Transcript Proactive Behavior Strategies

Proactive Behavior
Strategies
How’s that working for ya?
FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD)
What is Proactive?
Things being done to prevent
the behavior BEFORE it
happens
 Setting up the environment
 Teaching errorless
learning
 Making sure the
student will be successful
What is Proactive? (Continued)
Being
knowledgeable of the student’s
individual needs and disabilities
 What
are needs of students?
 Medical needs?
 Other?
Sensory
considerations
Build Trusting Relationships
Get to know the students
 Get to know their strengths
 Build on student’s high interest

Build Trusting Relationships (Cont.)
Consider your verbal and non-verbal
communication (i.e. your resting face)
 It is important to build on strengths and
not dwell on academics the student finds
difficult until s/he feels safe with the
staff

Schedules



Start with a successful part of the student’s day to
teach the use of schedules with things the student
does well
Use a schedule to explain difficult parts of the
student’s day
Help each student understand expectations
Schedules (Continued)


Decrease student’s anxiety by making things
predictable and understandable
Schedules help students understand what to do
while they are WAITING
Use Common Sense
Provide a natural barrier between the
student and the door if he/she is a runner
(i.e. block with a mat, person, etc.)
 Keep items of high interest out of site if this
is a problem (i.e. food)
 Consider student’s cognitive
ability

Use Common Sense (Continued)
Keep personal items out of sight (i.e. cell
phone, coffee cup, pop can)
 Students do well if they can!
(Ross Greene)
 Other examples?

Questions that Students Need to
Know… Always
What should I be doing?
 Who am I working with?
 Where should I be?

Questions that Students Need to
Know… Always (Continued)
How much work? How long?
 What should I do next?
 When can I access a preferred activity?

Communication


Use First ___ , Then ___ , rather than
If ___ , Then ___.
Avoid the words “No” and
“You Can’t”. Instead, state
what the student SHOULD be
doing in a positive way.
Communication (Continued)
Teach and provide visuals for: “I need a
break”, “I need help”
 Model appropriate language but do not insist
that the student repeat it (“Can I have a turn
please?”)
 Give time to process/respond to
the direction; this will be different
for each student

Communication Examples
Instead of…
No hitting!
You can’t have that now.
Stop interrupting me.
If you don’t finish you won’t be
able to go our for recess.
Say with a pleasant voice…
Hands to yourself. Gentle Touch.
Good idea. First ___, then you
can have ____.
Just a minute please (a ‘WAIT’
card could be handed or shown
to the student). Then after a
few seconds (or minute) say,
Thanks for waiting. What did
you want to tell me?
First work, then recess.
What is calming for this student?
SOUND: Is there too much talking? Background
noise? Lights humming?
Try…
head phones (to block out noise or provide
calming music)
 teaching the student to cover
his/her ears
 music or white noise

What is calming for this student? (Continued)
SIGHT: Are the lights too bright? Too dim?
Try…
non-florescent lights (lamps)
 hanging sheets over shelves to
reduce visual distractions
 using a study carrel or dividers
 sunglasses
 turning off the lights

What is calming for this student? (Continued)
TOUCH: Textures, materials, pressure (soft vs.
deep)?
Try…
fidgets
 shaving cream, water play
 play-dough, thera-putty
 weighted blanket
 bean bag chairs

What is calming for this student? (Continued)
SMELL: Be aware of perfumes, deodorants,
shampoo, foods, bad breath.
Try…
 a plug-in air freshener
(i.e. Glade)
 lotion, scented stickers
 to avoid using strong
scents (i.e. deodorants, shampoo, etc.)
 lavender scents for calming
What is calming for this student? (Continued)
TASTE: Does the student chew on things? Try to
bite others?
Try…
chewing for biting prevention
(chew tubes, gum, fruit snacks)
 sucking to calm (suckers)
 sour foods or gum for
focusing

Staff Response to Anxiety and
Behavior
Be a calming presence
 Increase the use of visuals and be less verbal
 Be aware of anxiety issues and triggers
 Know student’s calming strategies

Staff Response to Anxiety and
Behavior (Continued)

Provide choices to give the student a feeling
of control
 “Do

you want to do 10 problems or 15?”
Acknowledge the student’s communication and
validate his/her feelings
 “I
hear that you don’t want
to… should we finish now or
do you need a break?”
Staff Response to Anxiety and
Behavior (Continued)
Adjust work load so student can end on a
‘positive note’ (“1 more and you can be
finished”)
 Provide a designated
safe place for the student
to relax

Staff Response to Anxiety and
Behavior (Continued)
Shift student focus by providing a distraction or
by using sense of humor to relieve tension
 Ignore off-task behaviors and redirect to what
the student should be doing

Act as a Frontal Lobe
(Part of brain where we think before we act)

Students can be impulsive, so staff need to
be proactive to help prevent the behavior
Examples of Proactive Strategies
Visuals (See District #287 ASD Module 2,
“Visual Strategies”)
 Video modeling
(video tape
student doing
skill successfully
 Social Stories

Examples of Proactive Strategies
(Continued)
Comic Strip Conversations
 Social Learning Profile/Functional
Behavior Assessment
 Deep Breathing

Examples of Proactive Strategies
(Continued)
Relaxation strategies (EmWave
software, music, yoga, walking, rocking,
heavy lifting, deep breathing,
Me Moves DVD)
 Environmental factors (room
dividers, lighting)

Examples of Proactive Strategies
(Continued)

Self awareness
5
Point Scale
 How Does Your Engine
Run, etc.
 Mindfulness (MindUP-Hawn
Foundation)
5
Louder voice
4
Regular voice
3
Yelling—used mostly outside;
sporting events; emergencies
—used outside;
at recess; to get someone’s
attention
—participating
in class; talking to friends in the
hallway; free time during class;
other people can hear me easily
Quiet talking—used while
other people are working; people
very near me can hear my voice
2
Whispering
1
—the way I talk
in the library or a movie theatre;
most people can’t hear my voice
Examples of Proactive Strategies
(Continued)
Teach expressive and
receptive communication skills (visual,
non-verbal, sign language,
communication devices)
 Direct teaching of skills

Iceberg (From Treatment and Education of Autistic and
Communication related handicapped CHildren)
Look for underlying reasons for behavior and focus on helping
the student with these issues.
So remember…
Planning ahead with proactive
strategies may take some extra time
but will:
 help the student learn more effectively
 minimize off task and negative behaviors!
ISD #287 Autism

For more information, go to
www.district287.org
Click on Program Services
Click on Special Education
Click on Itinerant Service ASD