SSSEAC: Education and Skill Development for Education ...



EDUCATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR EAs

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UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR

FALL 2010

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Printed 2010

The development of this curriculum package was completed by Susan Powell, PhD, Learning and Education Consultant, with support from SSEAC. It is part of an educational initiative developed in 2010 by SSEAC and offered to Education Assistants in BC. All materials in this package are the property of SSEAC.

For additional information contact:

EAeducation@sseac.ca or visit our website at sseac.ca

Understanding Behaviour (24 hours): Session Outlines

This learning option will describe the process and the major features of positive behaviour support plans. Participants will explore key intervention strategies. In addition, participants will discuss the role of the Education Assistant as a member on the interdisciplinary team.

This learning option is designed for delivery over eight sessions. Each session can be delivered in 3 hours. There are many opportunities for participants to actively engage in their learning with in class activities as well as activities for participants to take away and try in their classroom. This approach is in keeping with Best Practices for Professional Development (see Appendix B in the Handbook for Instructors). As the instructor you should schedule breaks at appropriate times in the session.

A district may decide to deliver the sessions over a different time frame. In this case, consider the most appropriate way for participants to complete the applied and follow-up activities, so that the principles of quality professional development are maintained.

All learning options in the SSEAC Education and Skills Development for Education Assistants Initiative have been developed using a Backward Planning Design adapted from the work of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Please see the next page for an overview of the curriculum design for Understanding Behaviour.

Pre-Reading for Participants: None

General Resources / Supplies Required:

• Laptop / LCD projector / screen / internet connection

• Black board / chalk or whiteboard / non-toxic markers

• Felt pens

• Flip chart paper and painter’s tape

• Name tag / badges or tent cards

| |

|Understanding Behaviour (24 hours) |

|This learning option will describe the process and the major features of behaviour support plan development. Participants will explore key |

|intervention strategies. In addition, participants will discuss the role of the Education Assistant as a member on the interdisciplinary |

|team. |

|Desired Results for Participants |Acceptable Evidence |Learning Experiences and Instruction |

|To recognize the values, elements and outcomes|KWL: pre/post. |PowerPoints, applied activities and |

|of positive behaviour support. |Prioritizing / defining behaviour. |discussions: |

| |Reviewing A-B-C charts |Foundations: current approaches, 3 tiers of |

| | |support. |

| | |Basics of behaviour support (A-B-C). |

|To explain the key components of the |Functions of behaviour. |PowerPoints, applied activities and |

|functional assessment process. |Writing hypothesis statements. |discussions: |

| |Recording & observing. |Foundations: ecological considerations, |

| |Case scenarios. |behaviour as communication, outcomes. |

| |Creating personal profile. |Development of PBS plans. |

| |Environmental analysis. |Functional Assessment Process: |

| | |Direct observation. |

| | |Interviews. |

| | |Generating hypothesis. |

|To describe instructional practices to promote|“What if” situations. |PowerPoints, applied activities and |

|behavioural success of students. |Case scenarios. |discussions: |

| |Instructional Supports |Redesigning the environment. |

| |Design & formatting activities for students. |Curricular changes. |

| | |General supports: visuals, choices, |

| | |predictability, prompting hierarchy, self |

| | |management. |

|Desired Results for Participants |Acceptable Evidence |Learning Experiences and Instruction |

|To describe intervention strategies to promote|Case scenarios. |PowerPoints, applied activities and |

|behavioural success of students. |Determining degree of support necessary. |discussions: |

| |Strategies for intervention. |Intervention strategies. |

| |Readings: Positive Reinforcement and Token |Teaching for replacement skills. |

| |Economy. |Consequences & reinforcement. |

| | |Crisis management. |

|To outline the various roles and |Who does what: role assessment. |PowerPoints, applied activities and |

|responsibilities an Education Assistant has in|Identifying own role & roles of other team |discussions: |

|the development of positive behaviour support |members at specific stages. |Role of EA |

|plans. |Personal goal setting. | |

Summative Assessment: Given brief case scenarios identify hypothesis and describe potential intervention strategies.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 1

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent cards or card stock (one sheet for each person)

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• Flip chart paper and painter’s tape

• PowerPoint for Session 1

• Participant handouts:

1. Overview for Participants

2. Summative Assessment and Rubric

3. PowerPoint handout (slide numbers will vary from actual presentation due to slides containing answers to select activities within the presentation)

4. Levels of Concern in Challenging Behaviour

5. Defining Target Behaviour

6. Examples of Behaviour Defined

7. Things to Try for Next Time:

▪ Finding Patterns

▪ School Observations

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint – do not distribute PowerPoint handout.

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Connected / Introductions

Name Tag Activity:

Have crayons on table and pass out the tent cards / card stock.

Ask participants to imagine that they have won the lottery. Ask them to write what part of Canada they would like to visit, what luxury foods they would pack in a picnic basket, what TV or movie celebrity they would have dinner with and what season they would take a vacation in. Have participants print their answers on their cards and then hand them into you. Redistribute the cards. Have each person read aloud the card he/she has received. Have the person stand up while they are being introduced. Give the individual their card once they have been introduced.

Remember to create a name card yourself. You may want to give a few brief biographical points about yourself as you start this session and how you are connected to the topic of the learning option.

Also let people know about refreshments and where the washrooms are located.

PowerPoint Slide #3 : Learning Outcomes

Key points:

• Purpose of the course.

• This learning option is one of nine available to Education Assistants. Each school district formed a committee consisting of local union, Human Resources and Special Education staff to determine which options should be delivered in their school district.

• Distribute the handout: Overview for Participants

• Pathways to Post-Secondary – critical to maintain a professional development portfolio

• Review attendance policy and relation to certificate of completion.

• Distribute the handout: Summative Assessment. Review requirements, rubric and relation to Pathways to Post-Secondary and certificate of completion.

• Check in with participants about their backgrounds, experiences and formal training. Discuss Requisite Knowledge for EA Learning Options if appropriate at this time.

PowerPoint Slide #4 : KWL (activate prior knowledge)

Activity: Organize participants into groups. Give each group a few pieces of flip chart paper and felts. Have them create a chart with three columns and labeled: Know, Wonder, Learned. Have them sign their names to the sheet and fill in columns one and two. Under KNOW, record what they already know about supporting students with challenging behaviour. Under WONDER, record what questions are on their mind about supporting students with challenging behaviour. Post the sheets for everyone to see and note commonalities and the experiences in the room. Let the participants know that you will be addressing many of the things that are on the chart, and that they will be returning to the chart in the last session. Collect the charts at the end of class and save for Session 8.

Distribute PowerPoint handout now.

PowerPoint Slide #5 : Approaches to Behavioural Concerns

Key points:

• Over the past few decades there have been many changes in concepts and practices related to supporting students with challenging behaviour.

• Behaviour is no longer seen as part of the disability or as an intrinsic part of the student.

• Behaviour is seen as communication – this does not mean tolerating inappropriate behaviours, rather teaching students to communicate appropriately and to learn new skills.

PowerPoint Slide #6 : Traditional Approach

Key points:

• A basic approach to looking at behaviour is to consider what happens before (antecedent), the behaviour and what follows (consequence).

• In the past, educators spent a lot of time / effort with what followed a behaviour. In many cases this was a form of punishment or doing something that kept the behaviour in place.

PowerPoint Slide #7 : Current Approach

Key Points:

• The same basic sequence is examined, but with significantly more time / effort up front to examine. Why?

