Transcript Behavior Management in Nonclassroom Settings

CT PBS Training
Day 2
Regina Oliver
Brandi Simonsen
State Education
Resource Center
University of
Connecticut
Objectives for Day 2
By the end of today,
• you will be able to…
– …identify evidence based classroom management
practices
– …describe the escalation model and interventions at
each point
• When to teach
• When to encourage/redirect
• When to emphasize safety
• you will have a revised action plan to guide
your next months of implementation
Advance Organizer
• 9:00-9:15
• 9:15-10:00
• 10:00-10:15
• 10:15-10:30
• 10:30-12:00
•
•
•
•
12:00-12:45
12:45-2:00
2:00-3:00
3:00
Introduction and Overview
Practices and systems for
classroom settings
Break
Set up for action planning
Team action planning related to
classroom settings
Lunch (provided)
Escalating and/or Crisis Situations
Action planning
Team reports and wrap up
How is My Classroom
Management?
7r
Brandi Simonsen, Sarah Fairbanks,
Amy Briesch, & George Sugai
University of Connecticut
Center on Behavioral Education and Research
Purpose
Review critical features &
essential practices of
behavior management in
classroom settings
Goal: Review of basics & context
for self-assessment
Classroom Management
Challenges
• Informal &
untaught
• Lack of staff
fluency
• Reactive &
ineffective
• Lack of
durability
• Disconnected
from SW
• Lack of
instructional
fluency
Why formalize classroom
management?
Arrange environment to
maximize opportunities for
– Academic achievement
– Social success
– Effective & efficient teaching
Guiding Principle #1
“Pupil achievement & behavior can
be influenced (for better or worse) by
the overall characteristics of the
school environment”
Rutter & Maughan, 2002
Guiding Principle #2
To affect incidence & prevalence of
antisocial behavior, we must
increase availability, adoption, &
sustained use of validated practice
Biglan, 1995
Guiding Principle #3
Use what we know about behavior of
individuals to affect behavior &
organization of communities, & create a
common vision, language, & experience
for all members of the community
Biglan, 1995; Horner, 2002
Guiding Principle #4
• Remember that good teaching
one of our best behavior
management tools
– Active engagement
– Positive reinforcement
• Apply three tiered prevention
logic to classroom setting
– Primary for all
– Secondary for some
– Tertiary for a few
Continuum of School-Wide Instructional
and Positive Behavior Support
~5%
Primary Prevention:
School-/ClassroomWide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
~15%
Tertiary Prevention:
Specialized
Individualized
Systems for Students
with High-Risk Behavior
Secondary Prevention:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students
with At-Risk Behavior
~80% of Students
Designing School-Wide Systems
for Student Success
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•High Intensity
1-5%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
Universal Interventions
•All students
•Preventive, proactive
5-10%
80-90%
1-5%
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•Intense, durable procedures
5-10%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
80-90%
Universal Interventions
•All settings, all students
•Preventive, proactive
Organizational Features
Common
Vision
ORGANIZATION
MEMBERS
Common
Experience
Common
Language
School-wide Positive
Behavior Support
Systems
Classroom
Setting Systems
School-wide
Systems
• Link classroom to school-wide
– School-wide expectations
– Classroom v. office managed rule
violations
Positive
Behavior
Support
Social Competence &
Academic Achievement
OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff Behavior
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behavior
• Build systems to support
sustained use of effective
practices
– SW leadership team
– Regular data review
– Regular individual & school action
planning
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Establish
measurable
outcome
Enhanced PBS
Implementation
Logic
Build Data
System
Collect, analyze, &
prioritize data
Select
evidence-based
practice
Monitor
implementation &
progress
Ensure efficient,
accurate, & durable
implementation
Implement
SCHOOL-WIDE
Effective classroom
managers
• 7 minutes (pick recorder &
spokesperson)
Attention
• What 1
do effective
classroom
Minute
managersPlease
do daily?
– 2-3 formal & 2-3 informal strategies
• Report 2-3 “big ideas” from your
team discussion (1 min. reports)
Evidence Based Practices in
Classroom Management
1.
Maximize structure in your classroom.
2.
Post, teach, review, monitor, and reinforce a
small number of positively stated
expectations.
