Help!!! He’s Driving Me Crazy!

Behavior Management for Difficult Older Children

Discipline vs Punishment

PUNISHMENT• Increases dependency by teaching adult control• Models aggression as a way to control others• Teaches fear rather than respect• Often used after adult has reached “breaking Point”• Tells the student what not to do, rather than what to do• Penalizes misbehavior rather than teaching new

behavior• Closes down communication• Sets the scene for revenge and power struggles

Discipline vs Punishment

DISCIPLINE• Teaches self-control• Teaches replacement behaviors• Is consistent• Is firm• Teaches respect by example• Is considerate of the needs of the student, the

teacher, and others• Prepares the student for the adult world

Ask Yourself…

• Is what I’m doing productive?• What is my ultimate goal ?

(to help or to hurt)• Am I allowing the student to maintain his dignity?• Am I demonstrating respect towards the student?• Am I setting limits that allow the student to make

choices?• Are my consequences clear, concise, brief, and

enforceable?• Am I avoiding power struggles?• Am I being manipulated?

Do’s

• Give directions that are clear and enforceable• Be firm and assertive, but caring• Give reasons where appropriate• Appear calm and relaxed, even in crisis• Strive for positive rather than negative interactions• Make the students feel valued and secure• Plan and assign materials to fit individual needs(destructive and/or hyperactive kids cannot handle

certain situations or materials)• Incorporate social skills into routines, both verbally

and nonverbally• Reinforce desired behaviors

Do’s cont.

• Label inappropriate behavior and the desired behavior (That’s ___, show me _____.)

• Treat students fairly and courteously• Try to ignore undesirable behaviors• Consult with other staff members, counselors,

principals, etc. Work as a team!• Take threats seriously, but not personally.• Reward approximations of desired behavior and small

successes• Maintain your own mental health• Develop a support system for yourself outside of

school• Allow students to save face• Develop an atmosphere of trust in your classroom

Do’s cont.• Try to build self-esteem in your students• Work at developing an atmosphere of community within

your class• Listen sincerely to your students’ needs and feelings• Read between the lines when listening to students• Try to understand the students’ life and culture outside

of school-it can have a profound effect on behavior• Consider handicapping conditions when determining

how to handle an emotional outburst• Take the extra minute to connect with a child-

relationships are more important than behavior plans• Model respect for all students in your classroom• Pick your battles-some things aren’t worth fighting over

Do’s cont.• Use your behavior improvement plan-it’s the law!• Stick with a plan for long enough to see if it will

work-remember that you will get an “extinction burst”, and things will get worse before they get better

• Consider learning styles when preparing lessons• Work with your counselor/diagnostician on an FBA

when you have persistent problems• Try to determine WHY a student is engaging in a

particular behavior• Pay special attention to antecedents or setting

events• Tailor reinforcement to the individual child

Don’t’s• Forcefully touch a student unless absolutely necessary

• Make a threat or a promise you cannot keep

• Back students into a corner

• Argue or plead with students

• Verbally put a student down

• Get angry at behaviors that are manifestations of a handicapping condition

• Try to handle crisis situations alone

• Over-react to situations

• Openly play favorites with students

• Overlook anxiety or fear in students-it can lead to a crisis

• Be judgmental

• Get into power struggles with students

• Take student’s behavior personally

Behavior Problems

DIFFICULT STUDENTSAttentional KidsDepressed/Anxious KidsOppositional-Defiant KidsConduct-Disordered Kids

Managing Attentional Kids

• Establish a cooperative, not competitive, classroom.• Establish a classroom sense of community-

emphasize mutual respect and social responsibility• Use both individual and group positive

reinforcement• Tie behavior at school to reinforcement at home by

using check cards, etc.• Educate your class on individual differences and the

fact that what will be done in class will be what is best for each student, even if it is different

• Establish a buddy system (beware of the “bossies”)• Handle medication issues sensitively and privately

Managing Attentional Kids, cont.

• Use encouragement specifically and generously. Specific praise helps a child improve and shows that you are really attending to what she does

• Develop and KEEP a sense of humor• Emphasize quality of work, not quantity• Structure the environment to suit the child’s needs-

consider physical barriers, visual barriers, etc. to help the child “shut out” unwanted stimuli.

• Increase the distance between desks• Use lists to help the child break things down into

steps. Saying “Check your list.” may be better than going over each item individually.

Managing Attentional Kids, cont.

• Require eye contact before beginning instruction. Teach the class a “listening posture” to use when told to do so

• Keep work periods short and varied.• Allow for physical movement. Taping an area

around a desk and allowing a child to stand to work may be helpful.

• Teach the child an organizational system that is simple and reinforce his using it.

