http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-intervention-modification.

1/8/2017

K1 How To: Calm the Agitated Student:

Tools for Effective Behavior Management
Students can sometimes have emotional outbursts in school settings. This fact will not
surprise many teachers, who have had repeated experience in responding to serious classroom
episodes of student agitation. Such outbursts can be attributed in part to the relatively high
incidence of mental health issues among children and youth. It is estimated, for example, that
at least one in five students in American schools will experience a mental health disorder by
adolescence (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). But even students not
identified as having behavioral or emotional disorders may occasionally have episodes of
agitation triggered by situational factors such as peer bullying, frustration over poor academic
performance, stressful family relationships, or perceived mistreatment by educators.

CAUTION: The guidelines presented below are intended for use with a student whose
agitated behavior is largely verbal, shows no signs of escalating beyond that point, and does
not present as potentially physically aggressive or violent. Educators who suspect that a
student may present a safety risk to self or others should immediately seek additional
assistance. Schools should also conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs),
assemble appropriate Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) and--if needed--create Crisis
Response Plans to manage the behaviors of students who show patterns of escalating,
potentially violent behaviors.

Since virtually any professional working in schools might at some point find him/herself
needing to 'talk down' a student who presents as emotionally upset, all educators should know
the basics of how to de-escalate the agitated student. The advice offered in this checklist is
adapted for use by schools from research on best practices in calming individuals in medical
or psychiatric settings (Cowin et al., 2003; Fishkind, 2002; Richmond et al., 2012). These
strategies are intended to be used in a flexible manner to increase the odds that an educator
can respond efficiently and effectively to students who present with a wide range of
emotional issues.

 Create a 'safe' setting. An educator attempting to calm an agitated student cannot

always select the setting in which that interaction plays out. When a student outburst
occurs in the classroom, however, the educator should attempt to engage the student
in a semi-private conversation (e.g., off to the side of the room) rather than having an
exchange in front of classmates. As part of the protocol for conducting a de-escalation
conference, adults should also ensure that they are never left alone with agitated
students.
 Limit the number of adults involved. Having too many educators (e.g., teacher and a
teaching assistant) participating in a de-escalation conference can be counter-
productive because of possible confusion and communication of mixed messages to
the agitated student. If more than one adult is available in the instructional setting,
select the one with the most experience with de-escalation techniques to engage the
student one-to-one, while the additional educator(s) continue to support the
instruction or behavior management of other students.

 Provide adequate personal space. Stand at least 2 arm's length of distance away from
the agitated student. If the student tells you to 'back off' or 'get away', provide the
student with additional space.

 Do not block escape routes. When individuals are agitated, they are more likely to
experience a 'fight-or-flight' response that can express itself in the need to have escape
routes available. When engaging a student in a de-escalation conference, do not
position yourself between the student and the door. If the student says, "Get out of my
way", step back to give that student additional personal space and reposition yourself
out of his or her potential escape path.

 Show open, accepting body language. Convey through stance and body language that
you are calm and accepting of the student--and will treat that student respectfully and
maintain his or her safety. Stand at an angle rather than facing the student directly in a
'confrontational' pose. Keep hands open and visible to the student. Stand comfortably,
with knees slightly bent. Avoid 'clenched' body language such as crossing arms or
balling hands into fists.

 Keep verbal interactions respectful. It is natural for educators to experience feelings

of defensiveness, embarrassment, anxiety, or irritation when attempting to talk down a
student from an emotional outburst. However, you should strive to appear calm and to
treat the student respectfully at all times. Avoid use of teasing, reprimands, or other
negative comments and abstain as well from sarcasm or an angry tone of voice.

 Communicate using simple, direct language. When people are emotionally upset, they
may not process language quickly or with complete accuracy. In talking with the
student, keep your vocabulary simple and your sentences brief. Be sure to allow
sufficient time for the student to think about and respond to each statement before
continuing. In particular, if the student does not respond to a statement, avoid falling
into the trap of assuming too quickly that the student is simply 'ignoring you". Instead,
 calmly repeat yourself--several times if necessary. So long as the student's behavior is
not escalating, give him or her the benefit of the doubt and use gentle repetition to
help the student to focus on and respond to you.