3.
Actively engage students in observable
ways.
4.
Establish a continuum of strategies to
acknowledge appropriate behavior.
5.
Establish a continuum of strategies to
respond to inappropriate behavior.
(Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, & Sugai, in progress)
1. Maximize structure in your classroom.
• Develop Predictable Routines
– Teacher routines: volunteers, communications,
movement, planning, grading, etc.
– Student routines: personal needs, transitions, working
in groups, independent work, instruction, getting,
materials, homework, etc.
• Design environment to (a) elicit
appropriate behavior and (b) minimize
crowding and distraction:
–
–
–
–
Arrange furniture to allow easy traffic flow.
Ensure adequate supervision of all areas.
Designate staff & student areas.
Seating arrangements (groups, carpet, etc.)
2.
Post, Teach, Review, Monitor, and
reinforce a small number of positively
stated expectations.
• Establish behavioral expectations/rules.
• Teach rules in context of routines.
• Prompt or remind students of rule prior
to entering natural context.
• Monitor students’ behavior in natural
context & provide specific feedback.
• Evaluate effect of instruction - review
data, make decisions, & follow up.
Establish Behavioral expectations/Rules
• A small number (i.e., 3-5) of positively
stated rules. Tell students what we
want them to do, rather than telling
them what we do not want them to do.
• Publicly post the rules.
• Should match SW Expectations
Small number of positively
stated expectations.
Establish Behavioral expectations/Rules
• Operationally define what the rules
look like across all the routines and
settings in your school.
• One way to do this is in a matrix
format.
Rules within Routines Matrix
Routines
Entering
Classroom
Rules
Be Safe
Be
Respectful
Be
Responsible
Seat Work
Small Group
Activity
Leaving
Classroom
Teach Rules in the Context of Routines
• Teach expectations directly.
– Define rule in operational terms—tell students what the
rule looks like within routine.
– Provide students with examples and non-examples of
rule-following within routine.
• Actively involve students in lesson—game,
role-play, etc. to check for their
understanding.
• Provide opportunities to practice rule
following behavior in the natural setting.
Teaching Academics & Behaviors
ADJUST for
Efficiency
MONITOR &
ACKNOWLEDGE
Continuously
DEFINE
Simply
MODEL
PRACTICE
In Setting
“Cool Tool”
Skill Name
Getting Help
(How to ask for assistance for difficulty tasks)
Teaching Examples
1. When you’re working on a math problem that you can’t figure out, raise your hand and wait until the teacher
can help you.
2. You and a friend are working together on a science experiment but you are missing a piece of lab equipment,
ask the teacher for the missing equipment.
3. You are reading a story but you don’t know the meaning of most of the words, ask the teacher to read and
explain the word.
Kid Activity
1. Ask 2-3 students to give an example of a situation in which they needed help to complete a task, activity, or
direction.
2. Ask students to indicate or show how they could get help.
3. Encourage and support appropriate discussion/responses. Minimize attention for inappropriate responses.
After the Lesson
(During the Day)
1. Just before giving students difficult or new task, direction, or activity, ask them to tell you how they could get
help if they have difficulty (precorrection).
2. When you see students having difficulty with a task (e.g., off task, complaining), ask them to indicate that they
need help (reminder).
3. Whenever a student gets help the correct way, provide specific praise to the student.
Expectations & behavioral skills are
taught & recognized in natural context
Prompt or Remind Students of the Rule
• Provide students with visual prompts (e.g.,
posters, illustrations, etc).
• Use pre-corrections, which include “verbal
reminders, behavioral rehearsals, or
demonstrations of rule-following or socially
appropriate behaviors that are presented in or
before settings were problem behavior is
likely” (Colvin, Sugai, Good, Lee, 1997).
Monitor Students’ Behavior in Natural Context
• Active Supervision (Colvin, Sugai, Good, Lee, 1997):
– Move around
– Look around (Scan)
– Interact with students
• Provide reinforcement and specific praise to students
who are following rules.
• Catch errors early and provide specific, corrective
feedback to students who are not following rules.
(Think about how you would correct an academic
error.)
Acknowledge &
Recognize
Evaluate the effect of instruction
• Collect data
– Are rules being followed?
– If there are errors,
• who is making them?
