional defiant disorder can be challenging in the classroom, but there are strategies to help build relationships and make way for learning.

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Simple strategies for teaching kids to recognize, name, and mange their intense emotions

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Executive function and emotional control walk in lockstep. Stress and emotional flooding affect how children with ADHD learn, play, engage with classmates, follow directions, and retain information. When they enter a heightened state of arousal, their ADHD brain wiring can interfere with social-emotional learning and sabotage self-regulation, making it difficult to access the curriculum, respond appropriately, reframe challenges, react with strategies, or problem solve.

How Educators Can Promote Emotional Control in Students with ADHD

1. Create a "pattern interrupt" by engaging in an exercise shown to reduce cortisol and adrenaline levels, increase dopamine levels, and release endorphins to induce a calmer state of mind. Shift a classroom's internal chemistry by doing jumping jacks, jumping like a frog, walking like a bear on your hands and knees, stomping like an elephant, stretching to touch the sky, walking up and down the stairs, or touching toes.

2. Model emotional coping strategies by leading and posting regulation strategies in the classroom. Create a Zen corner and engage in mindful meditation practices to demonstrate their daily utility. Give each student a code word to alert you when they are struggling.

3. Reflect on and talk about book characters' emotions to build a culture of empathy. Connect a character's emotional state, reactions, and decision making to students' inner emotional worlds. Build lifelong relationship-management skills by teaching students to reflect on their emotional state, recognize and share feelings, and step into others' shoes.

4. Each morning, ask students to take a deep breath, then gauge and name their emotional state or point to an emoji chart. Offer calming strategies to begin the day. This five-minute exercise will pay dividends as children free up mental and emotional energy for the day's curriculum.
[Free Resource: 5 Ways to Improve Emotional Control at Home]

5. When friends or frenemies clash, prompt children to step into each other's shoes and take their own emotional temperature. Prompt them to consider whether they need space to be less reactive and suggest centering strategies like quietly repeating a mantra such as, "I am OK."

6. Improve students' emotional vocabulary by posting a rich word bank for various nuanced emotional states - in book characters and in themselves. Alternatives to "angry" might be "disappointed," "irritated," or "annoyed." Alternatives to "happy" might be "relieved," "giddy," or "content."

How Parents Can Promote Emotional Control in Children with ADHD

1. Teach your child how their brain works. When the thalamus perceives a threat, stressor, or danger, the amygdala will sound an alarm and create a cascade of heightened emotions. When children understand how this flooding affects them, they can better identify the sensations of fight, flight, or fear - such as a pounding heart, sweaty palms, and so on.

2. Help your child differentiate a thinking brain - one that can problem-solve, learn, and pay attention - from a reactive brain that argues, yells, becomes snappy, or feels flooded with emotions. When a child understands how they act in different emotional states, they are better able to catch and reverse actions or tone synonymous with a reactive state.
[Free Parenting Resource: How to Deal with Anger From Your Child]

3. Label emotions with detail. Teach your child to identify, name, and process emotional nuances, such as feeling hopeful, overwhelmed, disappointed, or frustrated. By labeling emotions accurately, children are empowered to take the first step in processing them.

4. Some children ruminate and catastrophize, labeling every setback or challenge "the end of the world." This happens due to an overactive cingulate gyrus - the gear shifter in the brain. If this gets stuck, cycling from thought to thought or activity to activity can be hard. Help your child get un-stuck by showing them how to do an emotional temperature body scan and asking, "Am I ruminating?" "Am I stuck?" If the answer is yes, engage in mindfulness practices to de-escalate the effects of rumination.

5. Challenge perceptions when your child seems reactive and overly emotional. Help them impartially compare the context of the situation to the story replaying in their head. Teach your child to double-check, not assume. Maybe he didn't fully understand the comment, intention, or act. "What evidence is there that this story is true? What else could the answer be?" Now, work with him to alter his inner story by replacing negative thoughts with neutral thoughts. Replace "I know she is ignoring my text" to "She is probably busy and can't respond right away."

Emotional Control at School and Home: Next Steps

Schoolhouse Blocks: Foundational Executive Functions

Access more resources from ADDitude's Schoolhouse Blocks: Foundational Executive Functions series exploring common learning challenges and strategies to sharpen core EFs at school.

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11 Strategies That Improve Emotional Control at School and Home

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Executive function and emotional control walk in lockstep. Stress and emotional flooding affect how children with ADHD learn, play, engage with classmates, follow directions, and retain information. When they enter a heightened state of arousal, their ADHD brain wiring can interfere with social-emotional learning and sabotage self-regulation, making it difficult to access the curriculum, respond appropriately, reframe challenges, react with strategies, or problem solve.

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A thoughtful, prepared, and supportive approach to the situations we face in life can help us navigate beyond crisis and toward connection.