 Coach the student to take responsibility for moderating behavior. At the point in an
encounter with an agitated student when you feel that you have established rapport,
you can use a positive, assertive tone to prompt the student to take responsibility for
controlling his or her own behavior (e.g., "John, it is hard for me to follow what you
are saying when you raise your voice and pace around the room. If you sit down and
calmly explain what the problem is, I think that I can help.").

 Reassure the student and frame an outcome goal. You can often help to defuse the
student's agitation by reassuring the student (e.g., "You're not in trouble. This is your
chance to give me your side of the story") and stating an outcome goal ("Let's figure
out how to take care of this situation in a positive way" ; "I want to understand why
you are upset so that I can know how to respond"). Also, if you do not know the
agitated student whom you are approaching, introduce yourself and state both your
name and position.

 Identify the student's wants and feelings. Use communication tools such as active
listening (e.g., "Let me repeat back to you what I thought I heard you say ...."), open-
ended questions (e.g., "What do you need right now to be able to calm
yourself?"), and labeling of emotions ("Rick, you look angry. Tell me what is
bothering you") to better understand how the student feels and what may be driving
the current emotional outburst.

 Identify points of agreement. A powerful strategy to build rapport with an agitated

student is to find points on which you can agree. At the same time, of course, you
must preserve your professional integrity as an educator and therefore cannot falsely
express agreement on issues that you in fact disagree with. Here are suggestions for
finding authentic common ground with the student in response to different situations.
(1) Agreement with student's account: If you essentially agree with the student's
account of (and/or emotional reaction to) the situation, you can say so (e.g., "I can
understand why you were upset when you lost your book on the field trip. I would be
upset too."); (2) Agreement with a principle expressed or implied by the student: If
you are unsure of the objectivity of the student's account, you might still discern
within it a principle that you can support (e.g., If the student claims to have been
disrespected by a hall monitor, you can say, "I think everybody has the right to feel
respected."); (3) Agreement with the typicality of the student response: If you decide
that the student's emotional response would likely be shared by a substantial number
of peers, you can state that observation (e.g., "So I gather that you were pretty
frustrated when you learned that you are no longer sports-eligible because of your
 report card grades. I am sure that there are other students here who feel the same
way.";(4) Agreement to disagree: If you cannot find a point on which you can agree
with the student or validate an aspect of his or her viewpoint, you should simply state
that you and the student agree to disagree.

Attachments
 Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How To: Calm the Agitated Student:
Tools for Effective Behavior Management

References
 Cowin, L, Davies, R., Estall, G., Berlin, T., Fitzgerald, M., & Hoot, S. (2003). De-
escalating aggression and violence in the mental health setting. International Journal
of Mental Health Nursing, 12, 64-73.
 Fishkind, A. (2002). Calming agitation with words, not drugs: 10 commandments for
safety. Current Psychiatry, 1(4), 32-39.
 Richmond, J. S., Berlin, J. S., Fishkind, A. B., Holloman, G. H., Zeller, S. L., Wilson,
M. P., Rifai, M. A., & Ng, A. T. (2012). Verbal de-escalation of the agitated patient:
Consensus statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project
BETA de-escalation workgroup. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(1), 17-
25.
 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999). Mental health: A report of
the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: Author.
K2 How to Reduce Disruptive Behaviors
Through a Brief Escape Break: Class Pass

Description. When students engage in disruptive behaviors in the classroom,

they may be seeking to escape or avoid an academic task (Packenham, Shute, & Reid, 2004).
With the Class Pass intervention, the student is able to use a limited number of passes to take
brief (8-12 minute) work breaks to engage in preferred activities without disrupting
instruction (Collins et al., 2015; Cook et al., 2014). To promote increased work tolerance,
however, the student is also given an incentive to retain passes unused to redeem later for
rewards.

This article lays out the procedures for using Class Passes (based on the work of Collins et
al., 2015; Cook et al., 2014).