• Today a process is used – not a “fix it” response.

• The interventions mean addressing all three parts of the sequence, and changing our own practices.

PowerPoint Slide #8 : Traditional Approaches

Key points:

• These approaches are characterized by control.

• Often not effective – more about fixing than figuring out what is happening.

• A behaviour may become reduced, while in the presence of one person, but may appear when someone else is present or another behaviour gets introduced – student really has not learned new ways of acting.

PowerPoint Slide #9 : Current Approach

Key points:

• Involves a process that takes time and teamwork. EAs are part of the team.

• Address all parts of the basic sequence, both in the analysis and intervention stages.

PowerPoint Slide #10 : Three Tiers of Support

Key point: This is a relatively new development. There are many approaches teachers can take to support all students learning to act appropriately – the base refers to things like school wide rules, codes of contact, social emotional learning curriculum, embedded social skills teaching, school wide programs; the secondary level refers to approaches that are for some students like counseling, small group work for social skills, mentoring programs, regular check in, behaviour contracts; and the top level, tertiary, addresses a small percentage of students who need an individualized plan.

The process to develop these plans would be all the steps in PowerPoint Slide #9. This learning option will focus primarily on that process.

Discuss: Ask participants for examples of support in each of the tiers.

PowerPoint Slide #11 : Changing The Way We Think

Key points:

• The current approach has a number of significant and foundational premises that frame it.

• It is educative in nature – so elements supporting learning, participation and membership / belonging come into play.

• Also, the emotional state of a student is considered – with the possibility of students being taught anger management, relaxation techniques.

PowerPoint Slide #12 : And Changing The Way We Work!

Key point:

• The current approach usually means educators have to do some things differently. One of the most important practices you can develop when supporting students with challenging behaviour is being inquisitive, being a detective. So…

PowerPoint Slide #13 : What’s An Educator To Do?

Key point: engage in a process with team players.

Discuss: Ask participants what they understand their role to be and connect session information to date with comments on the KWL chart.

PowerPoint Slide #14 : Functional Assessment

Key point: The current approach to understanding behaviour today is defined this way.

PowerPoint Slide #15 : Prioritizing and Defining

Key points:

• Indicate to participants there are three levels. Ask them what types of behaviours would they put in level one (first priority), level two and level three.

• Distribute the handout: Levels of Concern in Challenging Behaviour.

• For some students with distracting behaviours school wide interventions or classroom strategies in the universal tier in the continuum of support pyramid will be appropriate and effective.

• Level two and three require functional assessments.

• The Functional Behaviour Assessment process begins with determining the priority and defining the behaviours.

• Defining behaviours means getting it clear enough that two observers could independently observe a student and agree on whether or not the behaviour occurred. Behaviours usually have distinct beginnings and endings; and do not include inferences (i.e.: he is feeling angry). This step is critical for the direct observation that takes place and for the communication between team members. One of the main reasons some behaviour plans are ineffective is the lack of communication and clarity between team members, particularly staff who are doing the implementation. The more people involved, the better the communication – both verbal and written – needs to be.

PowerPoint Slide #16 : Defining a Behaviour

Discuss: Ask participants to note whether each of these behaviours is a good or poor example. After they have decided show the slide again with the correct responses (PowerPoint Slide #17).

Activity: Distribute the handout: Defining Target Behaviour. Have participants record a concrete (observable and measurable) definition. Arrange the participants in pairs. Have them exchange sheets. Have the person receiving the new definition act out the behaviour and ask the person who wrote the definition if they are seeing what they intended in the words. Revise definitions as necessary. Have participants do this a few times with each other’s definitions as a way of evaluating how well there definitions stand up to the point made earlier about two independent observers.

PowerPoint Slide #18 : A-B-C

Key points:

• The basis for observation, recording and development of support plans.

PowerPoint Slides #19 - #24 : A-B-C

Activity: Ask participants to underline (using different colours if they have coloured pencils) the antecedent, behaviour and consequence in each example. Show them the answers and emphasize the antecedent as the trigger for the behaviour and the consequence as the action the immediately follows. Many consequences reinforce or maintain inappropriate behaviours.

PowerPoint Slide #25 : Assessment & Intervention Process

Key point:

• This learning option will be looking at the many actions educators can take in each phase of this behaviour sequence to minimize the likelihood of a behaviour occurring; and to support a student to learn more appropriate way to communicate what they feel or need.

PowerPoint Slide #26 : Things to Try for Next Time

Distribute: School Observation or Finding Patterns

(If participants are taking this option at a time when they are not working in a classroom they may need to do these from memory; or the instructor can select which of the two best fits the group or have participants select the one that they want to do.)

Participants need to be prepared to discuss what they learned from these two applied activities in the next session.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 2

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent Cards or Card Stock (one sheet for each person)

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• PowerPoint for Session 2

• Participant handouts:

1. Choose Five Sentence Completions

2. PowerPoint handout

3. Personal Profile and Preference Inventory

4. Functions of Behaviour

5. Event Recording Form and Duration Recording Form

6. Scatter Plot Assessment Tool

7. Scatter Plot

8. Raoul Scatter Plot

9. FAO form

10. A-B-C Data Recording (filled in and blank)

11. Conduct an A-B-C Analysis (Iris Center)

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Re-Connected

Activity: Distribute the handout: Choose Five Sentence Completions. Give participants a few minutes to complete five statements. Have each participant select the one they will use to introduce themselves. Have each participant introduce themselves to the group using their name and one of their responses. Include yourself in this introduction activity.

Review: Things to Try for Next Time

Discussion Questions: What did you notice about the behaviour as a result of completing an observation or looking for patterns?

PowerPoint Slide #3 : Key Features of Positive Behaviour Supports

Key points:

• Ultimate goal is to effect long-lasting changes that will result in improvements in all areas of a student’s life – hence many aspects will be considered in determining why a student may be engaging in a particular behaviour.

• Behaviour is seen as having a function; and is related to the environment (certain conditions provoke and support behaviour).

PowerPoint Slides #4 - #5 : Personal and Life Style Outcomes

Discuss: How might these points look like in the life of an elementary student: in a secondary student? What do you think is the relationship between these outcomes and challenging behaviour?

PowerPoint Slide #6 : Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA)

Key points:

• Is a collaborative process (and will involve family and student).

• As a multi stage process it will take time.

• Some behaviours are complex and difficult to understand.

• Prior to a FBA, it is important to know if there are any medical issues that may be contributing or even causing the behaviour.

Discuss: What personnel are involved in FBA? What is the process in their school district for a student with challenging behaviour to get support? What is the EA role?

PowerPoint Slide #7 : Functional Behaviour Assessment Steps

Key points:

• This learning option will go through all the steps. Other people will do many of the steps – however understanding the process will give insights and rationale to EAs for their tasks and how all the steps work together:

▪ Step one was discussed last session.

▪ Step two will be part of Things to Try for Next Time.

▪ Step three was part of last session.

▪ Step four will be in next session.

▪ Step five – a main focus in today’s session.

▪ The other steps will be addressed in later sessions.

PowerPoint Slide #8 : Ecological Considerations

Key points:

• The classroom environment and curriculum / instructional approaches are related to the behaviour and are often an aspect of the antecedent (discussed last session). There are many things educators can do in this area to be proactive about challenging behaviours.

• These considerations will be covered in an entire session later in the option.

