Dealing With EscalatingBehavior in the School Setting

School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports Training

Northwest AEAJanuary 14, 2010

Jerome Schaefer

jschaefer@nwaea.com

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)