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De-escalation tips to use during times of high stress

In the light of the many recent hardships, it feels almost glib to suggest that de-escalation is really ever this simple. The truth is that there is no magic recipe for keeping troubling things from happening in the world. But there is a way that you can respond to these kinds of events that is constructive, positive, and impacts real resolution. That's why CPI training is not so much a series of steps as it is a philosophy for viewing humanity as full of potential. These de-escalation tips from CPI are about support, not suppression, and about seeing each other with the humanity and compassion that each of us wants to be seen with.

CPI's Top 10 De-escalation Tips:

1. Be Empathic and Nonjudgmental
Do not judge or be dismissive of the feelings of the person in distress. Remember that the person's feelings are real, whether or not you think those feelings are justified. Respect those feelings, keeping in mind that whatever the person is going through could be the most important event in their life at the moment.

2. Respect Personal Space
Be aware of your position, posture, and proximity when interacting with a person in distress. Allowing personal space shows respect, keeps you safer, and tends to decrease a person's anxiety. If you must enter someone's personal space to provide care, explain what you're doing so the person feels less confused and frightened.

3. Use Nonthreatening Nonverbals
The more a person is in distress, the less they hear your words-and the more they react to your nonverbal communication. Be mindful of your gestures, facial expressions, movements, and tone of voice. Keeping your tone and body language neutral will go a long way toward defusing a situation.

4. Keep Your Emotional Brain in Check
Remain calm, rational, and professional. While you can't control the person's behavior, how you respond to their behavior will have a direct effect on whether the situation escalates or defuses. Positive thoughts like "I can handle this" and "I know what to do" will help you maintain your own rationality and calm the person down.

5. Focus on Feelings
Facts are important, but how a person feels is the heart of the matter. Yet some people have trouble identifying how they feel about what's happening to them. Watch and listen carefully for the person's real message. Try saying something like "That must be scary." Supportive words like these will let the person know that you understand what's happening-and you may get a positive response.

6. Ignore Challenging Questions
Engaging with people who ask challenging questions is rarely productive. When a person challenges your authority, redirect their attention to the issue at hand. Ignore the challenge, but not the person. Bring their focus back to how you can work together to solve the problem.

7. Set Limits
As a person progresses through a crisis, give them respectful, simple, and reasonable limits. Offer concise and respectful choices and consequences. A person who's upset may not be able to focus on everything you say. Be clear, speak simply, and offer the positive choice first.

8. Choose Wisely What You Insist Upon
It's important to be thoughtful in deciding which rules are negotiable and which are not. For example, if a person doesn't want to shower in the morning, can you allow them to choose the time of day that feels best for them? If you can offer a person options and flexibility, you may be able to avoid unnecessary altercations.

9. Allow Silence for Reflection
We've all experienced awkward silences. While it may seem counterintuitive to let moments of silence occur, sometimes it's the best choice. It can give a person a chance to reflect on what's happening, and how they need to proceed. Silence can be a powerful communication tool.

10. Allow Time for Decisions
When a person is upset, they may not be able to think clearly. Give them a few moments to think through what you've said. A person's stress rises when they feel rushed. Allowing time brings calm.

We cannot control what happens in the world. We can control how we respond to it.

In an episode of Unrestrained, a CPI podcast, Certified Instructor and employment counselor Denise Esson shared this thought: "CPI training is not exclusive to workplace settings. It is meant to be used in the workplace, but I truly believe that you take it with you in your daily interactions with your family, your friends, your colleagues, customers, clients, neighbors, people walking by, driving. For me, it's those basic principles of the training that grow out of the basic principles of humanity and decency. Respect each other. Be a servant to each other. Keep each other safe. That's life. That's good living."

Current events in the world remind us that conflict and crisis are never as straightforward and simple in life as they are on paper (or in a blog post). That is why Denise's observation is profoundly well-timed, and deeply insightful. By putting simple strategies to work in each element of our daily life, we acknowledge that we can't control what other people may do, but we can set a stage of positive potential for what we do. We can prepare the spaces we inhabit to be more receptive to nonviolence, we can empower individuals to respond to crisis more mindfully and compassionately, and we can maintain more hope for healing and recovery from the traumas that crises and conflict can leave in their wake.

We each must do our part to create a culture of caring.

Can a stack of tips save the world? I know it's not that simple. But a thoughtful, prepared, and supportive approach to the situations we face in life can help us navigate beyond crisis and toward connection. And connection should be the ultimate goal that we share as residents on this planet; we should all strive to deepen and sustain humanity and decency, or as we understand those values here at CPI- Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security℠. CPI training isn't a magic wand that makes the world a better place, but it is a practical, meaningful process to equip yourself and your staff with the resilience, confidence, and hope to do just that.

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CPI's Top 10 De-escalation Tips Revisited | Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

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CPI's top ten de-escalation tips are everyday crisis prevention strategies that can keep you and those you interact with safe.

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Students who need extra social and emotional support have a quick check-in with an adult at the start and end of each day.