• where are the errors occurring?
• what kind of errors are being made?
• Summarize data (look for patterns)
• Use data to make decisions
3. Actively engage students in observable ways.
• Provide high rates of opportunities to respond
– Vary individual v. group responding
– Increase participatory instruction
• Consider various observable ways to engage
students
– Written responses
– Writing on individual white boards
– Choral responding
– Gestures
– Other: ____________
• Link engagement with outcome objectives
Task dimensions
(Darch & Kame’enui, 2004, p. 52)
• History
New?
Familiar?
Old?
Choice?
Production?
Motor?
Written?
• Response form
Yes/No?
• Modality
Oral?
• Complexity
Easy?
Hard?
• Schedule
Abbreviated?
Extended?
• Variation
Varied?
Unvaried?
Task dimensions continued
(Darch & Kame’enui, 2004)
• Consider task dimensions.
• Which is more likely to occasion problem behavior?
A
B
•History: New
•History: Old
•Response Form: Production
•Response Form: Yes/No
•Modality: Written
•Modality: Oral
•Complexity: Hard
•Complexity: Easy
•Schedule: Extended
•Schedule: Abbreviated
•Variation: Unvaried
•Variation: Varied
4.
Establish a continuum of strategies to
acknowledge appropriate behavior.
• Specific and Contingent Praise
• Group Contingencies
• Behavior Contracts
• Token Economies
Specific and Contingent Praise
• Praise should be…
– …contingent: occur immediately following
desired behavior
– …specific: tell learner exactly what they are
doing correctly and continue to do in the future
• “Good job” (not very specific)
• “I like how you are showing me active listening by having quiet
hands and feet and eyes on me” (specific)
Group Contingencies
• Three types:
– “One for all” (Dependent Group Contingency)
– “All for one” (Interdependent Group-Oriented
Contingency)
– “To each his/her own” (Independent Group
Contingency)
Further Remarks on Group Contingencies
(Lewis-Palmer & Sugai, 1999)
• Group contingencies can be an efficient way to
reinforce desired behaviors.
• Without careful monitoring, potentially harmful
situations can arise:
– Peer pressure can turn into ridicule
– Negative stigma or social status can result
– May or may not be fair to all clients
• So, monitor closely and apply the contingencies
consistently and systematically.
Consequence: Behavioral Contracts
• A written document that specifies the
contingency for an individual student.
• Contains the following elements:
– Operational definition of BEHAVIOR
– Clear descriptions of REINFORCERS
– OUTCOMES if student fails to meet expectations.
– Special BONUSES that may be used to increase
motivation or participation.
(Wolery, Bailey, & Sugai, 1988)
Ten Basic Rules for Behavioral Contracting
(Homme, Csanyi, Gonzales, & Rechs, 1970)
1. Payoff (reward) should be immediate.
2. Initially call for and reward successful
approximations.
3. Reward frequently with small amounts.
4. Call for and reward accomplishments.
5. Reward the performance after it occurs (i.e., do
not bribe the learner).
(As stated in Alberto & Troutman, 1999, pp. 249-250)
Ten Basic Rules for Behavioral Contracting
(Homme, Csanyi, Gonzales, & Rechs, 1970)
6. The contract must be fair.
7. The terms must be clear.
8. The contract must be honest.
9. The contract must be positive.
10. Contracting must be used systematically (and
consistently).
(As stated in Alberto & Troutman, 1999, pp. 249-250)
Establishing a Token Economy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Determine and teach the target skills
Select tokens
Identify what will be back-up reinforcers
Identify the number of tokens required to receive
back-up reinforcers
Define and teach the exchange and token
delivery system
Define decision rules to change/fade the plan
Determine how the plan will be monitored
Guidelines from Sulzer-Azarodd & Mayer, 1991
Positive
acknowledgements
• Take 5 minutes
Attention
1 Minute
Please
• Report sample from your team
• Identify 2-3 formal & 2-3 informal
strategies to positively acknowledge
student behavior in classroom
discussion (1 min. reports)
5.
Establish a continuum of strategies to
respond to inappropriate behavior.