PowerPoint Slide #9 : Functions of Behaviour

Key point:

• Students’ behaviours typically have two main intents or functions. The purpose of the FBA process is to LISTEN, LOOK, THINK AND TALK to figure out what is happening.

PowerPoint Slide #10 : Avoiding / Escaping / Protesting

PowerPoint Slide #11: Gaining Access to Materials, People, Activities

Activity: Functions of Behaviour

PowerPoint Slide #12: Direct Observation

Key points:

• Collecting data is key to figuring out are the triggers (immediate, environmental, setting), the function and consequence related to the behaviour.

• Many EAs are asked to collect this data. They are given a form and asked to observe and record. It is important to understand the form and how to complete it, as they are many variations of the typical formats. This is particularly important if several people are involved in direct observation.

• If more than one person is recording on the same form, initial the recordings each of your complete.

• Need to collect enough data – usually 2 to 5 days or 10 to 20 occurrences provide enough information for the team to begin to analyze.

PowerPoint Slide #13 - #14 : Direct Observation

Key points: For the remaining time in the class participants will practice recording and reviewing completed data collection forms.

• Frequency: Each time the targeted behaviour occurs a mark / tally is made on the sheet.

Activity: Pass out the Event Recording Form. Discuss how to fill out. To give participants practice, continue to talk and engage in a behaviour (i.e.: pinching self, saying a particular word, tapping pen, taking a sip of water). Give the specific behaviour to the participants and continue talking for the next 2-5 minutes. At the end of the time period check in with participants with the frequency (if possible have a golf counter in your pocket and keep a count yourself. Later show participants this device and how to use it for frequency counting). Discuss the challenge of listening, note taking, observing and recording. This is a real challenge for many EAs as they usually are providing support and recording at the same time. Tips:

▪ Using a golf counter in you pocket will keep your hands free during a time period and prevent the need to carry a clipboard and pen. At the end of the period/activity make sure you fill in the recording sheet; or

▪ Wrap a piece of tape around your wrist and keep a marker in your pocket. Each time the behaviour occurs mark the tape. Transfer the total number of hash marks to the recording sheet; or

▪ Keep pennies, paper clips or poker chips in one pocket. Whenever, the behaviour occurs transfer the token into the other pocket. Transfer the total to the recording sheet.

• Duration: measuring how long a behaviour occurs. Repeat the above activity as a duration activity (distribute the Duration Recording Form). Tips:

▪ Best used for behaviours that last a long time (crying) or have many components (fist fight).

▪ Use a timer that counts up.

▪ Use a cheap watch with a second hand.

▪ Use the classroom activity noting the start and end of the block of time to calculate the duration.

• Scatter Plot: a visual depiction of times of the day / activities when behaviour is frequent and infrequent. The occurrence is recorded (not every time the behaviour happens).

Scatter Plot Activity: Use the activity scenario, blank form (various ones provided). You may also want to use the Scatter Plot Assessment Tool with your own example. Look at Raoul’s form and ask participants to discuss patterns.

▪ Note: This method shows a pattern and may need to be followed with another method in the particular time periods / activities in which there are occurrences of the behaviour.

• A-B-C: a narrative form in which the observer writes down short phrases to record antecedent, behaviour and consequence. These can be independent incidents or a flow of incidents that follow each other quickly as part of a larger event.

Activity: Review the completed A-B-C Data Recording Form. Ask participants to suggest the communication function of Jason’s behaviour.

▪ Note: A-B-C forms can have additional columns in which details for each component are recorded.

• Distribute FAO: used by many behaviour consultants. At the time they are asked to use it they should ask for some training.

Key point:

• After a support plan is implemented data will be collected again to see pre and post trends.

PowerPoint Slide #15 : Things to Try for Next Time

Key point: Practice helps educators get better at these typical data collection forms. Try and record while doing more than one activity, as this is often how things are done in a classroom. Have all participants complete two of the different recording formats. If working with a student complete as a classroom observation. If participants are not with students have them complete them by observing a family member or friend (seek permission first).

Distribute: Conduct an A-B-C Analysis (Iris Center) for participants to try as well.

Distribute: Personal Profile and Preference Inventory

For those participants actively supporting a student complete this form or complete in reference to a student with challenging behaviour they may have supported the previous year.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 3

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent cards or card stock (one sheet for each person)

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• Coloured file cards or small coloured sheets of construction paper

• PowerPoint for Session 3

• Participant handouts:

1. PowerPoint handout

2. Setting Event Checklist (2 versions)

3. Student Assisted Functional Assessment Interview

4. Kevin Case Scenario

5. Questions for Guide Hypothesis Development

6. Developing Hypothesis

7. Environmental Factors & Necessary Changes

8. Environmental Observation and Analysis

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Re-Connected

Activity: Give each participant two different coloured sheets of paper (“tomorrow” cards). Ask everyone to imagine (realistically) what they would do if they were to have a day off and to write it on a card in response to: “Tomorrow I am going to...” Ask them to fill out the second card with reference to their jobs. Each participant is to write what he/she would need to accomplish tomorrow if all goes perfect at work. Have participants share their responses to the whole class or to 1-2 people near them.

Review: What they learned from the recording activities and/or completing the Personal Profile?

PowerPoint Slide #3 : Setting Events

Key points:

• Behaviour is related to the environment.

• The environment not only includes the immediate and trigger event (antecedent) but also the “distant” environment.

PowerPoint Slide #4 : Setting Events

Key points:

• It is very easy to be judgmental with families or caregivers – remember they are part of the team and providing important information that can help everyone support a student. One way to alienate people is to judge them.

• Handout the two versions of the setting event checklists.

PowerPoint Slide #5 : Setting Events

Activity: Ask participants “What if...” questions related to items on the checklists. For example: what if the student was more rushed than usual – how could you support them when they arrived at school? What conversation could the teacher have with the family about how to support the student to arrive feeling less rushed? (being proactive).

PowerPoint Slides #6 - #7 : Interview

Key points:

• A critical component in the assessment process.

• May be more than one interview – not conducted by EA.

• Can take 20-45 minutes.

• May be taking place concurrently with some of the other steps.

Distribute: Student-Assisted Functional Assessment Interview

• This is simply an example.

• Discuss what they notice about the type of questions? How might this need to be adapted? Can they see it being used – why or why not?

PowerPoint Slides #8 - #9 : Interview

Key point:

• These are the kind of questions team members will be asked. An EA could easily be one of those team members? Could they answer them?

Discuss: What steps in the FBA process are each of these questions connected to? (This can be a helpful way to conduct a review and assess what people are understanding to date.)

PowerPoint Slide #10 : FBA Steps

Key point:

• There is now a lot of data. The next step for the developer of the support plan is to analyze it and determine what it might mean.

PowerPoint Slide #11 : Hypothesis

Key points:

• This is not a guess – the statements need to be directly linked to the data.

• A useful hypothesis is:

▪ Accurate: supported data (observations and interviews).

▪ Precise: describe the relationship between variables in specific terms.

▪ Concise: worded as simply as possible.

▪ Constructive: helpful for guiding the next steps on interventions.

PowerPoint Slide #12 : Hypothesis

Key point:

• May not have consensus, but team needs to agree it makes logical sense and they can proceed with the development and implementation of the support plan (prevent, teach and respond).

PowerPoint Slide #13 : Examples of Hypothesis Statements

Discuss: Ask participants to identify the three components – target behaviour, antecedent and function.