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Fall-Hamilton Elementary identifies students who need a little extra social, emotional, and academic support, and pairs each one with an adult on staff who is not the child's teacher. Students meet with their mentors for two minutes at the beginning and end of every day to plan their goals and then assess their progress using worksheets tailored by grade level.

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Students who need extra social and emotional support have a quick check-in with an adult at the start and end of each day.

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CICO is an opportunity for a student and a mentor to work together to improve behavior. The goal of this strategy is to prevent future problem behaviors by checking in with students daily to share clear expectations, feedback, and support.

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In this Intervention Brief, we explore the Check-In/Check-Out Intervention, often called CICO for short. This popular Tier 2 intervention promotes positive behavior. It is often implemented within a PBIS (positive behavior interventions and supports) and/or MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) framework.

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Quick Summary
Intervention Name: Check-In/Check-Out (CICO)

Tier(s): 2

Grade Levels: K-12

Description: CICO is a strategy that provides students with routine feedback on behavior and increased positive adult attention daily.
Implement Check-In/Check-Out with our free guide and customizable daily progress report templates
CICO Intervention Overview

Check-In/Check-Out (CICO), also known as the Behavior Education Program (BEP), is a Tier 2 evidence-based intervention that addresses common classroom behavior challenges. CICO is an opportunity for a student and an adult champion to work together to improve student behavior.

The strategy works by providing predictable opportunities for educators to teach behavior expectations and provide positive reinforcement (e.g., behavior-specific praise) and feedback. Students may be given tangible reinforcement (rewards or prizes) when they achieve daily goals.

A student receiving CICO meets with adults throughout the school day to reinforce and track behavioral goals. The student "checks in" with the champion first thing in the morning. Throughout the day, teachers provide positive and corrective feedback. Students then "check out" with the champion at dismissal to review their overall behavior that day.

What the Research Says About Check-In/Check-Out

By providing students ample opportunities to receive positive attention from adults, CICO implementation has been shown to produce positive outcomes for students:

Increased adherence to school-wide positive behavior expectations

Reduced rates of office discipline referrals (behavior incidents)

Reduced rates of mild disruptive behaviors

Research also suggests that CICO may result in increased academic engagement and prosocial behaviors.

Studies have found thatCICO works best for students with low-level disruptive behaviors , such as calling out or defiance. Students who seek attention benefit most from CICO, since the intervention includes regular, positive attention from adults.

How to Implement Check-In/Check-Out

Implementing CICO places minimal burden on educators-classroom teachers can typically implement the practice infive to ten minutes per day. Follow these steps to get started with CICO.

1. Identify students who can benefit from CICO

Lean into data-based decision-making when planning a CICO intervention. Look for students with frequent behavior incident reports for disruptive behaviors . Determine if the motivation behind the behavior was to obtain attention from adults. Students who fit this profile may be good candidates for CICO intervention.

Consult your student support teams, grade-level teams, or PBIS teams for additional flags.

Panorama helps teams efficiently identify students with multiple behavior incidents.

2. Create an intervention plan

If CICO seems like a good match for a student's behavioral needs, the student support team creates an intervention plan. Your plan might include information like:

Student name

Intervention description

Goal

Champion

Start date

Duration

Monitoring method and frequency

A key part of the plan is assigning a champion who is responsible for daily CICO implementation. A champion is the adult who conducts the morning check-in and afternoon check-out. The champion could be a classroom teacher, counselor, coach, or other staff member. The important thing is that the champion is someone who the student trusts and feels comfortable meeting with on a regular basis.

3. Implement the plan

Create a daily progress report for teachers and champions to track how the student performs against their behavior goals. (Get started with our customizable daily progress report templates.)

On a daily basis, successful implementation of the CICO intervention includes:

Morning Check-In: The student checks in with their champion each morning after arriving at school. The goal of this morning meeting is to review behavioral goals, collaboratively set goals for the day, and provide encouragement.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Feedback: Throughout the day, teachers observe the student's behaviors during routine timeframes and fill out the daily progress report. Teachers share feedback with the student at the end of instructional blocks, class periods, or during natural transitions. Feedback should be positive, specific, and corrective when appropriate.

Check-Out: At the end of the day, the student meets with the champion again to discuss if the student reached the daily goals and target behaviors. If the student met their goals, the champion provides verbal praise and tangible reinforcement-often in the form of points or prizes. If the student did not meet their goals, the champion offers supportive feedback and encouragement.

4. Progress monitor

Student support teams progress monitor the intervention to understand how well it is working. They should ask themselves these key questions:

Is the intervention being implemented on most days the student is in school?

Is the intervention helping the student to progress toward, achieve, and surpass goals?

Teams can use the data to make adjustments to the intervention plan as needed or determine if a student is ready to "exit" the CICO intervention.

Educators can visualize a student's behavior progress through Panorama's new CICO daily progress report.