• Respond efficiently
• Attend to students who are
displaying appropriate behavior
• Follow school procedures for
major problem behaviors
objectively & anticipate next
occurrence
• Quick error
corrections and
redirect to
appropriate
behavior
• Differential
Reinforcement
• Planned ignoring
• Response Cost
• Time out from
reinforcement
Quick Error Corrections
• Your error corrections should be…
– …contingent: occur immediately after
the undesired behavior
– …specific: tell learner exactly what
they are doing incorrectly and what
they should do differently in the future
– …brief: after redirecting back to
appropriate behavior, move on
Types of Differential Reinforcement
• DR…of lower rates of behavior (DRL)
• DR…of other behaviors (DRO)
• DR…of alternative behavior (DRA)
• DR…of incompatible behavior (DRI)
Planned Ignoring
Definition:
• If a behavior is maintained by adult
attention…consider planned ignoring (e.g.,
ignore behavior of interest)
Example:
• Taylor talks out in class and his teacher
currently responds to him approximately 60%
in the time (either + or -).
• The teacher decides to ignore all talk outs
and instead only call on him when his hand is
raised.
Response Cost
Definition:
• The withdrawal of specific amounts of a reinforcer
contingent upon inappropriate behavior. This is
an example of ________ punishment.
Examples:
• A wrong answer results in a loss of points.
• Come to class without a pencil, buy one for 5
points.
Time-out
Definition:
• A child is removed from a previously reinforcing
environment or setting, to one that is not
reinforcing
Example:
• Child throws a rock at another child on the
playground. The child is removed to the office….
• REMEMBER the environment the child is
removed to cannot be reinforcing!!! So, if the child
receives lots of adult attention in the office, which
they find reinforcing, YOU have NOT put the child
on time out
Break
Evidence Based
Behavior & Classroom
Management Practices
See Classroom Management Self-Checklist (7r)
and
Evidence Based Practices in Classroom Management Handout
How did you do?
10-13
“yes” = Super
7-10
“yes” = So So
<7
“yes” = Improvement needed
Action Plan
for
Classroom Management
Non-example Action Plan Strategies
- Purchase & distribute classroom management
curriculum/book
- Discuss at faculty meeting
- Bring in CM expert for next month’s ½ day inservice
- Observe in effective classroom
What is likelihood of change in teacher practice?
Example Action Plan Strategies
+ Build on SW System
+ Use school-wide leadership team
+ Use data to justify
+ Adopt evidence based practice
+ Teach/practice to fluency/automaticity
+ Ensure accurate implementation 1st time
+ Regular review & active practice
+ Monitor implementation continuously
+ Acknowledge improvements
Classroom Management
Action Planning
• 90 minutes
• Review “Classroom Management SelfAssessment” & discuss possible
practices/systems applications
• At the end of the day, we will ask you to
report 2-3 “big ideas” from your team’s
action planning(2 min. reports). So,
think ahead…
Lunch
If Your Proactive Strategies Fail…
De-escalation & Crisis Interventions
Advance Organizer
1. Understanding Escalation
2. Verbal De-escalations
UNDERSTANDING
ESCALATION
Teacher
Jason
Jason, please turn in your
assignment.
The assignment you didn’t
finish during class.
What assignment?
Great, please turn it in now.
I don’t have it with me now.
You have a choice…..turn it in
or do it again.
You never believe me.
I guess you’ve made the
choice to do it again.
Make me.
That’s disrespect…go to the
office.
F_____ you!
Moves closer…& puts hand
on J. shoulder.
Pulls away, glares, & raises
fist as if to strike.
I finished it.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
PURPOSE
• Enhance our understanding of and
ways of responding to escalating
behavior sequences.
– Student <=> Teacher
– Teacher <=> Teacher
– Teacher <=> Parent
– Child <=> Parent
– Teacher <=> Administrator
– Etc., etc., etc….
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
ASSUMPTIONS
• Behavior is learned (function).
• Behavior is lawful (function).
• Behavior is escalated through
successive interactions (practice).
• Behavior can be changed through
an instructional approach.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Functions
Problem
Behavior
Pos Reinf
Escape/
Avoid
Something
Obtain/Get
Something
Stimulation/
Sensory
Tangible/
Activity
Social
Adult
Neg Reinf
Peer
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
OUTCOMES
• Identification of how to intervene
early in an escalation.