Preparation. In advance of the Class Pass intervention, the teacher:

1. decides how many Class Passes to issue. The teacher determines the number of
Class Passes issued to the student each day. As a guide, research shows that 3 passes
per day (elementary) or class period (middle or high school) have generally been
sufficient to substantially increase academic engagement. Review these examples of
Class Passes
2. determines the length of the work break. When the student uses a Class Pass, that
learner receives a short break from academic work. The teacher chooses the length of
these brief breaks. Research supports a 10-minute break period for elementary
students and a 5-minute break for secondary-level students.
3. decides on the minimum wait-time between work breaks. Once a student has used
a Class Pass to take a break, that student is expected to resume work for a minimum
period before being allowed to request another break. The teacher chooses the
minimum wait-time period between breaks. Research suggests that a minimum wait-
time of between 7 and 15 minutes to be effective.
4. identifies allowed break activities. The teacher and student develop a list of
activities that the student can engage in during work breaks. Acceptable activities
should be reinforcing for the student, cause minimal distraction to peers, and be
manageable within the time-limits of the break (e.g., 10 minutes). Examples of
appropriate activities might include drawing at one’s desk or using a computer math-
skills program at the back of the classroom. If there are particular rules or exceptions
associated with any of the activities, these expectations should be clearly defined. For
the activity using a computer math-skills program, for example, teacher and student
may agree that this activity is available throughout the day except when other students
are using that program for math instruction. More detailed instructions for identifying
break activities can be found in the organizer Class Pass: Selecting Break Activities.
5. creates a reward menu. The teacher and student identify several positive reinforcers
(‘rewards’) that the student can access by redeeming unused Class Passes. These
rewards are arranged in a menu format, with information about how many unused
Class Passes are required to access each reward. Appropriate reward choices are those
that are permissible in the classroom or school, viewed as reinforcing by the student,
 and available at little or no cost. Guidelines for assembling a reward menu can be
found in the organizer Class Pass: Building a Reward Menu.

Student Training. When the Class Pass program is ready to start, the teacher trains the
student. The training should follow the sequence of coach (the teacher describes the
procedures), model (the teacher demonstrates for the student what the procedures look like),
and practice (the teacher has the student practice the procedures with instructor feedback).
While this training can most likely be completed in a single session, the teacher should be
prepared to provide additional training sessions if the student needs them.

Most of the steps that the student is to be trained in are explained in the ‘Procedures’ section
that follows. During this training, the teacher also:

 helps the student to recognize signs that a work-break is needed. The teacher tells
the student that a work-break might be needed when the learner feels confused, bored,
frustrated, or tired during academic work. The student can then be prompted to come
up with specific examples of when they might need to take a work-break.
 identifies the sequence for requesting a work-break. The student is told that, to
initiate a work-break, he or she raises a hand and waits patiently for teacher
acknowledgement and approval before starting the break.
 informs the student when work-breaks are not permitted. The student is informed
that Class Pass breaks are off-limits (1) during exams, (2) if the student has already
used up all available Class Passes for the session or day, or (3) if the student requests
a work-break too soon after requesting a previous work-break.

Procedures. When the Class Pass is in effect, here are the daily steps that make up this
intervention:

1. The teacher issues the allotted Class Passes. The instructor starts the day or period
by issuing the student the agreed-upon number of Class Passes (e.g., 3).
2. The student requests Class Pass breaks when needed. During academic tasks, the
student monitors his or her emotional response. If needed, the student signals the
request for a Class Pass break by raising a hand and waiting for the teacher to
acknowledge and approve the request. The student surrenders a Class Pass and begins
the break.
3. The student takes the timed work-break. When the student starts the work-break,
the teacher or other supervising adult starts a timer set to the break length. At the end
of the break, the student returns to the work setting and resumes the academic task.
4. The student is credited with unused Class Passes and selects rewards. At the
conclusion of the instructional period or day, any Class Passes the student has not
used are credited to that learner. Periodically and in a timely manner (e.g., daily,
every other day), the student has an opportunity to review the reward menu and
‘purchase’ rewards for which the student has collected sufficient Class Pass credits.

Troubleshooting/Tips. Here are teacher tips to get the greatest benefit from using the Class
Pass intervention:

 Remind students to use the strategy. When the teacher observes the student being
non-compliant, appearing frustrated, or otherwise displaying potential escape-and-
 avoid behaviors, the instructor can gently remind the student of the intervention: e.g.,
“You can follow instructions or you can take a Class Pass break. It’s your choice.”
 Pair Class Passes with academic supports. If the student appears to habitually
engage in behaviors to escape or avoid academic tasks, it is likely that the learner
experiences real difficulty in completing the assigned work. In this common scenario,
the Class Pass system can quickly reduce disruptive behaviors—but does not address
the academic deficits that are the root cause of those behaviors. Students who fit this
profile, therefore, should also be provided with appropriate academic supports to help
them to successfully complete schoolwork and eventually eliminate the need for
scheduled work-breaks.
 Periodically update activities and rewards. To maintain the effectiveness of the
Class Pass system, the teacher may want to re-meet with the student every several
weeks or so to update the work-break activities and Class Pass reward menus.
Refreshing these intervention elements occasionally can sustain student motivation.
 Fade Class Passes over time. As the student shows the ability to tolerate longer
work-periods and save unused Class Passes for rewards, the teacher should frequently
reinforce the student by praising gains in academic engagement as well as increased
work production and improved grades. Along with consistent use of praise, the
instructor can gradually reduce the number of Class Passes assigned per day (e.g.,
dropping from 3 to 2, etc.) until the student is able to complete academic work
without supports and the intervention can be discontinued.

Student Training. When the Class Pass program is ready to start, the teacher trains the student. The
training should follow the sequence of coach (the teacher describes the procedures), model (the
teacher demonstrates for the student what the procedures look like), and practice (the teacher has the
student practice the procedures with instructor feedback). While this training can most likely be
completed in a single session, the teacher should be prepared to provide additional training sessions if
the student needs them.

Most of the steps that the student is to be trained in are explained in the ‘Procedures’ section that
follows. During this training, the teacher also:

helps the student to recognize signs that a work-break is needed. The teacher tells the student
that a work-break might be needed when the learner feels confused, bored, frustrated, or tired during
academic work. The student can then be prompted to come up with specific examples of when they
might need to take a work-break.

identifies the sequence for requesting a work-break. The student is told that, to initiate a work-
break, he or she raises a hand and waits patiently for teacher acknowledgement and approval before
starting the break.

informs the student when work-breaks are not permitted. The student is informed that Class Pass
breaks are off-limits (1) during exams, (2) if the student has already used up all available Class Passes
for the session or day, or (3) if the student requests a work-break too soon after requesting a previous
work-break.Student Training. When the Class Pass program is ready to start, the teacher trains the
student. The training should follow the sequence of coach (the teacher describes the procedures),
model (the teacher demonstrates for the student what the procedures look like), and practice (the
teacher has the student practice the procedures with instructor feedback). While this training can most
likely be completed in a single session, the teacher should be prepared to provide additional training
sessions if the student needs them.
Most of the steps that the student is to be trained in are explained in the ‘Procedures’ section that
follows. During this training, the teacher also:

helps the student to recognize signs that a work-break is needed. The teacher tells the student that a
work-break might be needed when the learner feels confused, bored, frustrated, or tired during
academic work. The student can then be prompted to come up with specific examples of when they
might need to take a work-break.

identifies the sequence for requesting a work-break. The student is told that, to initiate a work-break, he
or she raises a hand and waits patiently for teacher acknowledgement and approval before starting the
break.

informs the student when work-breaks are not permitted. The student is informed that Class Pass
breaks are off-limits (1) during exams, (2) if the student has already used up all available Class Passes
for the session or day, or (3) if the student requests a work-break too soon after requesting a previous
work-break.

Attachments
 Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How to Reduce Disruptive Behaviors
Through a Brief Escape Break: Class Pass
 Organier: Class Pass: Selecting Break Activities
 Organizer: Class Pass: Building a Reward Menu
 Class Pass Examples

References
 Collins, T. A., Cook, C. R., Dart, E. H., Socie, D. G., Renshaw, T. L., & Long, A. C.
(2015). Improving classroom engagement among high school students with disruptive
behavior. Evaluation of the class pass intervention. Psychology in the Schools, 53(2),
204-219.
 Cook, C. R., Collins, T. A., Dart, E., Vance, M. J., McIntosh, K., Grady, E. A., &
Decano, P. (2014). Evaluation of the class pass intervention for typically developing
students with hypothesized escape-motivated disruptive classroom behavior.
Psychology in the Schools, 51(2), 107-125.
 Packenham, M., Shute, R., & Reid, R. (2004). A truncated functional behavioral
assessment procedure for children with disruptive classroom behaviors. Education
and Treatment of Children, 27(1), 9-25.
K3How To: Reduce Time-Outs With Active
Response Beads
Students with behavioral disorders or ingrained patterns of non-compliant or defiant
behaviors may receive in-class or out-of-class time-out as a disciplinary consequence.
However, use of time-out (from reinforcement) has the serious drawback that students miss
instruction while in time-out. Furthermore, because students are often directed to time-out
when emotionally upset, there is a significant likelihood that they will resist the time-out
placement, thus creating the potential for teacher-student power-struggles, classwide

disruptions, and other negative outcomes.