CICO in Your District

You may already be using CICO to support students in your district. Many districts implement the CICO behavior intervention within MTSS and/or PBIS approaches. It can also be a good fit for any district looking to address routine classroom management needs using proactive tools. Either way, having the right tools to help you implement CICO will mean more benefit to students.

Panorama tools can help identify students who can benefit from CICO, track CICO implementation, and monitor students' progress in the intervention. With Panorama's interventions interface, educators can spend less time on reporting and focus their attention on students.
Download our Check-In/Check-Out Toolkit

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Check-In/Check-Out (CICO): Intervention Tips and Guidance

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Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is an evidence-based Tier 2 behavior intervention. Learn which students it helps and best practices for implementation.

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CICO point cards from preschool to high school

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Sample/Template: Examples of CICO point cards from preschool to high school.

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Gives students a boost and allows them to meet behavioral goals that can lead them back to Tier 1. Provides feedback to the student on their behavior throughout the day.

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PBIS initiatives help to improve school culture and climate by teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors. The majority of students in any given school will not need supports beyond Tier 1. However, for the roughly 15% of students who need behavior intervention support beyond the supports of Tier 1 PBIS implementation, there is Tier 2. The Check-In/Check-Out behavior intervention is a commonly used option for behavior supports within Tier 2.

Tier 2 interventions provide additional support for students who need more support to meet their goals socially, emotionally, and/or academically. The objective of Tier 2 is to provide students with the tools to self-govern, allowing them to move back into to Tier 1. There are a number of interventions at this level to assist in that goal.

Because Tier 2 interventions apply to a subset of students overall, each intervention can be personalized to each student's needs. The Check-In/Check-Out behavior intervention is one such customizable tactic.

Check-In/Check-Out in PBIS

As a Tier 2 intervention in PBIS, Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) can give students a boost and allow them to meet behavioral goals that can lead them back to Tier 1. Check-In/Check-Out intervention forms can be customized to reflect behaviors that need additional focus. Teachers provide feedback to the student on these behaviors throughout the day.

Reasons to use CICO in your PBIS implementation:

Provides structure in a student's day

Creates accountability

Provides teacher feedback to student and parents

Creates internal motivation

Improves student behavior

Increases academic success

Creates a stronger home-school connection

Identifying Students Who Will Benefit from Check-In/Check-Out Behavior Intervention

Because the Check-In/Check-Out behavior intervention applies to a smaller number of students needing Tier 2 supports, there are certain criteria you can use to identify these students:

A student who struggles with Tier 1 goals and behaviors

Little to no classwork participation or completion

Poor performance in submitting homework

Lack of participation in class

Poor organizational and/or time management skills

Struggles with emotion, focus, attentiveness, staying on-task

Often, behavioral issues in the classroom are pieces in a larger puzzle. Some students struggle developmentally and need a helping hand to strengthen their skills. Others may have external factors affecting their behavior.

Succesful Check-In/Check-Out Behavior Intervention in PBIS

There will be variables in the way Check-In/Check-Out behavior intervention is handled from school to school, but the basic premise is the same.

Students assigned to a CICO intervention check in with a coach/mentor at the beginning of the day to set goals for the day. This adult can be a counselor or other staff member who is not an instructor for that student. Typically, the student uses a "points card" that spells out the goals for each part of the day. As the student progresses through the day, their teachers evaluate behavior and assign points for meeting their daily goals. At the end of the day, the student checks out with the same staff member they began the day with, assessing their points total for the day. The final component of this process involves the student taking their points card to a parent at home, returning it signed at the next morning check-in.

At its most basic, the check-in/check-out meeting is an opportunity for student and mentor to work together to improve behavior. This intervention works well for students who respond well to adult attention. The mentor encourages the student to reflect on what they did well, how they feel, and what they need to work on. Students who receive such encouragement learn to self-monitor, internalize successes, and develop self-esteem.

Successful CICO doesn't focus on the student's struggles in behavior. Instead, it centers on the positive behavioral goals met and the efforts made by the student to attain those goals.

Moving Away from Check-In/Check-Out Behavior Intervention

Because Tier 2 interventions provide additional assistance to students, the expectation is that those students will eventually progress into Tier 1. Students who consistently meet their PBIS Check-In/Check-Out goals over a prescribed period should be considered for "graduation" from the intervention.

The criteria for graduation will differ from school to school and student to student. However, do not pull a student from CICO suddenly. The student may suffer a setback in behavior from an abrupt end to the support. Instead, step the student down from CICO by adjusting the duration and frequency of their goals. CICO should not be a long-term intervention; once the student has consistently attained their goals, move them into Tier 1 supports.

Tracking Data for PBIS Check-In/Check-Out

One component of CICO that we have not addressed yet is data tracking. PBIS initiatives that rely on manual tracking mechanisms may struggle, or find it nearly impossible, to assemble data in real time. The intervention forms used by students can also be problematic. Students may lose them during the course of the day, going between classes, or in transit from school to home. Tracking progress can be difficult in this instance, and filing the forms away can obscure trends in the data.