Distribute: Questions to Guide Hypothesis Development.

PowerPoint Slide #14 : FBA Steps

Key points:

• A hypothesis is written after the data is collected.

• There should be a direct link between the data and the hypothesis.

Activity: Distribute the handout Kevin Case Scenario. Have participants review the data and write a hypothesis using the Developing Hypothesis Sheet. Possible statements could be: “Kevin refuses to respond to teacher requests to avoid independent and oral reading activities”; or “Kevin refuses to respond to teacher requests to avoid teacher and / or his classmate’s attention”.

PowerPoint Slides #15 - #17 : Environmental Factors

Key points:

• As stated FBA means examining the environment, as behaviour is conducted in relationship to factors in the environment. As the team engages in the assessment and intervention process several factors need to be examined:

▪ Physical setting – sensory under or over stimulation, noise, crowding, temperature; missing or present materials; configuration of furniture; work and work space organization.

▪ Social setting – interaction patterns in or around the student; people present or absent; substitute teacher or EA (do they have a clear substitute booklet, that includes proactive, instructional and responsive instructions?).

▪ Degree of Independence – reinforcement and prompting intervals (more on this in upcoming sessions); availability of any necessary communication system (AAC, Assistive Technology, PECS).

▪ Instructional Strategies – mismatch between learner accommodation needs and instructional components (this one of the most usual predictors to challenging behaviour).

▪ Social Interaction – social communication need of the student matches participation opportunity and provision of necessary supports for social interaction.

▪ Degree of Choice – amount of choice making and negotiation options present in the environment.

▪ Scheduling Factors – specific times within the schedule; with or without sequencing and transition supports; absence of a visual schedule; unanticipated changes in routine.

▪ All of these factors are within the control of the educators working with the student!

Note: Source - pent. The BSP Desk Reference

PowerPoint Slide #18 : A Simplified Way

Key points:

• Supporting students with challenging behaviour usually means we have to do things in our own practice.

• A support plan is more than the student learning new replacement skills.

PowerPoint Slide #19 - #20 : Educator Changes

Activity: Ask participants what they can do differently with each of the environmental factors, if the assessment process identifies there are issues with these elements for the student.

PowerPoint Slide #21 : Things to Try for Next Time

Activity: Try the recording formats that you haven’t tried and do one of the following:

• Environmental Observation and Analysis – conduct within your classroom or do from recall. Identify what is happening in the environment that sets up or maintains behaviour.

• Function of Behaviour (completed in the previous session). Look at each of the situations and identify potential environmental issues. Suggest a few possible changes you can make.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 4

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent cards or card stock (one sheet for each person)

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• Optional: typical textbooks, novels and worksheets from elementary and secondary classes

• PowerPoint for Session 4

• Participant handouts:

1. PowerPoint handout

2. Common Ecological Factors Associated with Challenging Behaviour

3. Nine Types of Adaptations

4. Design and Formatting

5. Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Teacher Assistants (can be downloaded from cupe.bc.ca/campaigns/education-assistants)

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructor

Begin PowerPoint

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Re-Connected – Honoring Differences

Activity: Randomly pair participants, and have each pair create a Venn Diagram on a piece of paper. Explain how a Venn Diagram is used as a visual organizer to record differences and similarities between two items or ideas. Tell the participants they are going to use this diagram to record their similarities and differences which they will discover by asking each other questions. Tell them they will have a total of 5 minutes to do this. Suggest to them start with the obvious: height, gender, colour of eyes, favorite foods, favorite music, where they were born and then move into their own questions. At the end of 5 minutes have each pair say one way they are the same and one way they are different.

Review: Discuss what participants learned by further practice with recording and conducting an environmental analysis.

Distribute: Common Ecological Factors Associated with Challenging Behaviour Key points:

• These items can be either setting events or an aspect of the school / class environments.

• FBA considers environmental, social and physiological factors in its assessment process and in the development of support plans.

• These can be managed by the educators (the proactive and responsive parts of the sequence).

• Significant change with students can take place by attending to these factors.

• Today’s session looks specifically at school related considerations.

PowerPoint Slide #3 : Ecological Considerations

PowerPoint Slide #4 : Classroom Rules

Key points:

• Many of these are designed for all students (remember the pyramid presented in the first session).

• When they are there for everyone they are considered “natural cues”. Instruct the student to locate them and “read” them. Once they understand their meaning, continue to guide (non-verbally) the student to where they will find information. This is the way they learn the environment can give them clues about what to do and how to behave. This is a life skill (think about going into a restaurant, office or a new location – how do you figure what to do, how to behave – you look around and “read the cues” (signs, people, attire, behaviour, ways to address people...)

• What examples do participants have from the classrooms they work in about schedules and rules? Provide your own examples as well.

PowerPoint Slide #5 : Room Arrangement

Key points:

• How do they elements of room arrangement contribute to reducing the likelihood of a challenging behaviour?

• What examples do participants have from the classrooms they work in about room arrangements? Provide your own examples as well.

PowerPoint Slide #6 : Student Seating Arrangements

Key points:

• How does a student know to listen when the teacher is instructing the whole group?

• How can an EA intentionally support students to participate appropriately in co-operative groups?

• What examples do participants have from the classrooms they work in about student seating arrangements? Provide your own examples as well.

PowerPoint Slide #7 : Transitions

Key points:

• A significant area that students struggle with is this movement from activity to activity, from one room to another or from one person to another. This often is about:

▪ Change

▪ Waiting

▪ Preferred / non preferred activities

▪ Unknowns

▪ Unclear expectations

▪ Anticipation

▪ Apprehension about a social situation

▪ Poor understanding of situation

• What examples do participants have from the classrooms they work in about effective ways to support a student with transitions? Provide your own examples as well.

PowerPoint Slide #8 : Curricular & Instructional Approaches

Key points:

• Consider the information in the personal profile.

• Many teachers conduct profile or learning inventories with all students and this may be used (or adapted) to use with a student who requires a behaviour support plan.

PowerPoint Slides #9 - #10 : Curricular & Instructional Approaches

Key points:

• Refer participants to the Overview for Participants handout and the definitions for adaptations and modifications.

• One of the other nine options available to EAs is Instructional Strategies.

Distribute: Nine Types of Adaptations

Activity: Divide the group up into nine groups (or a variation that lets each section of this chart be addressed by the participants). Give each group a sheet of flip chart that has one of the areas written on and markers. Have each group record examples – have them note the grade and activity or grade. Have groups post their sheets and then carousel as groups to each area. Have each group add to the original ideas. At the end of the activity as for a volunteer to take the sheets home and type up the ideas.

Note: The area of difficulty can often be hard to understand and to put into practice in the moment. It may be necessary to discuss:

• Having a student doing fewer questions is not an example of difficulty (that is an example of size).

• Some students need more complexity not less.

• Knowing the concepts / outcomes being taught or addressed by the teacher in an activity will help people figure out some possibilities (for example: completing a matching worksheet is different than learning the concept of opposites which is what the questions on the sheet are about).

PowerPoint Slide #11 : Devices

Key points:

• Can support a student’s willingness and ability to do tasks.

• Ask participants for examples of effective devices (store bought and homemade. Where are good local stores or web sites for ideas?)

• Examples: calculators, number or alphabet stamps, date stamps, book holders, page turners, raised line paper, etc.

PowerPoint Slide #12 : Design and Formatting

Key points:

• Can make print materials more accessible to students, which can increase their participation and decrease frustration.