• Use colors to emphasize and organize• Use “time-outs” and “time-aways”.• Use gestural cues to signal behavior.• Use a contracting method for specific behaviors.

Managing Attentional Kids, cont.

THE 4 S’s FOR ATTENTIONAL KIDS

• Stimuli Reduction

• Structure

• Signaling

• School/Home Connection

Management Tips, Attentional Kids

• Big Clock/Big Time- Use timers to make time real.• Fast Food Praise-Use short comments, quick, soft

touches, or gestures as soon as possible. Instant gratification works well with attentional kids.

• Just the Facts- Attentional kids need to know exactly what it is that you like about their behavior, and exactly what it is that you do not want, without elaboration. Reinforce at once when you get the desired result.

• Jackpot- Provide lots of quick, cheap, kid valuable rewards for behavior. Attentional children often need tangibles.

Management Tips, Attentional Kids• Act Don’t Yak- Attentional kids have a problem

behaving as you want them to, not understanding what you want. The more you talk, reason, and argue, the longer you put off using outcomes or results. Use comments, rewards, and outcomes swiftly and reduce your repeating rules and verbal reasoning.

• Be Positive- State the desired behavior in a positive way. Tell the child what you want her to do. Then, set up a reinforcement program to target 3-4 desired behaviors at a time.

• Always on My Mind- Remember that attentional kids have a real disability and cannot self-manage behaviors without help from others. They are usually 20-30% behind their peers in social maturity.

Management Tips, Attentional Kids

• Be Prepared- Certain situations will almost always trigger certain behaviors. Be ready. Before the child moves into a problem place or situation, do these steps:

1. Review the rules of the situation. Ask him to repeat them.

2. Reward knowledge of the rules3. Have an outcome if he cannot repeat the rules.4. As you enter the situation, give the child feedback

about the rules.5. Give rewards or outcomes as you see desired or

undesired behaviors.6. Use this system for transitions, field trips, labs, fire

drills, etc. Rehearse in advance if you are able to.

Management Tips, Attentional Kids

• Waterloo- Pick your battles-make them few. Rank what is important for you, the child, and the others in the class. Them focus on only 3-4 major things at a time. Do not lock horns over something that does not make a difference.

• The Same Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow- Be as consistent as is humanly possible. If there are changes, discuss them in advance and rehearse. A few rehearsals can save a lot of grief.

• Play it Again, Sam- Attentional kids WILL need repetitions-don’t fight it, just try to find ways to make it easier on yourself through structure, assignment boards, visual cues, etc.

Time-Out vs Time-In

Time-out and time-in are both techniques used to help children gain inner control of their behavior. The difference between them is that one (time-out) is usually used as a consequence for inappropriate behavior. While there are a range of time-out techniques, isolated time-out is most often used as a consequence. To be effective, time-out must be a sterile environment, with very little stimuli. A hard chair, solid colored walls, limited auditory and visual stimuli, and isolation from others are essential for time-out. Time-out is most effective as a consequence when it is not too long and the timing does not start until the student is seated and quiet. There are laws regarding the size of the time-out room and how a child may be prevented from leaving time-out.

Time-Out vs Time-In, cont.

Time-in is very effective at teaching students to self-monitor behavior and to remove themselves from situations before they escalate. Time-in is a comfortable spot where a student can to and practice relaxation techniques to calm down and regain control. Time-in can be student initiated (with prior approval from the teacher), used as a reward for behaviors, or teacher initiated (sending a child at the first sign of agitation before a situation escalates). A timer can be used to signal when time-in is to be over.

Pre-Mack Principle

This is a very simple behavioral technique, also called “Grandma’s Rule”:

First: (Tell the child what the immediate behavior or work pattern you require is)

Then: (Tell the child what the payoff for compliance is)

Ex: “First, finish your science paper, then you may go to the beanbag with a book.”

Pre-Mack Principle Reminders

• Let the child know in advance the level of performance that is required, so that he is not surprised if you require him to do it over

• Be sure the payoff is relevant to the child.• Include time-frames. For example, if you have a

20 minute time limit, if she finishes satisfactorily in 10 minutes, she gets a 10 minute reward time. If it takes him 15 minutes, he gets 5 minutes of reward. If time is a factor, USE A TIMER. The timer tells them when time is up, not you.

Management of Depressed/Anxious Kids• Provide the child with as much positive nurturance

and support as possible. Try to make a connection with the student.

• Attempt to control distractions in the classroom. Consider providing an “office” area for the child to use when distractions become overwhelming. Remember that this child has little “free attention” and may have difficulty screening out visual and auditory distractions.

• Exercise proximity control. A simple touch on the hand or shoulder is often enough to bring the child back.