When researching Check-In/Check-Out systems for students, you will want to consider data tracking as an essential component. Fortunately, PBIS Rewards offers Check-In/Check-Out! Because it's completely digital, PBIS Rewards Check-In/Check-Out allows coaches and mentors to track student progress throughout the day. No paper Check-In/Check-Out intervention forms needed! You can configure and adjust goals as students progress back to Tier 1. Our reporting feature provides updated data in multiple configurations to help you understand the progress of your Tier 2 PBIS initiative as well as staff usage.
A digital Check-In/Check-Out system for students can be simpler with PBIS Rewards! Want to know more?
Explore our solution for Check-In/Check-Out in PBIS Rewards.

Here are some related articles you may find interesting:

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Check-In/Check-Out Behavior Intervention & PBIS

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Check-In/Check-Out behavior intervention is a wonderful example of a Tier 2 PBIS implementation that provides additional support to those students who are in need of more support with the social, emotional, and/or academic aspects of life.

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Suggested items to assist with de-escalation

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"Things you can do instead" checklist

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Helps kids to recognize and control their anger

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Underneath the question “Is it sensory or is it behavior?” is the assumption that if it is not “sensory” it is “just behavior”.  It isn’t “just behavior”.

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That question was asked on Facebook by a pediatric occupational therapist who works in the school system and was looking for feedback in regards to a child on her caseload. She felt like she had ruled out significant sensory contributions to the behavior and was looking for confirmation. This is my reply to that question:

Occupational Therapists are often asked that question to rule out sensory sensitivities or sensory integration challenges as an underlying cause for a behavior that can't be explained. On the surface, it is a compassionate question. It allows for the individual differences that come along with sensory challenges, and encourages adults to assume a less judgmental stance on the behaviors they are seeing.

But underneath the question "Is it sensory or is it behavior?" is the assumption that if it is not "sensory" it is "just behavior".
It isn't "just behavior".
Behaviors are an announcement of what is going on inside of us. They are a communication about our felt sense of safety, our regulatory capacity, our present moment experience, our connection to the people around us, and the skills we have to be adaptable.
Ruling out "sensory" isn't enough.
Our compassion and interventions must extend to challenges beyond sensory.

Because kids do well if they can. If they aren't behaving well we need to dig deeper, ask better questions, and provide more support.