• Identification of environmental
factors that can be manipulated.
• Identification of replacement
behaviors that can be taught (&
serve same function as problem).
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
High
Behavior Intensity
Peak
Low
Acceleration
De-escalation
Agitation
Calm
Trigger
Recovery
Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
CALM

Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
1. Calm
• Student is cooperative.
– Accepts corrective feedback.
– Follows directives.
– Sets personal goals.
– Ignores distractions.
– Accepts praise.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Calm
• Intervention is focused on
prevention.
– Assess problem behavior
• Triggers
• Function
• Academic & behavioral learning history
– Arrange for high rates of successful academic &
social engagements.
– Use positive reinforcement.
– Teach social skills.
• Problem solving
• Relaxation strategy
• Self-management
– Communicate positive expectations.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
TRIGGER

Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
2. Trigger
• Student experiences a series of
unresolved conflicts.
– Repeated failures
– Frequent corrections
– Interpersonal conflicts
– Timelines
– Low rates of positive reinforcement
– Or other antecedent for problem behavior
identified in FBA
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Trigger
• Intervention is focused on
prevention & redirection.
– Consider function of problem behavior in
planning/implementing response.
– Remove from or modify problem context.
– Increase opportunities for success.
– Reinforce what has been taught.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
AGITATION

Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
3. Agitation
• Student exhibits increase in
unfocused behavior.
– Off-task
– Frequent start/stop on tasks
– Out of seat
– Talking with others
– Social withdrawal
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Agitation
• Intervention is focused on reducing
anxiety.
– Consider function of problem behavior in
planning/implementing response.
– Make structural/environmental
modifications.
– Provide reasonable options & choices.
– Involve in successful engagements.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
ACCELERATION
Low
Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
4. Acceleration
• Student displays focused
behavior.
– Provocative
– High intensity
– Threatening
– Personal
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Acceleration
• Intervention is focused on safety.
– Remember:
• Escalations & self-control are inversely related.
• Escalation is likely to run its course.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Acceleration
– Remove all triggering & competing
maintaining factors.
– Follow crisis prevention procedures.
– Establish & follow through with
bottom line.
– Disengage from student.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
PEAK
Low
Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
5. Peak
• Student is out of control &
displays most severe problem
behavior.
– Physical aggression
– Property destruction
– Self-injury
– Escape/social withdrawal
– Hyperventilation
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Peak
• Intervention is focused on
safety.
– Procedures like acceleration phase,
except focus is on crisis intervention
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
DECELERATION
Low
Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
6. De-escalation
• Student displays confusion but
with decreases in severe
behavior.
– Social withdrawal
– Denial
– Blaming others
– Minimization of problem
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
De-escalation
• Intervention is focused on
removing excess attention.
– Don’t nag.
– Avoid blaming.
– Don’t force apology.
– Consider function of problem
behavior.
– Emphasize starting anew.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
Time
RECOVERY

(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
7. Recovery
• Student displays eagerness to
engage in non-engagement
activities.
– Attempts to correct problem.
– Unwillingness to participate in group
activities.
– Social withdrawal & sleep.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Recovery
• Follow through with consequences
for problem behavior.
• Positively reinforce any displays of
appropriate behavior.
• Intervention is focused on reestablishing routines activities.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Recovery
• Debrief
– Purpose of debrief is to facilitate
transition back to program….not
further negative consequence
– Debrief follows consequences for
problem behavior.
– Goal is to increase more appropriate
behavior.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Recovery
• Problem solving example:
– What did I do?
– Why did I do it?
– What could I have done instead?
– What do I have to do next?
– Can I do it?
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
The MODEL
High
Behavior Intensity
Peak
Low
Acceleration
De-escalation
Agitation
Calm
Trigger
Recovery
Time
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Teacher
Jason
Jason, please turn in your
assignment.
The assignment you didn’t
finish during class.
What assignment?
Great, please turn it in now.
I don’t have it with me now.
You have a choice…..turn it in
or do it again.
You never believe me.
I guess you’ve made the
choice to do it again.
Make me.
That’s disrespect…go to the
office.
F_____ you!
Moves closer…& puts hand
on J. shoulder.
Pulls away, glares, & raises
fist as if to strike.