Active-Response Beads-Time Out (ARB-TO: Grskovic et al., 2004) is an intervention to

replace in-class time-out that is easy to use. It promotes students' use of calm-down strategies
when upset, enhances behavioral self-management skills, and minimizes exclusion from
academic activities.

Preparation. The teacher makes a sufficient number of sets of Active Response Beads
(ARBs) to use in this intervention--depending on whether the strategy is to be used with one
student, a small group, or the entire class.

The materials needed to create a single Active Response Bead set are:

 ten 3/4-inch/1.9-cm beads with hole drilled through middle

 A 38-cm/15-inch length of cord

To make a set of Active Response Beads, the teacher strings the 10 beads on the cord and ties
a knot at each end.

Training. The teacher meets for at least 2 sessions with the student(s) who will be using the
Active Response Beads-Time Out strategy. The teacher introduces ARB-TO as a way to self-
manage emotions and classroom behaviors to increase classroom success and reduce number
of time-outs. In each training session, the teacher and student practice steps of the ARB-TO
procedure (outlined below). Training concludes when student(s) demonstrate understanding
and compliance with the procedure.
Procedure. The ARB-TO can be used whenever the student displays defiant, non-compliant,
acting-out, or escalating behaviors (e.g., refuses to engage in classwork, leaves seat without
permission, talks out, makes rude or inappropriate comments or gestures, or engages in less-
serious acts of aggression or property destruction). NOTE: Educators should be aware that
the teacher's role in providing prompts, feedback, and praise to the student throughout the
ARB steps is crucial to the intervention's success.

Here are the 4 ARB-TO steps:

1 Teacher Initiates ARB-TO Strategy

Teacher: The teacher directs the student to "go get an ARB".

Student: The student walks to the teacher's desk (or other

classroom location), picks up a set of Active Response Beads and
returns to seat.
2 Student Uses Active Response Beads
Teacher: The teacher praises compliance and directs the student to
begin the ARB-TO procedure:

"Thanks for getting your ARB . You need think-time for [describe
problem behavior]. Put your head on the desk and use your ARB."

Student: The student puts head on desk and counts down slowly
from 10 to 1. The student starts counting in an audible voice. With
each number in the count, the student:

 takes a deep breath and slowly releases;

 moves a bead along the cord from the left to the right side
of the ARB;
 gradually reduces voice volume--to conclude in a whisper
on the last number.

Upon completing the count, the student raises head from desk.
3 Student Returns ARB to the Teacher
Teacher: The teacher praises successful use of the ARB-TO
strategy and prompts the student to return the ARB to the teacher

"Good job using the ARB. Please bring it up to me."

 Student: The student gives the teacher the ARB and returns to
seat.
4 Teacher Redirects the Student to Academic Task
Teacher: The teacher again praises use of ARB-TO, directs the
student to resume the academic task or rejoin the academic
activity, and offers support as needed.

"Thanks for using the ARB and for returning it to me. Please
continue with your assignment/ rejoin our activity. I will be over to
check on how you are doing in a moment."

Student: The student resumes the academic task or rejoins the

learning activity.

Adaptations. Here are two adaptations of the ARB-TO procedure to increase convenience
and extend student skills:

 Replace Beads With 'Desk Dots'. Teachers may want to use the student self-directed
calm-down strategy represented by ARB-TO but also wish to avoid

managing
sets of beads or having emotionally upset students leave their seats to retrieve bead
sets. A low-key adaptation of the ARB-TO is the substitution for the beads of a series
of 10 dots numbered in descending order printed on a slip of paper and affixed to the
student's desk. The student is then trained, when directed by the teacher, to apply the
ARB-TO count-down/calm-down procedure using dots.

 Train Students to Self-Manage Use of ARB-TO. As students become familiar with,

and comfortable using, Active Response Beads-Time Out, the teacher can give those
students their own bead sets. Students would then be encouraged to monitor their own
emotional states and use the beads (or Desk Dots) when needed as a calming device--
without teacher prompting.