Distribute: Design and Formatting

Optional: Handout the classroom materials you have brought in and ask participants to rewrite or reformat something; or together or in small groups generate a list of words that are used to give written instructions to students (i.e.: outline, describe, match, etc) and write simple definitions that they could use to replace the ones that are confusing to students.

PowerPoint Slide #13 : Interactive Style

Key points:

• How any of us interacts with a student can also be a contributing factor?

• When talking about a student use People First Language (a good resource is the website is Disability is Natural). People First Language refers to language that recognizes someone is a person, a human being, or a citizen first, and that the disability is a part, but not all of them.

• Positive Behaviour Support is an educative process – it’s about supporting a student to replace behaviours and for those new skills to help them have a good life. This approach is not about an educator controlling a student.

PowerPoint Slide #14 : Interactive Style

Key point:

• Typically we have preferences for one of these types, though there can be elements from all of them in each of us.

PowerPoint Slide #15 : Authoritarianism

PowerPoint Slide #16 : Coldness

PowerPoint Slide #17 : Overprotection

PowerPoint Slide #18 : Solidarity

Key point:

• the style most aligned with FBA

PowerPoint Slide #19 : Functional Behaviour Assessment

Key points:

• Refer participants to Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Teacher Assistants and the sections related to instructional and behavioural support.

• The next half of this option will be looking at the last two steps.

PowerPoint Slide #20 : Shaping Up a Review

PowerPoint Slide #21 : A Simplified Way

Key point:

• The next session will be addressing General Instructional Supports that are important in implementing a support plan.

PowerPoint Slide #22 : Things to Try for Next Time

Understanding Behaviour: Session 5

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent cards or card stock (one sheet for each person)

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• Package of M&M’s (or other coloured edibles)

• PowerPoint for Session 5

• Internet Connection

• Participant handouts:

1. PowerPoint handout

2. 30 Reason To Use and Keep Using a Visual Schedule

3. Visual Supports for Behaviour Management

4. Behaviour Consequence Strip

5. Guiding Questions for the Use of Visual Supports

6. Predictability Assessment Questions

7. Some Strategies for Providing Predictability

8. Prompting Tips

9. Student Support

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint – Wait to Distribute Handout

PowerPoint Slide #2: Getting Re-connected – M&M’s

Activity: Have each person select three different coloured candies (M&M’s, Jujubes, jelly beans, Skittles). Have participants arrange themselves in small groups. Have the participants line the candies up in front of them. Tell participants that they will be sharing one “item” per M&M with others. The criteria for sharing:

• Review points from previous sessions.

• Personal information.

• Things that contribute to their job satisfaction.

• A good idea no one has mentioned yet.

Once a participant has shared one of those items they get to eat a candy! Continue for 5 to 10 minutes.

Review: Have each participant show and discuss the visual tool they brought and how they use it in their life. Discuss their thinking about the relation between visuals and challenging behaviour.

Distribute PowerPoint handout now.

Today’s session is about four general strategies, that along with the environmental, curricular and instructional changes discussed last session, are known to be effective practices in the area of positive behaviour supports.

PowerPoint Slide #3 : Visual Supports

Key points:

• Key for supporting students around organization, rules and routines, checklists, task organizers, choice boards, environmental organizers, and schedules, contingency maps, social skill development.

• Visual messages are non-transient (static) – they remain present after words are spoken.

• Act as a reminder of the verbal direction (and there is a need to reduce this).

• Once students have learned the routine, fade yourself out – not the visuals. Students may not look like they need or are using them, but should a situation arise they or the educators can quickly return to them to get a student back on track or understanding what’s happening.

• Think about what your life (your independent life) would look like if you lost or if someone took away your visual reminders or any of the visual tools you brought in today!

PowerPoint Slides #4 - #5 : Visual Supports

Activity: Distribute the handout: 30 Reasons to Use and Keep Using a Visual Schedule. Let participants know that even though this is written about students with Autism Spectrum Disorders the information is relevant for many students. Have participants read on their own and mark each state with a “+” for statements they agree with; a “-” for statements they disagree with; and “I” for statements they want to talk about. Once students have coded the statements, have them get in pairs and discuss the “I” statements. After the pair share, put pairs together into groups of four or move into discussing with the class statements.

Distribute: Visual Supports for Behaviour Management and Behaviour Consequence Strip (available from student resources: picture set). The schedules, consequence strip and the first/then are strategies they may be asked to develop or use with students. Sometimes consequence strips (maps) have a picture at the beginning that says: “What if...” and the two streams are laid out to show the potential consequence of two different choices.

The Speech and Language Pathologist and Behaviour Support Specialists in districts will be important personnel for EAs to talk to about developing the appropriate visual supports.

Activity: Distribute the handout: Guiding Questions for the Use of Visual Supports and ask participants to think of a student and check off yes/no for each statement. Now that they have this information what are their next steps?

PowerPoint Slide #6 : Predictability

Key points:

• This is about providing structure and safety (not rigidity).

• Gives an order, sequence and expectations to student.

• Timers give visual and / or auditory cues. They are desk versions and watch band versions.

• Reduces anxiety.

PowerPoint Slide #7 : Predictability

Key points:

• You will know that the day may be a little different, and can anticipate the change will be difficult for the student – so introduce that element into their schedule.

• Think about how much time a student needs ahead of an expected or regular activity to adjust to a change with it – this is very individualized.

Distribute: Some strategies for Providing Predictability. Discuss any strategies you or the participant can add to this list.

Activity: Distribute the handout: Predictability Assessment Questions and ask participants to think of a student and fill out the sheet. How is the lack of predictability contributing to the situation related to their challenging behaviour?

PowerPoint Slides #8 - #11 : Prompting

Key points:

• A major component to instructional supports and therefore a support that EAs use constantly.

• Directly linked to student attaining independence.

View: The short segment on Prompting at:

transition/strategies_success/prompt_hier.php

PowerPoint Slides #12 - #13 : Physical Prompts

Key points:

• This can be given from full physical to minimal.

• Always some degree of physical touch.

PowerPoint Slide #14 : Levels of Supports

Key points:

• There is a hierarchy and the goal is to go from the most to the least

• Every time you work with a student observe the level of support provided – gradually give less and only give more if necessary. You are supporting the students to learn to do it on their own, so you need to follow a systematic process to get there.

PowerPoint Slide #15: Hand Washing

Key point:

• Using visuals as a prompt means a student can proceed through the task without you once they understand the pictures. Teach students to “read” the visuals. This may mean pointing to the picture and moving their hands through the steps, with minimal words. Fade those words as quickly as you can and direct the student to the visuals.

PowerPoint Slide #16 : Working Definition

Key points:

• Many educators state this is what they are working towards, but the way they are supporting a student fundamentally is working against this goal.

PowerPoint Slide #17 : Prompt Dependency

Key points:

• A real challenge for educators to work against as it means they have to work differently (not the student).

PowerPoint Slide #18 : Prompt Dependency

Key points:

• EAs can do four things to avoid this:

1. Observe the amount of support they are giving and adjust accordingly.

2. Keep verbal prompts to a minimum.

3. Use time delay.

4. Fade.

Distribute: Prompting Tips and discuss Time Delay and Fading

PowerPoint Slide #19 : Self-Monitoring

Key points:

• students in K can be taught to self monitor.

• the goal is to shift supervision / control from the educator to the student.

