Dealing With EscalatingBehavior in the School Setting
School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports Training
Northwest AEAJanuary 14, 2010
Jerome Schaefer
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.
Primary Prevention:School-wide/Classroom/
Non-classroom Systems forAll Students,
Staff, & Settings
Secondary Prevention:Targeted
Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior
Tertiary Prevention:Individualized
Systems for Students with High-Risk Behavior
~80% of Students
~15%
~5%
CONTINUUM OFSCHOOL-WIDE
POSITIVE BEHAVIORSUPPORT
What Do We Know AboutTertiary Interventions?
FunctionsProblemBehavior
Obtain/GetSomething
Escape/Avoid
Something
SocialTangible/Activity
Adult
Stimulation/Sensory
Peer
Pos Reinf Neg Reinf
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 JasonJason, please turn in your assignment.
What assignment?
I finished it.
I don’t have it with me now.
You never believe me.
F_____ you!
Pulls away, glares, & raises fist as if to strike.
The assignment you didn’t finish during class.
Great, please turn it in now.
You have a choice…..turn it in or do it again.
I guess you’ve made the choice to do it again.
That’s disrespect…go to the office.
Moves closer…& puts hand on J. shoulder.
Make me.Share your experiences
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
LowCalm
Peak
De-escalation
Recovery
Acceleration
Agitation
Trigger
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low CALM
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
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
LowTRIGGER
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 (pre-correct)
• 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
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low
AGITATION
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
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low
ACCELERATION
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?
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low
PEAK
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)
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low
De-escalation
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 re-escalate 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
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
Low 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
Time
Behavior Intensity
The MODEL
High
LowCalm
Peak
De-escalation
Recovery
Acceleration
Agitation
Trigger
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)