Teacher Initiates ARB-TO Strategy

1 Teacher: The teacher directs the student to "go get an ARB".
 Student: The student walks to the teacher's desk (or other classroom location), picks up a
set of Active Response Beads and returns to seat.
Student Uses Active Response Beads
2 Teacher: The teacher praises compliance and directs the student to begin the ARB-TO
procedure:

"Thanks for getting your ARB . You need think-time for [describe problem behavior]. Put
your head on the desk and use your ARB."

Student: The student puts head on desk and counts down slowly from 10 to 1. The
student starts counting in an audible voice. With each number in the count, the student:

 takes a deep breath and slowly releases;

 moves a bead along the cord from the left to the right side of the ARB;
 gradually reduces voice volume--to conclude in a whisper on the last number.

Upon completing the count, the student raises head from desk.
Student Returns ARB to the Teacher
3 Teacher: The teacher praises successful use of the ARB-TO strategy and prompts the
student to return the ARB to the teacher

"Good job using the ARB. Please bring it up to me."

Student: The student gives the teacher the ARB and returns to seat.
Teacher Redirects the Student to Academic Task
4 Teacher: The teacher again praises use of ARB-TO, directs the student to resume the
academic task or rejoin the academic activity, and offers support as needed.

"Thanks for using the ARB and for returning it to me. Please continue with your
assignment/ rejoin our activity. I will be over to check on how you are doing in a moment."

Student: The student resumes the academic task or rejoins the learning activity.
Attachments
 Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How To: Reduce Time-Outs With Active
Response Beads

References
 Grskovic, J. A., Hall, A. M. Montgomery D. J., Vargas, A. U., Zentall, S. S., &
Belfiore, P. J. (2004). Reducing time-out assignments for students with
emotional/behavioral disorders in a self-contained classroom. Journal of Behavioral
Education, 13(1), 25-36.
K4'Rubber-Band' Intervention
Teachers often find it difficult to monitor the frequency of problem student behaviors. In this
clever behavior-management strategy, the teacher uses keeps track of student behaviors using
rubber-bands placed around the wrist.

Materials:
 Rubber-bands
 Simple student self-monitoring chart (see attachment at the bottom of this page)

Preparation:
 Develop a reward menu for the individual selected for this intervention. Decide how
many points that you will require the student to earn to 'buy' specific rewards.
 Review with the student the kinds of disruptive classroom behaviors (e.g., talking out,
out of seat, approaching other students at inappropriate times, etc.) that you are
targeting to be reduced. Give the student clear examples of each problem behavior.
 Introduce the rubber-band monitoring intervention (described below), making sure
that the student fully understands the procedures and criteria for success.

Steps in Implementing This Intervention

Step 1: During the period of the day that monitoring is in effect, put up to 6 rubber-bands
around one wrist at the start of each half-hour. Each time that you must verbally remind or
prompt the student about his or her behavior, transfer a rubber-band from one wrist to the
other.

Step 2: At the end of each half-hour, count up the number of rubber-bands remaining on the
original wrist. If at least one rubber-band remains, your student earns a '+' rating for that half-
hour.

Step 3: Briefly approach the student at the end of each half-hour to review his or her
behavioral performance and (if earned) to have the student add a '+' to a simple monitoring
chart (see attachment at the bottom of this page) taped to the student's desk.

Step 4: When the student has earned a sufficient number of '+' points, allow the student to
redeem those points for a reward.

Step 5: As your student's classroom behaviors improve, gradually reduce the number of
rubber-bands that you place on your wrist at the start of each monitoring period-until you
have only 1-2. At that point, you can consider discontinuing this strategy or using it only
intermittently.

Attachments
 'Rubber Band Challenge' Chart
Jim's Hints
Use Rubber-Bands of Different Colors to Track Multiple Students. If you like this
intervention and are up to the challenge, you can track the behaviors of at least two students
by putting rubber-bands of varying colors on your wrist-with specific colors matched to
specific students. When you must approach a particular student, you simply move a rubber-
band of that student's color to your other wrist.
K5Teaching Children With Developmental
Disabilities: Classroom Ideas
Print Email

 Special Needs

When working with children with developmental disabilities, teachers can accomplish a great
deal by managing the learning environment proactively to prevent behavior problems and
promote learning. But identified students may also experience behavior or learning problems
because they lack key skills (e.g., capacity to interact with other children in socially
appropriate ways). Children with developmental disabilities should therefore have explicit
skills-training in deficit areas as a central component in their curriculum.

