• Arrange observation and data collection system to monitor student’s behavior across all school contexts.
• Use data to inform decision-making.
• Regularly communicate with family members and teachers to ensure consistent response to student’s behavior.
• Model tolerance and acceptance.
• Provide opportunities for the student to assume responsibilities, such as distributing papers.
• Teach other students to ignore inappropriate attention-seeking behaviors.
• Have other students (who demonstrate appropriate behavior) serve as peer tutors.
• Be aware that some students may work better alone.
• Develop rules that are clear (and give concrete examples).
• Specify rewards for following rules, as well as consequences when rules are disobeyed.
• Be consistent when enforcing rules, emphasize positive over punitive.
• Model responses to potential triggers for escalation.
• Engage student in role-play opportunities to practice appropriate responses.
• Provide models of acceptable behaviors.
• Respond to the student, not to their behavior.
• Use positive and age-appropriate comments frequently to reinforce good behavior.
• Teach students to monitor their own behavior.
• Use individualized behavioral contracts with the student.
• Monitor seating arrangements in the classroom.
• Teach student to identify signs of stress, anxiety, anger, etc.
• Be aware of the student’s triggers for anger, stress, and anxiety.
• Use visual organizers to help student evaluate appropriate alternatives to maladaptive behavior.
• Teach student to describe the conflict or problem, identify possible responses, select a response, and evaluate the selected response.
• “Think out loud” as you generate alternatives and select a response.
• Provide subtle pre-corrective prompts in situations where the student has often displayed interpersonal relationship problems in the past.
• Use visual scales to help the student label escalating emotions (e.g. 1-5 scales, Volcano scale).
• Teach and practice coping strategies to reduce anxiety, stress, anger, etc.
• Develop a coping plan; rehearse plan with student when they are calm.
• Keep potentially harmful objects or substances out of reach.
• Use time-out sessions to cool off disruptive behavior.
• Make sure the punishment fits the "crime."
• Immediately praise good behavior and performance.
• Pre-establish consequences for misbehavior with student.
• Administer consequences immediately.
• Withhold reinforcement for inappropriate behavior.
• Recognize signs of escalation.
• Remain calm, state misconduct, and avoid debating or arguing with student.
• Ask student for reward ideas.
• Change rewards if they are not effective in changing behavior.
• Develop a schedule for using positive reinforcement; work to thin that schedule of reinforcement over time.
• Work for overall improvement, which may be slow.
• If student has a desire for attention, find ways to recognize positive contributions.
• If student shows aggressiveness, being in charge of an activity may reduce aggressiveness.
• Set goals with the student that can realistically be achieved.
• Set up a special time-out location, so student has a place to go to take a break (could be a quick trip to the restroom or water fountain).
• Behavior management techniques can be used in the home, school, and community settings. Functional Behavior Assessments/Behavior Intervention Plans can be created by examining a student's specific problem behavior, identifying antecedents, understanding consequences that maintain the behavior, and developing strategies to reduce the inappropriate behavior and increase desirable behavior.