• student becomes more aware of their behaviour.

• students observe and check off how they are doing – start in short intervals and set up so they can be both successful in terms of their behaviour and getting a reinforcer (tangible or token; immediate or delayed) for appropriate behaviour.

• students give themselves a reward once the goal has been met. Researchers have shown that having a choice from a variety of rewards is more effective than simply one reward. Remember the reward needs to earned and as such should not be something they will get in other contexts or at other times. What items from the personal profile might work?

• Portable versions: whiteboards, laminated sheets with nonpermanent markers.

Slide #20: Self-Monitoring

Activity: How can this self-monitoring sheet be improved (put into practice ideas heard from many of the past session)?

• Possible suggestions: use pictures, include a picture or word about the reinforcer, change the words to reflect the expected behaviour (be quiet, stay in seat, hands to self, respectful language).

Slide #21: Things to Try for Next Time

Understanding Behaviour : Session 6

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent Cards or Card Stock (one sheet for each person)

• File cards

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• PowerPoint for Session 6

• Handouts:

1. PowerPoint handout

2. Strategies Checklist for Skills Deficit (2 sheets)

3. General Strategies

4. Sensible Interventions

5. Teaching Replacement Behaviours

6. Intervention Plans

7. Positive Reinforcement

8. Token Economy

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint – Wait to Distribute Handout

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Re-connected – Random Numbers

Activity: Give each participant a file card, or ask them to use the back of their name / tent card. Ask each participant to put three numbers from 1 to 10 on their cards. Ask participants to arrange themselves into small groups. The instructor introduces himself or herself through explaining the three numbers on their tag. (For instance, if the numbers were 5, 2 and 8, the instructor might say: I have 5 pets, 2 cars and an 8 kilometer drive to work or I have 5 sisters, 2 jobs and ate Mexican food 8 times in the past month.) Participants are then asked to introduce themselves, and to come up with a reason for each of the numbers they choose. Because the numbers were randomly chosen, participants will need a moment or two to think of what the number might apply to before beginning to share.

Review: What did participants learn or need to discuss from their experiences with Sharpen Your Skills exercise (prompting levels practice)?

PowerPoint Slide #3 : The Big Picture

Activity: Let’s recap.

Gradually show images and ask participants to recall the features for assessing and planning behaviour supports.

• What are the two main functions of behaviour?

• What is the term for the “thing” that sets off the behaviour?

• What is the term for the factor that is not in the environment but can influence behaviour?

• What are the three ecological factors? Provide example for each of them.

PowerPoint Slide #4 : FBA Steps

Activity: Ask participants to identify the nine steps and in the correct sequence. After each correct step that is identified, click and then ask for them to state one important point about each step.

Distribute PowerPoint handout now.

PowerPoint Slide #5 : Intervention Plan

Key points:

• All three elements must be in place.

• When all elements are in place then the likelihood of the students lifestyle improving increases (one of the principles of Positive Behaviour Supports).

• Teach student how to communicate (Speech Language Pathologist will be a key member on the behaviour team).

• Column C will be the next session.

PowerPoint Slide #6 : Teaching New Behaviours

Key points:

• Replacement behaviours must relate to the hypothesis that was developed from the data collected in the assessment process.

• Not “fix-it” but rather an educative approach (based on data and evidence based practices).

• Team (including any substitute staff) must know the plan and the “how to” aspects. Collaboration, consistency, clarity and intention can make all the difference with student success.

PowerPoint Slides #7 - #8 : General Positive Behaviours

Key points:

• Many students may need these supports (part of Tier 1 and 2).

• May need to be more explicit – consider language and visuals to help students learn these behaviours.

• May need pre-teaching and practice more times than what is needed for other students.

PowerPoint Slide #9 : Replacement Behaviours

Key point:

• Similar to defining problem behaviour replacement behaviours need to be defined and written clearly and concretely.

• Supports implementation being delivered consistently.

Activity: Distribute handout: Teaching Replacement Behaviours and have participants provide example of concrete replacement behaviours. Have participants insert other behaviours not already listed.

PowerPoint Slides #10 - #11: Examples of Replacement Behaviours

Activity: Distribute handout: Strategies Checklist. Have participants think of a student they are supporting (or have supported in the past) and check off if they have the skills or not to engage in the list behaviours. Distribute the checklist with the columns filled in and have participants review if any of the suggested strategies are in place for the student.

Activity: Distribute the handouts: General Strategies (consultation with a SLP would be necessary to determine the form of the communication needed for some of the strategies) and Sensible Interventions sheets (MO=Motivation Operations and stimulus =trigger). Give participants some time to read. Once they have a sense of the content, discuss:

• What ideas about replacement behaviours do these handouts cover?

• What leaves you confused? Intrigued? Excited?

• What more do you need to know?

PowerPoint Slide #12 : Teaching Replacement Behaviours

Key points:

• Threshold is different depending on the function of the behaviour – i.e.:

▪ Rejecting: identify the earliest possible point at which the student attends to the approach of the undesired event without engaging in the challenging behaviour.

▪ Requesting a break: determine how long a student will work prior to attempting to escape.

PowerPoint Slides #13 - #14 : Reinforcement

PowerPoint Slide #15 - #17: Reinforcer Examples

Activity: Distribute the Intervention Plans and have participants work individually or in pairs with the examples.

PowerPoint Slide #18 : Implementing the Intervention

Activity: Provide in-class time for participants to work on their Summative Assessment.

PowerPoint Slide #19 : Things to Try for Next Time

Distribute: Positive Reinforcement and Token Economy.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 7

Required Teaching Resources:

• Tent cards or card stock (one sheet for each person)

• Wool – cut into strips of different lengths from 12-30 inches (each participant will need a string of wool. You can include more strings if you want)

• PowerPoint for Session 7

• Participant handouts:

1. PowerPoint handout

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin PowerPoint – Wait to Distribute Handout

PowerPoint Slide #2 : Getting Re-Connected – The String Game

Activity: Bunch all the cut pieces of string into one big clump of string. Have each participant choose a piece of string. Put them in small groups (or if your group is small this can be done as a large group) and ask the participants to say their name and then discuss a topic (my day at work; what I did this weekend; how I spent my summer break, etc.) as they slowly wind the piece of string around their index finger. As some of the strings are quite long a person might have to keep talking for a long time – and this is the mystery and fun!

Review: Discuss 3, 2, 1 from the articles Positive Reinforcement and Token Economy.

PowerPoint Slide #3 : A Simplified Way

Key point:

• Consequences and response interventions are within the control of educators and as stated previously educators often need to make changes here.

Activity: Have participants ”Think of a Time” when their behaviour (as an educator or parent) reinforced the behaviour they wanted to stop. Hear stories from a few participants.

Distribute PowerPoint handout now.

PowerPoint Slides #4 - # 6 : A-B-C

Key points:

• These are statements from an earlier session.

• Ask: what is the function of the behaviour. How is that behaviour being maintained? Who is maintaining the behaviour?

PowerPoint Slide #7 : Consequences

Key point:

• Determined in the interview and direct observation steps.

PowerPoint Slide #8 : Consequences

Key point:

• Consequences will stop, improve or make a behaviour worse (intensity, frequency or duration increases).

PowerPoint Slide #9 : Response Interventions

Key points:

• Responses are meant to contribute to student learning (just like antecedents and replacement skills contribute positively to a student).

• Individualized.