Here are additional classroom ideas for accommodating students with significant special
needs:

Use visual cues to orient student in the classroom (Volmer, 1995). Children with
developmental disabilities can be much more independent when they have strong visual cues
to guide them through the physical space of the classroom. You can, for example:

 Use boundary markers such as barriers (e.g., bookcases or other furniture), rugs, and
colored tape on the floor to represent boundaries between spaces that are used for
different functions. Marked boundaries make it easier for children to know when they
are in a space that is dedicated to play, one that is set aside for study, etc. The reality,
of course, is that most classroom space is used for multiple purposes. In multi-use
spaces, you can employ signs or other visual cues to mark that the space is being used
for a particular purpose at a specific time. For example, you might create a sign with a
picture of children eating snacks along with the words 'Snack time,' and post that sign
on a table to signify that snacks are about to be served.
 Store common classroom materials (e.g., school supplies, games) on accessible
shelves or in see-through storage containers. When needed, provide labels for these
materials (using pictures paired with words). Train students in the procedures that you
want them to use in accessing the materials (e.g., first raise hand, then request teacher
permission, then go to supplies shelf to get a pencil.)

Post a clear and predictable daily schedule (Volmer, 1995). Both typical students and
those with developmental disabilities crave structure and predictability in their school day.
Special needs children, though, can sometimes react more strongly than their non-disabled
peers when faced with an unexpected change in their daily schedule. When creating daily
schedules be sure to match the schedule format to the child's skill level:

 For a child who cannot read and does not recognize pictures as depictions of actual
objects and events, the 'schedule' would consist of objects that represent schedule
entries. A wrapped snack bar, for instance, can represent snack time, while a book can
represent circle time-when the teacher reads a story to the class.
  For a non-reader who recognizes pictures, the schedule can include a picture to
represent each scheduled event. A picture of the Occupational Therapist, for instance,
might signify a weekly pullout OT session.
 For the beginning reader, the schedule can pair pictures with the words describing the
events to the day.
 The fluent reader can use a written schedule, with words selected at the child's reading
level.

A classroom schedule lays out the events of the day that affect all children in the room.
Teachers can also create individualized schedules for children who receive additional (or
alternative) services and supports. But remember-schedules have value only when they are
used! Students should preview their schedule at the start of the school day. After each activity
is completed, students check off that item on their schedule or otherwise indicate that the
event is finished (e.g., by removing the event's picture from the schedule board). When an
event in the student's schedule is unexpectedly cancelled, teachers may find that the student
will adjust more quickly to the change if the instructor and the child sit down together review
the schedule and revise it to reflect the altered plan for the day.

Build student motivation. Motivation is the 'engine' that drives student engagement and
learning. Try these ideas to motivate identified students with whom you work:

 Alternate preferred and less-preferred activities (Volmer, 1995). Students are likely to
put more intense (and more sustained) effort into challenging assignments when they
know that they can take part in a fun or interesting activity at the end of it. (This
technique is known as the Premack Principle.)
 Vary the pace and duration of academic activities (Koegel, Koegel & Carter, 1999).
 Provide meaningful choices that give the child some autonomy and control in the
classroom. For example, you may encourage the student to select a reading book for
an assignment, decide what assignment she or he will work on first, choose a place in
the room to study, or pick a peer to help as a study buddy. Make an effort to build
choices into school activities whenever possible.
 Use verbal prompts ('pre-correction') before the student engages in a task to promote
success Koegel, Koegel & Carter, 1999). Phrase your prompt to reflect what you
would like to see the child do (e.g., 'Ronald, please get your math journal and a
sharpened pencil and join our math group at the back table.') rather than what you
would like the student to stop doing. Choose vocabulary and syntax appropriate the
child's developmental level. Try not to be wordy!

Use strategies to make directions and learning expectations clearly understood. Provide
directions in language the student can understand. Use visual cues (hands-on demonstrations
and modeling, objects, pictures) as needed to help the child to better grasp the directions.
Prompt and guide the child through the performance-sequence.