I finished it.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
THREE KEY STRATEGIES
• Identify how to intervene early in an
escalation.
• Identify environmental factors that
can be manipulated.
• Identify replacement behaviors that
can be taught & serve similar
function.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
FINAL THOUGHT
• Geoff Colvin (1989):
– It is always important to remember
that “if you inadvertently assist the
student to escalate, do not be
concerned; you will get another
chance to do it right the next time
around.”
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Understanding
Noncompliant/Defiant Behavior
• What can happen when student
engages in noncompliance?
– Avoids/loses request/activity
– Gains/loses teacher attention
– Gains/loses peer attention
– Loses academic engagement
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
• What can happen when
teacher confronts
noncompliant behavior?
– Teacher gets/loses student
attention
– Teacher removes student
– Teacher gains/loses peer attention
– Teacher loses instructional minutes
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Assumptions about Compliant
& Noncompliant Behaviors
• Are learned.
• Require more than one person.
• Get better/worse with practice.
• Given that, we can identify and
avoid coercive cycles (next slide).
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Coercive cycles
(e.g., Patterson, multiple years;
Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2004)
Student
Exhibits
Problem
Behavior
Teacher
Gives
Demand
Who’s
What’sin
control
going
happens
on
of
for
inthe
the
the
situation?
student?
teacher?
future?
Student
Terminates
Problem
Behavior
Teacher
Removes
Demand
Teaching Compliance
• Students must
– Be fluent at expected behavior.
– Be taught conditions under which the
expected behavior is required.
– Have multiple opportunities for high rates
of successful academic & social
engagement.
– Receive or experience frequent & positive
acknowledgments when expected behavior
is exhibited.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
• Teachers must…
– Have student’s attention, before presenting
the directive or making a request.
– Give clear, specific, positively stated
directives.
– Provide frequent & positive
acknowledgments when expected behavior
is exhibited.
– Have established & taught consequence
procedures for repeated noncompliance.
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
Escalating Behavior
• 10 minutes
Attention
1 Minute
Spokesperson
Please
• Review features & steps of “Escalating Behavior”
model
• Discuss extent to which escalating behavior is or
could be issue in the settings in which you’ve worked
• Identify 2-3 strategies & systems for addressing
escalating behavior
• Report 2-3 “big ideas” from your team discussion (1
min. reports)
(Colvin & Sugai, 1989)
VERBAL
DE-ESCALATION
Crisis Interventions…A Last Resort
• Now that we understand how escalations
happen…we can talk about crisis interventions.
• Even with the best plans, you still need to
answer the question, “What happens if my plan
fails?”
• Typically the answer is your crisis intervention
plan.
• Whenever you have to fall back on this, realize
that it is a treatment failure and go back to
closely evaluating the plan.
Choosing an Appropriate Response
Student Behavior
Intervention
• Obnoxious
• BSPs
• Simple Assault (e.g.,
threats)
• Crisis
Communication
• Assault and Battery
(e.g., contact made
• Evasion
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Verbal De-escalation
• We use verbal de-escalation, or Crisis
Communication, when the observed behavior
constitutes a simple assault. That is, we use it
when
– a person has the ability to injure,
– a person has the position to injure (i.e., proximity),
and
– a person has the desire to injure
– but the threatened injury would not be serious enough
to require medical attention.
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
General Principles of verbal de-escalation:
1. Self Control
2. Identification (of signals that predict assault)
3. Communication
–
Simple, Direct, & Brief
–
Rule of Five (<5 words with <5 letters)
4. Patience
5. Spontaneity
6. Timing
7. Function Based Strategies
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
1. Self Control
• We all need a plan to maintain selfcontrol during a crisis (and other times
too).
• Typically, your body reacts to a crisis in
a “fight or flight” response.
• Our goal is to counteract that response
by remaining calm and regaining
“balance.”
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Teaching Self Control
• The following is an activity sequence you may
choose to use with your staff.
• To the extent that you are able to have them…
– identify specific, observable, and measurable strategies
and
– use those strategies in the natural situation
…this will be an effective exercise.
Developing Self-Control
The first step is knowing yourself:
•Think about how you feel now.
– How is your breathing?
– How is your vision/focus?
