Transcript Understanding & Managing Escalating Behavior

Dealing With Escalating
Behavior in the School Setting
School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports
Training
Northwest AEA
January 14, 2010
Jerome Schaefer
[email protected]
PURPOSE
Enhance our understanding of and
ways of responding to escalating
behavior.
ASSUMPTIONS
• Behavior is learned (function).
• Behavior is escalated through
successive interactions.
• Escalating behavior can be
prevented.
• Behavior can be changed through
an instructional approach.
CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
SUPPORT
Tertiary Prevention:
Individualized
Systems for Students with
High-Risk Behavior
~5%
~15%
Primary Prevention:
School-wide/Classroom/
Non-classroom Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
Secondary Prevention:
Targeted
Systems for Students with
At-Risk Behavior
What Do We Know About
Tertiary Interventions?
~80% of Students
Functions
Problem
Behavior
Pos Reinf
Escape/
Avoid
Something
Obtain/Get
Something
Stimulation/
Sensory
Tangible/
Activity
Social
Adult
Neg Reinf
Peer
OUTCOMES
• Identification of the stages of escalation.
• Identification of intervention strategies
and adult behaviors to be used at the
various stages of escalation.
• Identification of the key strategies to be
used when confronting escalating
behaviors.
Shane
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.
I finished it.
You have a choice…..turn it in
You never believe me.
or do it again.
Share your experiences
I guess you’ve made the
Make me.
choice to do it again.
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.
The MODEL
High
Behavior Intensity
Peak
Low
Acceleration
De-escalation
Agitation
Calm
Trigger
Recovery
Time
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
CALM

Time
1. Calm
• Student is cooperative.
– Accepts corrective feedback.
– Follows directives.
– Sets personal goals.
– Ignores distractions.
– Accepts praise.
– Reasoning and compromising skills are at
their highest
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Focus on teaching, and
prevention
• Assessing probable
triggers, functions, skill
deficits
• High rates of successful
academic and social
experiences
• High rates of positive
reinforcement
• Teach social skills
• Communicating positive
expectations
• Consider your own
emotional and
physiological state
• Consider your
relationship with the
individual
• Consider the student’s
emotional state
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
TRIGGER

Time
2. Trigger
• Student experiences a series of
unresolved conflicts.
–
–
–
–
–
–
Repeated failures
Frequent corrections from adults and/or peers
Interpersonal conflicts with adults and/or peers
Low rates of positive reinforcement
Student showing signs of frustration or distress
Triggers are most often environmental (can be
internal)
– Reasoning and compromising skills still in tact
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Focused on prevention
and redirection
• Consider function of
problem behavior when
responding
• Remove or modify
problem events
(eliminating triggers)
• Reinforce what you
have taught (precorrect)
• Stay calm with your
words and your body
• Soft tone of voice
• Using the student’s
name
• Actively listen
• Determine whether
ignoring is appropriate
Sarah
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
AGITATION

Time
3. Agitation
• Student exhibits increase in unfocused
behavior.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Off-task
Very brief periods of focused working
Signs of frustration and distress are clearly evident
Out of seat
Talking with others
Social withdrawal/isolation
Reasoning and compromising skills under attack
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Intervention is focused
on being proactive
• Consider function of
problem behaviors
when responding
• Redirect to less
agitating activities
(environmental
modifications)
• Provide reasonable
options and choices
• Remind about options
through limited problem
solving
• Don’t ignore it
• Don’t try to attempt
teaching of new skills,
rather reinforce skills
they use and remind of
the skills they have
• Stay calm
Sarah
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
ACCELERATION
Low
Time
4. Acceleration
• Student displays focused behavior.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Provocative
High intensity
Threatening
Personal
Significant decrease in reasoning and
compromising skills
Use of the language of fear (obscenities)
Talking louder and faster
Quick movements
Less self-control
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Intervention is focused
on safety
• Remove all triggers
• Disengage from the
student (especially if
you are a part of the
escalation)
• Prevent power
struggles and
arguments
• Choose your physical
placement carefully
• Stay calm
• Remind of options but
not as “either/or”
• Prepare for being
personally attacked
• Bring in another adult to
assist
• Don’t rush the child to
return to the calm
phase
What did this guy to wrong?
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
PEAK
Low
Time
5. Peak
• Student is out of control & displays most
severe problem behavior.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Verbal aggression
Physical aggression
Property destruction
Self-injury
Escape/social withdrawal
Hyperventilation
No reasoning or compromising skills
Remember this guy…
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Interventions are
focused on safety of the
student, other students,
and adults
• Remain calm
• Careful body positioning
(stay out of reach)
• Carefully choose words
• Communicate
understanding
(empathy)
• Remove other students
• Use diversions and
distractions
• Follow the crisis
intervention plan
– Involve other staff members
– Use of physical
interventions as necessary
(Mandt training or similar
training may be necessary)
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
De-escalation
Low
Time
6. De-escalation
• Student displays confusion but with
decreases in severe behavior.
–
–
–
–
–
Social withdrawal
Denial
Blaming others
Minimization of problem
Still not using good reasoning or compromising
skills
– Could quickly return to peak
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Focus is on removing
access attention
• Don’t nag
• Don’t blame
• Don’t force or even
assume the student will
apologize
• Provide structure
(structured cooling off)
• Take your time – don’t
rush it
• Be careful not to reescalate by focusing on
consequences at this
time
• Don’t try to teach
• Provide choices and/or
reminders of choices
• Allow the student to
direct their progress
The MODEL
Behavior Intensity
High
Low
Time
RECOVERY

7. Recovery
• Student displays eagerness to engage
in activities.
–
–
–
–
–
Attempts to correct problem.
Unwillingness to participate in group activities.
Social withdrawal
Emotional and physically drained (sleep)
Reasoning and compromising skills return but not
fully
– Some capacity of self-control returns
Interventions/Adult Behaviors
• Focus is on debriefing
and transitioning back
• Use of humor if
appropriate
• Positively reinforce
displays of appropriate
behavior
• Begin to reestablish
routine activities
• Active listening
• Don’t require apologies
• Provide your own
apologies and/or
clarifications if needed
• Focus on the present
• Don’t expect remorse or
concern
Post-Recovery
(sometime later)
• Teach through 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?
– Love and Logic Procedure
The MODEL
High
Behavior Intensity
Peak
Low
Acceleration
De-escalation
Agitation
Calm
Trigger
Recovery
Time
KEY STRATEGIES
• Teach coping skills prior to escalating incidents or at
post-recovery time.
• Look for replacement behaviors that can be taught &
serve similar function.
• Manage your own behavior.
• Identify environmental factors that can be
manipulated to prevent escalating behaviors.
• Don’t hurry or attempt to force students through
phases of escalation.
• Develop and follow crisis intervention plans to deal
with the Peak phase of escalation.
• Follow-up sometime after the incident with the
student problem solve and teach ways to better deal
with their behavior.
Sources
• Power Point Presentation - School
Wide Positive Behavioral Supports
Training (Colvin and Sugai, 1989)
• The Mandt System: Putting People
First (David Mandt and Associates,
April, 2002)