Check to be sure that you have the student's attention before giving directions. (NOTE:
Children with disabilities may not always make eye contact, even when they are paying
attention to you. Be on the lookout for other signs of attending--e.g., alert posture, orientation
toward you, stopping other activities, verbalizations). Also, include essential information in
your directions that will answer these four questions for the child (Volmer, 1995):
(1) How much work is there to do in this task?
(2) What exactly am I supposed to do?
(3) When do I do the work? and
(4) What is my payoff for doing the work? .

Provide structured opportunities for student to participate in social interactions

(Koegel, Kiegel, & Carter, 1999; Volmer, 1995). Children with disabilities are sometimes
excluded from social interactions with their typical peers. While there are a number of
reasons why identified students may not be fully included in social groups, you can take steps
to foster relationships between special-needs and typical children:

 Give the child 'helping roles' such as handing out snacks or distributing work
materials to other students. Coach the child to use socially appropriate speech (e.g.,
"Would you like a snack?") with peers. The more frequently that other students
experience neutral or positive interactions with the identified child, the more that they
will feel comfortable with that student and the more positive their perceptions of the
child will probably be.
 Provide the child with simple strategies to engage others in social interactions.
Demonstrate and model these strategies. Then have the child an opportunity to try
them out and give him or her feedback and encouragement. For example, train the
student to ask a peer "What's that?" whenever he or she sees something unfamiliar in
the immediate environment. Or show the student how to approach a group and ask to
join a game or other activity (e.g., "Can I join your game?"). A related idea would be
to train typical peers as 'social interaction coaches' who can supportively model for
the identified child how to initiate social interactions.
 If the child is preoccupied with a particular topic that is relevant to classwork, the
teacher may be able to use the student as a resource for peers. For example, a child
with autism who has an encyclopedic knowledge of astronomy or geography may
attend a review session and answer questions from other students who are studying
for a quiz.
 Whenever the teacher forms groups in the classroom, she or he can assign a 'group
ambassador' role to one of the typical children. The 'group ambassador' takes
responsibility for greeting anyone who joins the group, ensures that all members
understand how they can participate in the group activities, and gives additional
support and guidance to any student who needs it. 'Group ambassadors' should be
trained to recognize when a student might need assistance and in how to provide that
assistance in supportive, non-intrusive ways.
 If the child is assigned a teaching assistant, have that assistant train peers in the room
to provide academic support while the assistant observes from the background. 'Sign
up' children on a rotating basis to serve as peer learning helpers for the identified
child. This strategy will encourage the identified child to see many people in the room
as possible supports.
 Assign the child with disabilities a peer buddy when moving around the building,
playing outside, or attending assemblies or other events out of the room
(Saskatchewan Special Education Unit, 1998). Select different children to serve as
peer buddies so the identified child has the chance to build friendships and does not
depend too much on any one student for support.

Create a plan to help the student to generalize their learning across settings and
situations. Children with significant disabilities are likely to need explicit programming to
generalize skills that they have learned in a particular classroom setting to other settings or
situations (Koegel, Koegel & Carter, 1999, Volmer, 1995).

 Teach only a small number of 'key' skills at one time so that you will have enough
time to work with the student on generalizing each mastered skill. After the student
has mastered a skill in one setting, list other settings or situations in which you would
like the student to show the skill. Then create a training plan to help the student to use
the skill in these novel settings. If a child has mastered the task of delivering
appropriate social greetings in your classroom, for instance, you might take the child
to the school main office or out into the community, prompt them to greet others, and
provide praise or rewards for their successful performance.
 Keep other members of the child's teaching team (e.g., parent, speech pathologist,
regular-education teacher) informed about what skills the identified student has
mastered. Provide ideas to them about how they can encourage the student to use the
skill in a new setting and/or with different people and how to reinforce the child for
doing so.

References
 Koegel, R.L., Koegel, L.K., & Carter, C.M. (1999). Pivotal teaching interactions for
children with autism. School Psychology Review, 28, 576-594.
 Saskatchewan Special Education Unit. (1998). Teaching students with autism: A
guide for educators. Available: http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/k/pecs/se/docs/autism/
 Volmer, L. (1995). Best practices in working with students with autism. In A. Thomas
& J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (3rd ed., pp. 1031-1038).
New York: Wiley & Sons.