• Keep routines and environments stable. Change is often very intimidating and anxiety producing to the depressed/anxious child. If there is to be change, rehearse in advance.

Management of Depressed/Anxious Kids• Because these kids often feel powerless, it can help

to allow them a chance to “shine” in front of classmates. You can structure these situations by preparing them in advance with the answer to a question, a trick or game they can demonstrate to the class, etc.

• Engineer successes within the classroom. Success creates more success, and also reduces anxiety and raises self-esteem.

• This child often has difficulty with issues of identity. Provide structured teamwork which pairs this child with a more socially able child with high self-esteem. This allows them to share the limelight and feel more able.

• Structure social situations so that this child realizes some successes in social relationships. Games are an excellent way to reinforce social skills naturally.

Management of Depressed/Anxious Kids• Hook the child in with the school counselor or

psychologist if at all possible• Use lots of positive reinforcement for small

successes. Consider a reinforcement survey to see which reinforcers would be most effective.

• Work with the parents to help with strategies at home which can assist the child in feeling she has more control over her environment and emotions. Inform them of options available in your area.

• IF the situation cannot be addressed within the regular classroom, consider program changes for the child. Do not allow the child to “sink” without seeking help from all possible sources.

Management of Depressed/Anxious Kids

FOUR S’s FOR DEPRESSED/ANXIOUS KIDS

1. Structure

2. Support

3. Sensitivity

4. Social Skills

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids• Fail-proof against misunderstanding-be sure that

this child understands exactly what is expected. Write things down!

• Fail-proof against procrastination. Set timelines for assignments and penalties for non-compliance.

• Employ a technique of paradoxical intent. For example, “Johnny, this worksheet is very hard. I am not sure if you can do it. Go ahead and try , and see how many you can answer.” This technique draws its power from giving the child permission to do that he wants to do, therefore there is no payoff for having his way. It is only successful if used selectively and not sarcastically.

• Employ forced choice-either through contracting for a certain number of assignments or through using “This or that.”

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids• Don’t Cry Wolf-This technique is especially effective

for a child who procrastinates by getting out of his seat, etc. At the time when the target child is off task, reward the members of the class who are working. Remember to “catch him being good” within a short period of time following the intervention.

• Employ progressively harder worksheets. IF the child tends to complain when given work, you may let her select alternate worksheets, with the criteria being that each successive one is longer, harder, etc. Eventually she will choose the first one offered.

• If at all possible, find a place for the child to complete homework at school.

• Do not give the oppositional child power by pleading or bargaining-be specific and back away for compliance.

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids• Threatening and anger on your part give control to

the child. Since they are often emotionally over-controlled, they can derive great pleasure from watching others “lose their cool”.

• Do not be tempted to “show the child what if feels like” by breaking promises or procrastinating in the same manner that he does

• Do not enable the child by “helping” her to do work she is capable of doing on her own.

• Support negative affect, but not destructive behavior. ODD children often express emotions in negative ways. For example, refusing to achieve in school is a “safe” way of aggressing towards adults. Learning to put emotions into words will help overcome this.

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids• Raise conscious awareness of behavior. Many

times, these children are not aware of and cannot label the emotions beneath their behavior. By bringing it into their consciousness, you can often eliminate the behavior Ex: “Yesterday, you seemed angry. You were smiling, but…”

• Structure unconditional interaction with the student. ODD students often feel that authority figures only affirm you for what you do, and nothing is ever good enough. Provide affirmation for being, not doing.

• Make casual comments about compliance. Excessive praise can backfire.

• Give the child opportunities to do favors for you with no strings attached.

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids• Challenge behaviors by documenting several

episodes, then calling him in privately and confronting him in a non-punitive way. Say, “It seems to me that a part of you has trouble _____.” Then, work on a plan and a cue to signal the behavior and help him reduce it.

• Help her to reflect on her behavior. You may use role-play, social stories, pictures, etc. “Which of these is most like you? Have you ever felt that way? Do you remember a time when you had trouble with this? What could have helped this situation?”

• Reinforce successive approximations of the desired behavior. Focus on the positive.

• Help the child learn structured goal setting. Goals should be SMART-Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-limited.

Managing Oppositional/Defiant Kids

Four C’s for Oppositional Students

1. Caring

2. Control

3. Consciousness

4. Choice

1-2-3 Bounce Technique

• Step 1• Talk to the student quietly but firmly-in private if

possible• Explain to the student what he is doing, why the

behavior must cease, and what the consequences will be if it does not stop

• Check for understanding• Describe the behavior, the rationale, and the

consequences no more than twice• Move away from the student to allow for compliance

(speak and spin)• At this point, ignore the student’s face saving efforts,

such as provocative gestures, swearing, saying No!, etc.

