Transcript Managing the Cycle of Escalating Behavior

Managing the Cycle of
Escalating Behavior
presented by
Sylvia Martinez, NCSP
District Behavior Specialist
Division of Special Education
Los Angeles Unified School District
California Association of School Psychologists
2007 Convention
Los Angeles, California
March 10, 2007
Outcomes
Participants will:
 Identify the seven phases of escalating
behavior
 Identify proactive, preventative strategies that
may decrease the occurrence of escalating
behavior
 Identify ways to intervene during each phase of
the cycle
 Develop a plan for maintaining self control
Carousel Activity
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How can you prevent acting-out
behavior?
How can you tell when a student’s
behavior is escalating?
What do you do when a student is
acting out?
How do you deal with a student who is
fully escalated?
Video Clip
Think/Pair/Share
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What can the teacher do now that she
is in this situation?
What could the teacher have done to
avoid being in this situation?
Analysis
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Task involvement
Signs of agitation
Presence of successive interactions
Signs of Escalating
Behavior
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Arguing
Noncompliance/defiance
Verbal abuse
Disruption
Bothering others
Off-task behavior
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Destruction of
property
Whining/crying
Limit testing
Threats and
intimidation
Escape/avoidance
Strategies for Managing
Escalating Behavior
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Teacher empathy
Assisting the student
to focus on the task
Providing space
Providing assurances
and additional time
Permit preferred
activities
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Teacher proximity
Independent
activities
Passive activities
Movement activities
Student selfmanagement when
appropriate
Presence of an Escalating Chain
of Behavior
Successive Interactions
Series of interactions involving both
teacher and student behavior
 “My turn-your turn” events
 Teacher behavior sets the stage for the
next student behavior
 What if the teacher didn’t take a turn?
 Escalating behavior chains –
Lets interrupt the chain of events!
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Model for Escalating
Behavior Chain
Two Components for Managing
Escalating Behavior
1. Understand the Model
 Patterns
 Specific behaviors for each phase
 Know where the student is in the cycle
2. Develop Strategies for Each Phase
 Implement strategies based on where
the student is in the cycle
Understand the Model
Phase One- Calm
Student is cooperative.
 Accepts corrective feedback
 Follows directives
 Sets personal goals
 Ignores distractions
 Accepts praise
 On-task
Phase Two- Trigger
Student experiences a series of
unresolved problems
 Conflicts/Failure
 Changes in routine
 Pressure
 Ineffective problem solving
 Facing correction procedures
 Non-school based triggers
Phase Three: Agitation
Overall behavior is unfocused and
distracted.
 Off-task
 Questioning/Arguing
 Out of seat
 Bothering others
 Social withdrawal
Phase Four- Acceleration
Overall behavior is staff-engaging leading
to further negative interactions.
 Questioning/Arguing/Threats
 Noncompliance and defiance
 Provocation of others
 Rule violations
Phase Five- Peak
Overall behavior is out of control creating
safety concerns
 Physical aggression
 Severe tantrums
 Property destruction
 Self-injury
 Running, screaming
Phase Six- De-escalation
Overall behavior shows confusion and
lack of focus.
 Confusion
 Withdrawal
 Denial
 Blaming others
 May respond to concrete directions
Phase Seven- Recovery
Overall behavior shows an eagerness for
busy work and a reluctance to interact.
 Eagerness for independent work
 Subdued behavior
 Defensive behavior
 Sleep
Strategies
Strategies
1. Calm
Intervention is focused on proactive
interventions. Focus on instruction and
positive behavior support.
 Arrange for high rates of successful
academic & social engagements
 Use positive reinforcement
 Teach social skills
 Communicate positive expectations
Strategies
1. Calm
Four Strategies:
1.
Classroom Structure
2.
Quality Instruction
3.
Managing Attention
4.
Teaching Behavior
Strategies
2. Trigger
Intervention is focused on prevention and
redirection.
 Increase opportunities for success
 Respond to students exhibiting
expected behavior
 Reinforce the student’s first on task
response
 Intermittently reinforce on-task
behavior
Strategies
2. Trigger
Three major areas:
 Formal programs or services: curriculum
interventions, counseling, community
services, medical assistance
 Pre-Correction: anticipating the problem
behavior and intervening beforehand
 Addressing non-school based triggers: parent
conferences-partnerships, school support
services, wrap-around services
Strategies
3. Agitation
Intervention is focused on reducing
anxiety.
 If not addressed student may escalate
or remain distracted making instruction
difficult
 Strategies are accommodations
 Implement before onset of escalation
Strategies
3. Agitation
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Make structural/environmental
modifications
Provide reasonable options & choices
Involve in successful engagement
Strategies
3. Agitation
What to do before a behavior escalates
 Achieve eye contact.
 Use the student’s name.
 Use a non-verbal signal.
 Proximity/praise.
 Silent communication.
 Do the unexpected.
 Get them to think – give them time to decide.
 Reduce distance – use proximity.
 Give more “start” requests instead of “stop” requests.
 Make non-emotional instead of emotional requests.
 Use the “broken record” technique.