If you don't know where to start, here are some suggestions of dos and don'ts:
"Dos and Don'ts" of treating children with behavioral challenges: Don't: Ask "Is it sensory or is it behavior?"
Do: Ask "Is this behavior rooted in sensory challenges?" This question is an important one that OTs can help to answer, if they have received training in evaluating and treating sensory integration/sensory processing challenges.
Don't: Assume it is willful behavior when you have ruled out sensory challenges.
Do: Keep investigating underlying skills and capabilities. Kids do well when they can. If they aren't doing well there is some skill or ability that is lacking or under-developed. Assume that there is something you can do to help. Or refer to someone who can. But please read on before you assume that a behavior interventionist is the right person to intervene.
Don't: Ignore or withdraw affection and attention in an attempt to change or control the child's behavior.
Do: Stay connected to the child. Our brains are literally built for connection and giving attention is not a reward for bad behavior. Staying in connection, even in the tough moments, is our chance to show the child that they can make a mistake and still be seen as a valuable person. Our brains learn best when we feel connected, so staying relationally connected is supported by current neuroscience as the best way to help a child learn new behaviors.
Don't: Use punishment and expect more adaptive behaviors to emerge.
Do: Teach more adaptive behaviors through connected interactions that help the child to feel safe. Each time we help the child to reregulate we are building a pathway in their brain. With many repetitions they internalize this regulation, resulting in better self-regulation and fewer problem behaviors.
Don't: Expect the child to stop their behavior to alleviate your own feelings of discomfort (irritation, frustration, embarrassment, anger, etc).
Do: Regulate yourself first! Notice what is happening in your body and do the things that help you to deactivate when you are triggered by a child's behavior. It can take practice to get good at accessing our tools when a child is misbehaving (just like our kids need practice to get good at using their tools when triggered).
Don't: Withhold sensory experiences to avoid rewarding bad behavior.
Do: Decrease maladaptive behaviors by providing input that is organizing for the brain. Sensory strategies can help the child to reregulate and move back into their window of adaptability, allowing them to be available for learning. When we provide those inputs proactively, or even in the moment of overwhelm/bad behavior, we are not rewarding bad behavior, rather we are teaching the brain to access those strategies for regulation. If there is a frequent need for sensory strategies, take the time to figure out which strategies are actually effective for that individual, and be sure to build those opportunities into the child's day proactively.
Don't: Expect a child to use tools and strategies to reregulate independently.
Do: Co-regulate. Help the child by coming alongside and offering tools and options. When they are dysregulated they don't have access to their cortical brain (thinking brain). The less sophisticated lower brain structures (feeling brain) take over until we are feeling reregulated. Even if they can name lots of strategies when they are calm, they will likely need help accessing them when they are upset. With practice, they will be able to access strategies that they have used successfully many times before. That's how we learn self regulation!
Don't: Try to reason with the child or problem solve while they are upset.
Do: Help a child reregulate before trying to find solutions. Problem solving and reasoning can only happen when our brains are able to match the energy needed for thinking. If their brain is too activated, they don't have access to the cortex. Better yet, wait until a time that they are regulated and feeling connected to solve the problem collaboratively.
Don't: Assume the child feels safe because you perceive that they are physically safe in the current environment.
Do: Learn to read the signs: How are they breathing? Is their body open and leaning in or are they withdrawing? Is their skin flushed, pale, discolored? What is the quality of their voice? Are their movements rhythmical or dysrhythmic? Are their muscles tight or floppy or somewhere in between? Is their pain tolerance typical or do they seem to have a high pain tolerance? These signs can help us to know if a child has a sense of felt safety. A quick tip is to notice your own need to control the situation. Controlling behaviors are a sure sign that you do not feel safe, and because we are always coregulating with people around us, the child in that situation is not feeling safe either.
Don't: Use language and reasoning with a child who doesn't feel safe.
Do: Understand that felt safety is a product of perception and provide safety in your interactions. We perceive things happening around us (in the environment), inside of us (from our body sensations), and relationally (between us and other people) . Our brain takes that information, compares it to things that have happened to us in the past, and decides whether we are safe or not safe, all on an unconscious level, in a split second! We can create safety for others through connected, relational ways of interacting; through rhythmic, repetitive activities; using sensory strategies; with our own body language; and by adopting a compassionate lens for the way we view others.
Don't: Decide that the behavior should be modified by stricter rules, punishment and reward paradigms, or shaming.
Do: Offer the family and the child co regulation and a chance to been seen as doing the best they can. We ALL do better when we feel understood and supported. As therapists, our work is often to find the barriers in ourselves to feeling empathy and compassion for our clients and their families. We will have the greatest impact when we can stay regulated, flexible, curious, compassionate, and connected.
Don't: Dissmiss a child as "attention seeking"
Do: Try replacing "attention seeking" with "connection seeking". Connection is a biological imperative. Once upon a time we were doomed to certain death if we weren't connected to our tribe, so nature built connection seeking into our DNA. For some children, even negative attention feels more connected than no attention, so they will engage in behaviors that get attention in whatever way they can. Giving them consistent connection, even when their behaviors are not meeting expectations, will build their capacity for self regulation.
Don't: Assume they are lazy or spoiled.
Do: Consider the executive functioning skills that are needed to have adaptable behavior. We need to know how to motivate ourselves, initiate and sustain behavior, plan and execute adaptive responses, tolerate discomfort, demonstrate impulse control, and have lots of flexibility in our cognitive and emotional responses. These are skills that we learn over a lifetime, and they are skills that can be taught when a child is lagging in their development.
Don't: Assume that working with "behaviors" is out of the scope of OT practice.
Do: Acknowledge if you don't feel like you currently have the skills to provide the child and their family with adequate support in matters of attachment, regulation, communication, or sensory integration. If possible, help them find someone in the area who is going to see behavior from a lens that is trauma responsive and follows current science on behavior and learning from a relational neuroscience perspective.
Don't: Try to do this alone.
Do: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, friends, or loved ones who see others through this lens of compassion. Be gentle with yourself. We ALL do the best we can with what we know. We ALL do better when we feel regulated and connected. We ALL need to feel connected to learn and grow. We ALL need the skill of having compassion for ourselves and that skill is built from feeling compassion that is extended to us by others. If you are in need of connection seek out others who support this way of looking at humans. Those connections will empower you to be more Powerfully You!

Written by: Amy Lewis OTR/L

Co-author of Powerfully You

For more information see these sources:

The Whole Brain Child by Dan Seigel Books by Dan Siegel

Trauma Sensitive Practice Course from Kim Barthel Relationship Matters Website

Lost and Found by Ross Greene Lives in the Balance website

Beyond Behaviors by Mona Delahooke Mona Delahooke's Website

Podcasts and courses by Robyn Gobbel Robyn Gobbel's website

Parenting with Presence by Susan Stiffleman Susan Stiffleman's Website

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff Self-Compassion website

Self-reg by Stuart Shanker Stuart Shanker's website

Introductory coursework in the Neurosequential Model by Bruce Perry The Neurosequential Network

The Connected Therapist by Marti Smith Book Link

Concepts from The Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges Stephen Porges' website

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"Is it sensory or is it behavior?" - Powerfully You

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Occupational Therapists are often asked that question to rule out sensory sensitivities or sensory integration challenges as an underlying cause for a behavior that can't be explained. On the surface, it is a compassionate question. It allows for the individual differences that come along with sens

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The school-to-prison pipeline

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3 Classroom Behaviors Rooted in ADHD Executive Dysfunction

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Talking too much. Leaving an assigned seat. Blurting out in class. These disruptive behaviors - commonly associated with ADHD - are often misperceived as intentional misbehavior. In reality, they are clues pointing to a child's delayed brain maturity and executive dysfunction.