1-2-3 Bounce Technique• Step 2

• If the behavior continues, return to the student and again explain the behavior, why it must stop, and the consequences

• Inform the student that this is the last time the subject will be discussed

• Check for understanding• Move away to allow compliance• If the student reacts defiantly, move to

Step 3

1-2-3 Bounce Technique

• Step 3• In this step, the consequences previously

discussed with the student are applied• At this point, it is CRITICAL that the teacher

carry out the consequences• Explain to the student that he or she made

the decision to continue the behavior and thus to receive the consequences

1-2-3 Bounce Technique• BOUNCE

• The bounce involves how the student is removed from the situation. It may involve moving to another spot in the room, out to the hall, to the time-out area, or to the office.

• If the student moves quickly without physical assists but swears or argues, the teacher should respond minimally with calm statements such as, “I’ll talk with you once you’re calm.”

• Do not attempt to discuss the behavior at this time-it may cause escalation.

• Respond to pleading and promises with, “That pleases me very much, but now you must go to _____”

• If the student refuses to move, explain that you will get help if necessary.

• Call for assistance according to district policy and to the student’s BIP.

Structured Warning SystemFirst Occurrence of the behavior

ASK the following:What are you doing?What will happen if you continue?Can you handle this yourself?

Second Occurrence of the behaviorTELL the child the following:

You are doing _________.When you are doing ______, you bother other people.You should be doing _______.If you don’t handle this, _____ will happen.The choice is yours.

Third Occurrence of the behaviorDELIVER the consequence in a matter of fact manner.STRESS THAT THE CHILD MADE THE CHOICE, NOT YOU11

Interventions for Conduct Disordered Kids

• Separate the behavior from the individual-avoid YOU statements. Target the behavior, not the individual.

• Focus on specific behaviors. Avoid statements like, ”She’s lazy.” or “He’s disruptive.”

• Use FBA to determine which behaviors most need to be changed. Develop a baseline so you will know when you are being successful.

• Prioritize target behaviors. Use a behavior improvement plan.

• Select the most offensive behaviors first.• Never target more that 4-5 behaviors at a time.• Break goals down into small, manageable pieces.

Interventions for Conduct Disordered Kids

• “Catch ‘em being good!” This reinforces and gives positive attention. Be careful about public praise with CD students-it can backfire.

• Inform the student when he is failing to meet expectations-refer to rules and have him tell you the rule he was not following-this helps him to internalize the rules.

• Use courteous speech when addressing the student.• Maintain clear, consistent behavior guidelines

• Clear rules leave little room for interpretation• Post rules within clear view. Refer to them often.• Make sure your rules fit with school rules.• State rules in positive language.

Interventions for Conduct Disordered Kids• Speak calmly but firmly. If a student senses that the

teacher has lost control, behavior may escalate.• Speak plainly, clearly, and directly.• Answer “fast and loud” with “soft and slow”

speech• Often, students do not hear “DON’T”, so state

behavior in terms of “DO’s” Instead of “Don’t run.”, say, “Walk.”

• Use gestural cues.• Use total communication-

» 7% Verbal» 38% vocal tone, pitch, cadence» 55% nonverbal-body language

Interventions for Conduct Disordered Kids• Do not ask for behavior unless you are willing to be turned

down. Instead of “Will you…. Simply state your request as an imperative.

• Use perception and empathy to try to discover the needs a student is expressing through her behaviors.

• Use directive statements when needed. Be calm and firm.• Use planned ignoring, but be prepared for some escalation at

first. Enlist the class to help with ignoring.• Use signal interference-a look, a signal prearranged to signal

misbehavior, a gesture or a touch.• Remove seductive stimuli and control exposure to things that

interfere with on-task behavior• Proximity control:

• Use your seating chart to your advantage• Greet students at the door• Roam the class as you are teaching

Interventions for Conduct Disordered Kids• Recognize satiety and vary activities to help diminish

inappropriate behavior• Supervise the student constantly• Minimize encounters with provoking people and

situations• Accept the student along with the manifestations of his

problems. Seek out some one on one time with him when he does not have to posture for his peers

• Utilize behavior contracts to increase positive behavior. This is good practice for later on in life

• Use behavioral analysis to walk through problem situations and generate alternative behaviors

• Antiseptic bouncing-remove the over-stimulated student from the environment in a non-punitive way that allows her to cool down. Send to deliver a note, run an errand, to the library, to the learning lab, to another classroom.

Managing Conduct-Disordered Kids

Four R’s for Conduct Disordered Kids

1. Restriction

2. Restitution

3. Redirection

4. Removal