• Generally have a few in a plan.

• Educators need to implement them before they move into Crisis Intervention (unless the behaviour escalates rapidly and puts students or staff in an unsafe situation).

• Praise:

▪ Be specific.

▪ Vary praise.

▪ Use praise of other students as a way of indirectly notifying student of expected behaviour.

• Be demonstrative or enthusiastic when students perform well.

• Educators may need to take classmates aside and ask them not to respond to the challenging behaviour in a student.

• Pair peers who have good interaction skills with those students who need assistance in that area. Praise pleasant interactions and students who are supporting the student to learn new behaviours.

PowerPoint Slide #10 : Response Interventions

Key points:

• Use a neutral voice tone and intensity (this conveys control, that you are in charge and “your buttons” have not been pushed).

• Ignore: Remember scolding gives a student attention, particularly when done in front of the whole class. Also, taking the time to scold also can mean the student is spending less time on-task (maintaining escape or avoid intentions).

• Redirect: in a neutral tone remind the student of the task at hand, while ignoring the behaviour. By discussing their work, you bring them back to the task.

• Remind student of desirable behaviour – moves student in the direction you want them to go. Students are more likely to repeat the behaviours teachers emphasize most.

• (Instructors may wish to insert role plays based on their own experience, as these response interventions can be difficult to do while working with a student exhibiting challenging behaviour).

PowerPoint Slide #11 : Alba

Discuss: Ask participants to identify the setting events, triggering antecedents, challenging behaviour and maintaining consequence. How can each of these be changed?

PowerPoint Slide #12 : Bruce

Discuss: Ask participants to identify the setting events, triggering antecedents, challenging behaviour and maintaining consequence. How can each of these be changed?

Activity: Intervention Plans. Have participants work in pairs and use the intervention plans from last session to suggest response interventions.

PowerPoint Slide #13 : Responses

PowerPoint Slide #14 : Monitoring

Key point:

• Plans need to be regularly monitored. This is done several times throughout the school year (not just at IEP time).

PowerPoint Slide #15: Monitoring & Evaluation

Key points:

• Data needs to be collected on a regular basis to inform changes and progress. This is a key role for EAs.

• This is the last step in FBA.

Activity: Begin a discussion with participants about Timeout by asking them:

• What do they know about Timeout?

• Who uses it with the students they are supporting? Under what circumstances is it used?

• How systematically is it used – part of the plan? Discussed by all members of the team?

• What could be a more appropriate response?

PowerPoint Slide #16 : Timeout

Key points:

• A common response.

• Considered punishment because it is used to decrease behaviour and denies people or things to the student for a period of time.

• Can maintain the challenging behaviour.

• Difficult to administer (often takes two people to have student leave the room, find an appropriate location – the hallway is not an appropriate location as there is too much activity / stimulation going on there).

• No strong evidence that it is effective (other strategies in Positive Behaviour Supports are evidence based).

• Usually poorly implemented or documented.

PowerPoint Slide #17 : Timeout

Key points:

• Before using ask these questions:

▪ What are the school district’s policies and the student’s family’s feelings about this procedure?

▪ Have more positive procedures been considered?

▪ Have both nonseclusionary and seclusionary timeout procedures been considered?

▪ Can timeout be implemented with minimal resistance? Can one staff handle the possible resistance?

▪ Have the rules of appropriate behaviour and the results of misbehaviour been clearly explained to the student and understood?

• Types:

▪ Nonseclusionary: student is not removed, rather the staff denies the student access to reinforcers through the manipulation of the environment (turning down the volume, putting head on desk, having the student move to the periphery of the activity).

▪ Exclusionary: involves removing the student form setting – sometimes to a quiet area, a carrel – not always out of the classroom.

▪ Seclusionary: involves removing the student from the setting itself to a room identified for total social isolation. The location needs to have light, comfortable temperature, a window, safe but not stimulating. The time in such a space needs to be brief – the younger the student the less time.

• Students need to go to timeout space with minimal physical resistance. Timing begins once the student is in the space. While in timeout the student needs to behave appropriately. Many of these factors are difficult to manage.

• Incidents need to be fully documented.

• Know your district’s policies and procedures before implementing. Timeout is an action that needs to be discussed at a team meeting and if used, all members need to know how to do this procedure ethically and appropriately.

PowerPoint Slide #18 : FBA Steps

Key point:

• Understanding Behaviour involves a collaborative team in a multi step process – 95% of your time is in the assessing and developing of the plan.

PowerPoint Slide #19 : Last Session

Key point:

• One important area to cover and participants will look at district policies.

Understanding Behaviour: Session 8

Required Teaching Resources:

• Crayons or coloured pencils / felts

• Internet connection

• Power Point: Effective Practices

• Handouts:

1. Power point handout

2. KWL sheets from session #1

3. Any school district policies related to challenging behaviour: restraint, crisis interventions, student safety plans...(locate and print prior to this session)

4. Reactive Strategies Checklist

5. Tips for Increasing Compliance

6. Ten Tips for Crisis Prevention

7. Goal Setting the SMART Way (2 sheets for each participant)

8. Remember to

9. Evaluation Form

Administrative Materials:

• Attendance and Assessment Form

• Handbook for Instructors

Begin Power Point

PowerPoint Slide #2 : KWL

Activity: Have participants return, in their original groups, to the KWL sheets they created in Session 1. At this time complete the “L” column; as well have them review the other two columns and revise comments, if necessary, in the “K” column. What questions, if any, remain unanswered?

PowerPoint Slide #3: Reactive Strategies

Key points:

• Team will need to decide what to do if the challenging behaviours continue (even though proactive and skill development strategies have been implemented by the teacher and Education Assistant).

• Such strategies should be planned responses and as such developed in the planning stages of the intervention, not after the fact, or not hit and miss approaches by team members.

• Develop an approach that is responsive to early to late stages with the challenging behaviour.

PowerPoint Slide #4: Reactive Strategies

Key points:

1. Prompt with additional supports to the replacement behaviour:

▪ Pay attention to signs of escalating behaviour.

▪ Respond in a verbally supportive manner.

▪ Careful that you don’t reinforce the challenging behaviour.

▪ Example: If the student begins to rock and this a sign that the behaviour is escalating, prompt to the activity, and a step (even the last one) in the activity and reinforce them for doing it and immediately terminate the instructional session and provide a preferred activity for a short time and then redirect to the next activity in the schedule.

▪ If using a consequence strip or some form of calming down, time away or relaxation strategy use a non-verbal gestural system to remind the student to “Stop and Think” – reinforce them returning to the replacement behaviour.

2. Utilize approved procedures when the behaviour is escalating:

▪ Be directive – use a gentle/firm “stop/no” command; consider presenting a structured choice.

▪ Maintain the safety of peers and student, remove the class or student if appropriate.

▪ Utilize authorized, approved procedures if student is a physical danger to self or others.

3. Debriefing (re-building rapport with student and looking after self):

▪ Allow time for the student to calm down and regain composure / rationality - this can take some time.

▪ Re-establish the student/adult relationship (therapeutic rapport). This step is often missed, but critical to take, so student and educators have a relationship to continue working together.

▪ Debrief with the student to understand why the challenging escalated.

▪ For students who do not have verbal debriefing skills, consider a practice session or pre-teaching the replacement behaviour with increased reinforcement. This is an acceptable debriefing activity to regain rule-following behaviour and student/staff rapport for these students.