Disciplining or punishing this disruptive behavior will do very little; to influence change, parents and educators must look deeper to solve the executive function deficits at behaviors' core. Below are common school behaviors rooted in inhibition and impulsivity problems, and strategies for each. Keep in mind that younger students with ADHD may lack the language skills to understand instructions or to express their emotions. They may become easily frustrated and scream, cry, bite, or hit others.

Inhibition Challenge #1: Talking Too Much or Blurting Out in Class

Post and regularly review a Voice Level Chart: outside voice, presentation voice, partner & group work, whisper, silent (for classwork).

Remind students that "work time" is "silent time."

Teach students to take a quick water break and stretch if they feel tempted to talk during "silent time," or quietly move away from a classmate who disrupts them.

Take a picture of the student raising her hand and waiting for help. Tape the picture to her desk as a reminder.

Give the student a small color-coded flip chart that indicates three levels of work status:

green - "I'm working fine"

yellow - "I need help but I can keep working"

red - "I need help and I can't keep working."

Teach students to write down comments or questions, especially during "silent time."

[Download: The Big List of ADHD School Resources from ADDitude]
Inhibition Challenge #2: Leaving an Assigned Seat or Fidgeting

Seat a fidgety student at the end of the row for more mobility and allow them to stand, kneel, or sit on their knees at the desk.

Assign two workstations so the student can move desks for different subjects.

Take a snapshot of the student sitting at their desk or tape it in a visible spot. Discuss and practice the desired behavior.

Inhibition Challenge #3: Losing Focus and Finding Distractions

Increase activity levels and student interactions in lessons, and give students 5-minute brain breaks between sessions.

Use a variety of teaching strategies - lecture, worksheet, white board work, and team collaboration or game play - within each lesson.

Pre-record a 10- to 12-minute lecture so students can work at their own pace with ear buds. Group students to discuss answers and complete worksheets together.

Inhibition at School: Next Steps

Schoolhouse Blocks: Foundational Executive Functions

Access more resources from ADDitude's Schoolhouse Blocks: Foundational Executive Functions series exploring common learning challenges and strategies to sharpen core EFs at school.

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Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

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3 Classroom Behaviors Rooted in ADHD Executive Dysfunction

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Talking too much. Leaving an assigned seat. Blurting out in class. These disruptive behaviors - commonly associated with ADHD - are often misperceived as intentional misbehavior. In reality, they are clues pointing to a child's delayed brain maturity and executive dysfunction.

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How to Create Safe, Positive, and Restorative Schools

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How to Create Safe, Positive, and Restorative Schools

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Why do kids misbehave and why hasn’t our traditional discipline system worked? I will offer a solution to schools that will integrate two of the most widely used school climate and behavior programs in the world: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) & Restorative Practices.

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4 Things All Good Leaders Have

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Brené Brown Reveals Which Four Skill Sets Make the Best Leaders

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De-escalation strategies can help prevent students’ emotional outbursts, and aid them and their peers in finding calm after one.

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Auburn Gresham, located on Chicago's Southside, had experienced 838 violent crimes in the 365 days before Tyshawn's murder. Violence is a part of everyday life for children like him. Already in 2018, there have been more than 430 shootings and 95 homicides in Chicago, and we are less than three months into the year. Is two weeks of support enough to help Chicago's youth cope with the trauma of these experiences?

As a researcher and professor at the University of Chicago, I have researched children's exposure to violence in urban areas for more than two decades and know the impact it can have on youth. Kids who experience adverse childhood experiences like violence and chronic housing instability can be either hyperactive-unable to contain the anxious energy-or hypoactive-unable to muster the energy to engage. Trauma impacts a child's brain and cognitive processes, making critical thinking and problem solving more difficult and emotional outbursts more likely.

After hearing about the district's short-term response and knowing just how much this contradicts what the research says, I realized I needed to help schools be better prepared to provide long-term support for students who experience chronic trauma.

I started by interviewing educators serving schools in high-crime neighborhoods in the city. I learned that they had limited access to mental health supports for students until students' behavior reached a level that received severe disciplinary action or a special education designation. One of their top requests for professional development was training on how to handle these situations better. Called de-escalation, this approach focuses on helping students who are getting increasingly agitated to calm down before their behavior gets out of hand.

Preventative De-Escalation

From my outreach, I created the Trauma Responsive Educational Practices (TREP) Project, which helps educators and schools serving children in neighborhoods that have high levels of toxic stress-such as poverty and violence-learn strategies to better support their students. But educators don't have to partner with TREP to learn some of these approaches. At some point in your teaching career, you're likely to witness emotional outbursts from your students. Research shows that students with trauma don't respond to punitive discipline, so it's important to know strategies that do work.