– How is your heart rate?
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Fight or Flight Responses
• How do you feel when stressed?
• Complete the following table.
Fight
Breathing
Vision
Speech
Thinking
Perception
Flight
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Knowing your limits
• What would you do if you under or over reacted?
Under-reacted
Over-reacted
• What habits do you display under stress that
would make the situation worse?
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Developing a Self-Control Plan
• The next step is designing a plan
that will allow you to maintain
professional behavior.
• Create a concrete plan (i.e.,
observable, measurable, & specific
steps) to maintain your self-control.
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
My Self-Control Plan
Develop a plan that will work for you.
Identify observable, measurable, & specific steps
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Restoring Balance and Managing Stress
• You also need to think about different
habits that you can develop that will
allow you to manage your stress and
maintain “emotional balance.”
• Think about three categories of habits:
– What you will do immediately after incident.
– What you will do after work.
– Life-style habits.
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
Broader Plan
Identify observable, measurable, & specific steps
Immediately after
an incident I will…
After Work, I will…
I will also develop
the following
Lifestyle Habits…
Adapted from Smith et al. (2000)
2. Identification of Signals
• How would you know when a
situation is a crisis?
• How would you predict when a
student is going to engage in
crisis-level, or unsafe,
behavior?
Observation
• You may observe in many ways:
– Informal observations (e.g., watching student on
playground)
– Formal observations (e.g., frequency data, ABC cards,
formal observations)
• You learn from these observations:
– Informal observations are often discussed meetings,
supervisions, etc.
– Formal observations are analyzed in the context of
Functional Behavioral Assessments and used to
develop Positive Behavior Intervention Plans.
3. Responding Verbal Communication
• Keep communication simple, direct, and brief
• Rule of 5 (in general, use sentences ≤ 5
words and words ≤ 5 letters)
• Give choices
• Redirect to appropriate behavior and what
can be earned.
4. Patience
• Remind yourself, no crisis will last forever and
engage in specific strategies to assist you in
remaining calm
– Step 10 feet back from the student
– Ask another adult to supervise the class
– Interact with another student
– Take a drink of water
5. Spontaneity
“Slim Shady”
One of the Neag SOE students was transitioning her students
to the bus. She had a little guy in her class who pulled his hood
over his head, told her he was “Slim Shady,” fell on the floor,
and refused to transition. What would you do?
She initially tried to force compliance. “You need to get up.”
(Does that typically work?)
Then, she was spontaneous and said, “Would the real Slim
Shady please stand up, please stand up, please stand up.”
He got up and rejoined the class, crisis averted.
6. Timing
• Recall the phases of escalation
and choose your communication
based on the phase indicated by
the student’s current behavior.
• Silence is OK at times too.
7. Function Based Strategies
• How would understanding the
function of a student’s behavior
assist you in using verbal deescalation?
Our goal is to PREVENT crises
• As always, we want to prevent
crisis situations through designing
our environments to ensure that
appropriate behaviors are more
relevant, efficient, and effective
than inappropriate behaviors at
meeting a students needs (i.e.,
escape/avoid aversive or
get/obtain)
Big Ideas from Crisis De-Escalation
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
Peak
Acceleration
De-escalation
Agitation
Calm
Trigger
Recovery
Time
1.
Self-Control
2.
Identification,
3.
Communication
4.
Patience
5.
Spontaneity
6.
Timing
7.
Function Based
Strategies
Action Planning
• 60 minutes
• Review “Understanding Escalation” & discuss
possible practices/systems applications
• At the end, we will ask you to report 2-3 “big
ideas” from your team’s action planning for
the day (2 min. reports). Be prepared to
share ideas from both classroom
management and crisis de-escalation
Team Reports
Attention
2 Minutes
Spokesperson
Please
Big Ideas for Day 2
• You should now be able to…
– …identify evidence based classroom management
practices
– …describe the escalation model and interventions at
each point
• When to teach
• When to encourage/redirect
• When to emphasize safety
• You should also have a revised action plan
to guide your next months of
implementation
Refer a Friend
Talk to your district about schools that will
be ready to start SWPBS next year.
Questions/Comments?
• Have a great summer!
• We’ll see you next year!
– 3 times for teams
– 3 times for coaches