▪ Meet with the appropriate personnel at your school / district to discuss the incident and ensure personal well being is addressed.

▪ Follow district policy on recording incidents.

4. Involving additional personnel:

▪ Who else needs to be involved: administer, school psychologist, school counselor, social workers, external behaviour specialist...

Distribute: Reactive Strategies Checklist and discuss.

PowerPoint Slide #5 :

Key points:

• There are two programs that most educators take to learn about how to de-escalate behaviour. Both emphasize the use of verbal communication as the first step, but do train participants to safely use physical holds with students.

▪ CPI (Non-violent crisis prevention - )

← Avoid overreaction and under reaction.

← Use verbal reaction to intervene with a verbally acting out student.

← Use physical interventions when a student is physically acting out (usually a signal the behaviour is escalating).

← Crisis development has a cycle:

a. Student is anxious. Staff responds using a supportive attitude.

b. Student is defensive. Staff responds with a directive attitude.

c. Student is physically acting out. Staff responds with a non-violent physical intervention.

d. Student has calmed down, has come around. Staff engage in a debrief process called Therapeutic Rapport.

▪ MANDT ()

← Uses a proactive and instructive approach which is base on people interacting with people in non-coercive ways.

← Approach is based on relationship building, communication and students feeling safe.

← Discuss creating routines, teaching skills and rules and functions of behaviour.

← If a crisis occurs, maintaining everyone’s safety is paramount and this may require physical interventions.

• Participants should discuss with their school districts the need for such training.

Activity: Watch the webinar: Positive Connections: CPI and Positive Behaviour Support found at . Watch the sections you feel are particular relevant for this group. You will need to register at the time of viewing by filling in the online form. After viewing the webinar distribute Handout Tips for Increasing Compliance and Ten Tips for Crisis Prevention.

Activity: Distribute school district policies and discuss.

PowerPoint Slides #6 - #7 : Preventing Challenging Behaviour

PowerPoint Slides #8 - #10 : Effective Practices

PowerPoint Slides #11 : Reflection

Key point:

• Over the sessions Understanding Behaviour and Evidence Based / Effective Practices have been presented. There have been many opportunities to practice or apply the elements of Positive Behaviour Supports. In addition, the EA role in the assessment and intervention process has been discussed. Supporting students with challenging behaviour requires educators to keep learning.

PowerPoint Slide #12 : Personal Goal Setting

Key points:

• SMART is an acronym for writing concrete and clear goals.

• Goals are intended to move a person forward. The end of the option does not mean learning has finished.

• The clearer the goals the more evident actions and progress will become.

Activity: Distribute the handout: Goal Setting the SMART Way. Each participant will need two sheets to write out the personal goals for what they need to keep learning. They will be sharing them with one other person in the session.

PowerPoint Slide #13 : Personal Goal Setting

Key points:

• Being a professional involves sharing goals for growth and development.

• We are more inclined to actually put goals into action if we make them public.

• Telling our goals means there are others out there who might be part of our support system.

Activity: Distribute the handout: Remember to... as a one pager to capture many ideas. Encourage participants to add anything else that resonates with them.

PowerPoint Slide #14 : Closure: All Hands on Deck Activity

Activity: Ask participants to trace their dominant hand. Instruct the participants to label each finger using the following criteria:

• Thumb: a unique characteristic / ability that you share with others.

• Index finger: the best information you received and are using in your job.

• Middle finger: a personal goal for continuing to apply positive behaviour supports.

• Ring finger: a person in your professional life you can turn to for guidance in supporting students with challenging behaviour.

• Pinky finger: a word, cue, or mantra to remind you of the key principles in understanding behaviour.

• Palm: your ”lifeline”; what keeps you going as an Education Assistant.

PowerPoint Slide #15 : Summative Assessment

Discuss: Remind participants how and when you will be returning their summative assessments.

PowerPoint Slide #16 : Evaluation

Distribute the evaluation form for the SSEAC Education Assistant initiative. Please forward to the HR administrator in your district.

Understanding Behaviour: Summative Assessment Key

|Basic |A beginning understanding; some requirements missing and questionable strategies, |

| |replacement skills or response interventions; weak goal; poor formatting. |

|Average |A working understanding; most requirements included and many appropriate strategies, |

| |replacement skills or response interventions; satisfactory goal and formatting. |

|Competent |A high level of understanding; all requirements included and all strategies, replacement |

| |skills or response interventions are appropriate; well written goal and good formatting. |

Note: Participants must receive average or higher on Questions 1 and 2, in both scenarios, to receive the overall assessment of Satisfactory. This is the assessment required to receive a certificate of completion.

Other considerations – can include, but not limited to:

• Personal profile

• Setting events

• Monitoring

• Data collection

• Crisis intervention

• Who is on the behaviour support team

• Training for the team

• Interviewing the student

Understanding Behaviour: Summative Assessment

Select 2 of the following brief case scenarios and provide responses to each of the questions. Remember to correctly format your assignment.

Case Scenario #1:

Lisa is 15 years old and spends most of her school day in a resource room or participating in community-based instruction. She has no formal communication system; however, she points, makes noises or gets objects to communicate. Several times a day she bites her hand – often leaving teeth marks. She often hits her head as well. She usually does this when other students leave the resource room to attend classes, go on field trips or participate in extra curricular activities.

Case Scenario #2:

Nathan is 11 and attends a regular grade six class. He reads and writes at a grade 3 level. Nathan is very verbal. Every day he is frequently reprimanded by the teacher or the EA for hitting his classmates (usually after recess and lunch), talking in class (usually during math class) and getting out of his desk while the teacher is instructing (usually during the teacher’s lectures for social studies).

Case Scenario #3:

Mike is in grade 8. He swears and waves a clenched fist when he is asked to complete Math or English tasks. The resource teacher has determined that he understands the concepts being taught, though his accuracy in Math is low and his reading fluency is low. The teacher usually ignores Mike or sends him to the vice-principal’s office.

Case Scenario #4:

Pria is in middle school. She often comes to school tired on Monday morning. She has a difficult time dealing with class changes and changing tasks. The Drama classroom, the school hallways and school rotunda are places where she often pushes or grabs her classmates. They yell or laugh at her. When the supervising adults confront her she swears at them. She is spending a lot of time at the office and negative notes are going home to her parents. She struggles academically.

1. Provide a comprehensive hypothesis.

2. Suggest an intervention plan that includes a minimum of:

• 3 prevention strategies

• 2 replacement skills

• 3 response interventions

3. What other factors should the team consider?

4. If this was a situation in which you were working as an EA what would personally challenge you; or what would you need to learn? Why? Write a SMART goal to address this area of growth and development.

Assessment Feedback

Participant’s Name: _______________________________________________

Scenario # _______________________________________________________

|Criteria |Basic |Average |Competent |

|Hypothesis (include all 3 | | | |

|components) | | | |

|3 Prevent Strategies | | | |

|2 Replacement Skills | | | |

|3 Response Interventions | | | |

|Other Considerations | | | |

|SMART goal and rationale | | | |

|Formatting | | | |

Comments:

Scenario # _______________________________________________________

|Criteria |Basic |Average |Competent |

|Hypothesis (include all 3 | | | |

|components) | | | |

|3 Prevent Strategies | | | |

|2 Replacement Skills | | | |

|3 Response Interventions | | | |

|Other Considerations | | | |

|SMART goal and rationale | | | |

|Formatting | | | |

Comments:

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