Preventative de-escalation strategies-based on the Acting Out Cycle-can help. Based on the work of Geoff Colvin and many other researchers, the Acting Out Cycle provides a framework for understanding and responding to challenging student behaviors through different phases: calm, trigger, agitation, acceleration, peak acting out, de-escalation, and recovery.

Students often display several signs of agitation in the early stages of the Acting Out Cycle before a major emotional outburst occurs, such as balling up their fists, withdrawing from classroom interaction, or clenching their jaw. Many educators tend to ignore students' increasing signs of agitation, hoping they'll eventually calm down. But when disregarded, these minor behaviors can quickly escalate.

Children that have experienced abuse are much more likely to interpret ambiguous touches-like an accidental hallway bump-as threatening.

Observing what triggers your students' outbursts will help you become better at using preventative de-escalation strategies to stop them before they start. Loud noises, touch, body language, and anniversaries of tragic events can all be triggers. Children that have experienced abuse, for example, are much more likely to interpret ambiguous touches-like an accidental hallway bump-as threatening. While it's impossible to identify and prevent all triggers, planning ahead is a critical component of preventative de-escalation.

Start by taking stock of how your classroom and class schedule are organized. Are the desks arranged such that students can easily move up and down the aisles with minimal chance of bumping? Are students swiftly and predictably transitioned into class and engaged with a bell-ringer activity to minimize potential teasing at the start of class?

It's also important to debrief with students after an emotional outburst to help them identify their triggers in productive ways.

In-the-Moment De-escalation Strategies

But as teachers, you can't prevent every outburst from happening.

Because it's difficult for anyone to think clearly and engage in rational conversations when in a heightened emotional state, your two objectives in these situations are to keep students safe and to help the agitated student calm down-not to get that student to apologize or discuss consequences.

Instead, keep your instructions short, clear, and concise, and repeat if necessary. When in an agitated state, traumatized students have a hard time processing complex instructions.

It's also important to affirm your students' autonomy by giving them choices. When your students feel respected, their sense of belonging and mood will often improve. You could say, "I see that you're upset, but it's not OK to yell at me. You can either go get a drink of water and come back in five minutes or sit in the reading chair and I will check in with you in five minutes." Be sure to avoid ultimatums like, "You better sit back down or I'll send you to the office," but do set limits to let students know what's required of them to move the conversation forward.

When in an agitated state, traumatized students have a hard time processing complex instructions.

It's also important to recap what your student says throughout the conversation. After summarizing what they say, ask if they agree with how you interpreted it. This ensures that you're both on the same page, and it also shows them that you're listening.

Before returning to learning, give your student more time to calm down on their own. A de-escalation space can do this-a quiet place in class where students can participate in de-stressing activities, like drawing or coloring.

Moving Past Trauma

In moments like these, it's also important not to forget the rest of your class. As soon as your agitated student is situated, make sure the rest of your students are calm and feel safe too. A quick mindfulness activity can do this. Afterward, acknowledge what happened and give your class a few minutes to process it to help students who may feel anxious.

When the class is brought back to calm, you can debrief with your student who acted out to help them identify what they're feeling.

It might be difficult for traumatized students to express their emotions, so you will need to guide them with questions like: "Were you feeling angry, sad, hurt, embarrassed, or something else?" or "Did something happen at home or during this class that upset you?" Building student agency is crucial. Ask them to tell you in the future whenever they are feeling upset and need to take a brief break. This can help prevent outbursts.

Working with students who have experienced trauma can be incredibly taxing for teachers, especially when they don't have the tools to help the students who need it most. Here in Chicago, I've found that just because urban educators may know about the trauma their students experience, it doesn't mean that they know how it impacts them or how best to help them. Proactively preventing and responding to acting out behaviors with support rather than punishment can go a long way in creating schools that are safe for our students.

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Supporting Students With Chronic Trauma | Edutopia

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Auburn Gresham, located on Chicago's Southside, had experienced 838 violent crimes in the 365 days before Tyshawn's murder. Violence is a part of everyday life for children like him. Already in 2018, there have been more than 430 shootings and 95 homicides in Chicago, and we are less than three months into the year.

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6 Tips for Skillfully Managing Extreme Student Behaviors

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6 Tips for Skillfully Managing Extreme Student Behaviors

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When your students' behaviors go from annoying to out of control, use these steps.

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6 Tips for Skillfully Managing Extreme Student Behaviors

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Dare to be vulnerable to make a difference

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Brené Brown | Daring Classrooms | SXSWedu 2017

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A great resource! This has solutions to every behavior for all 3 tiers.

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PBIS World | A Complete Tier 1 Through Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports System

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PBIS World is in no way affiliated, associated, or connected with any other website, entity, organization, or federal, state, local, or other government agency, department, program, policy, organization, or initiative.

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Strategies for reframing the situation