Strategies
3. Agitation
Strategies:
Teacher empathy
Space
Options/Choices
Preferred activities
Teacher proximity
Independent activities
Movement activities
(jobs)
Student involvement
Relaxation techniques
Pre-arranged signal
Strategies
3. Agitation
Techniques that backfire:
Raising your voice
Yelling
Saying “I’m the boss
Insisting on having the last word
Using sarcasm
Attacking the student’s character
Making comparisons with siblings
or other students
Nagging
Drawing unrelated
persons into the conflict
Insisting you are right
Preaching
Making assumptions
Bringing up unrelated
events
Holding a grudge
Strategies
4. Acceleration
Intervention is focused on safety.
 Remove all triggering factors
 Avoid escalating prompts
 Maintain calmness, respect and
detachment
 Approach the student in a
nonthreatening manner
 Utilize nonconfrontational limit-setting
procedures
What are Escalating
Prompts?
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Agitated behavior from staff (shouting)
Cornering the student
Engaging in power struggles
Moving into the student’s space
Touching or grabbing the student
Sudden or very quick responses
Making derogatory statements about the
student
Arguing/becoming defensive
Body language that communicates anger or
frustration
What is a Non-Threatening
Manner?
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Speak calmly
Speak privately
Minimize body language
Keep a reasonable distance
Speak respectfully and privately
Move slowly and deliberately toward the
problem situation
What is a Non-Threatening
Manner?
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Establish eye level position
Be brief (KISS)
Stay with agenda
Avoid power struggles
Give student space
Don not communicate “urgency to gain
control”
Acknowledge cooperation
Strategies
5. Peak
Intervention is focused on safety
 Focus is on crisis management
- implement your plan (contact the office, clear
the room, etc.)
 Safe strategies
 Behavioral Emergency
-Hughes Bill
-Assessment of Risk Factors
-Behavior Support Plan
-Mental Health/Other Assessment
-Functional Analysis Assessment -Behavior Intervention Plan
Strategies
5. Peak
Short-term interventions:
 Isolation or removal of involved student
 Allow time for student to “cool down”
 Removal of other students
Strategies
5. Peak
Legal Considerations
 Definition of Behavioral Emergency
 Use of Restraint
 Notification/Documentation
 Data Collection
Strategies
6. De-escalation
Intervention is focused on monitoring for
re-escalation of behavior
 Monitor for health/safety of all involved
 Avoid blaming
 Allow time and space
 Engage in independent work
 Cool-down time
 Determine appropriate time to debrief
Strategies
7. Recovery
Intervention focuses on returning to
normal activities
 Follow through with consequences
 Positively reinforce any displays of
appropriate behavior
 Debrief/rehearse problem solving
routine
Strategies
7. Recovery
Effective consequences
Does the consequence
 Model, instruct or teach a more
appropriate behavior?
 Interfere with the flow of the lesson?
 Give the learner the choice to redirect
and receive instruction?
Is the consequence effective?
Debriefing Session
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Facilitates transition back to program…
not further negative consequence.
Goal is to increase appropriate behavior
Focus on problem solving
Pinpoint events that contributed to the
incident
Teach replacement behaviors
Debriefing activities and forms
Proactive Strategies
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Have a school-wide positive behavior
support system in place
Emphasize quality instruction leading
to increased academic achievement
Emphasize teaching and prevention
techniques
Activity
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Describe an event in which the
student’s behavior escalated. Be sure
to describe all seven phases of the
Acting-Out Model.
Describe some responses that may
de-escalate the student’s escalating
behavior
Handout
Share!
Self-Control Plan
Maintaining calmness, respectfulness and
detachment
 What are your stressors or “behavioral
buttons?”
 What does it look like when you are stressed?
 What can you do to regain self-control?
 To manage stress, what can you do:
- immediately
- after work
Self-Control Plan
Activity:
 Develop your own
self-control plan
using the worksheet
 Share your
strategies and ideas
about maintaining
self-control
Handout
Defusing Anger and
Aggression
Video clips
Defusing Anger and
Aggression
Discussion
 How was the
situation
escalated?
 How did the
teacher defuse
the situation?
References
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Video: Colvin, G. (2004). Defusing Anger and
Aggression. Available from IRIS Media, (877)
343-4747, www.lookiris.com.
Colvin, G (2004). Managing the cycle of
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Eugene, Oregon: Behavior Associates.
Colvin, G. (2006). Understanding and
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acting-out behavior in the classroom.
Managing Angry-Aggressive Behavior
presentation, www.behaviorassociates.org
Colvin, G. & Sugai, G. (1989) Understanding
& Managing Escalating Behavior presentation,
www.pbis.org
(cont.)
References (cont.)
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Sprague, J. & Golly, A. (2005). Best
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Sprick, R. Garrison, M. & Howard, L. (1998).
behavior: Building positive behavior support
in schools. Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West.
CHAMPs: A proactive and positive approach
to classroom management. Longmont, CO:
Sopris West.
Contact Information
Sylvia Martinez, District Behavior Specialist
LRE/Behavior Support Office
Los Angeles Unified School District
333 South Beaudry Avenue, 17th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
[email protected]
(213) 241-8051