Effectively Addressing the Needs of Students Who Engage in Escape and Avoidance Behavior

1. Effectively Addressing the Needs of Students Who Engage in Escape and Avoidance Behavior Richard Van Acker, Ed. D. University of Illinois at Chicago 1040 W. Harrison Chicago, IL 60607 Email: vanacker@uic.edu

2. The role of the educator is more difficult today than ever before... • Greater expectations • No Child Left Behind • Meet or Exceed State Standards • Use of empirically validated interventions • State and federal curricular mandates • Common Core • Grade level exposure • Larger class sizes • More diverse student population • Ethnic - Cultural - Special Needs • Linguistic - Academic - Mental Health

3. Educators are not the only ones feeling the pressure… Students too are displaying greater levels of anxiety in the face of these educational demands.

4. Effective instruction calls for a successful integration between… Student Characteristics Teacher Behavior Curricular Demands

5. When a Mismatch Occurs: • Escape or Avoidance Behaviors are likely • Non-compliance • Withdrawal • Passive aggressive responses • Defiance • Disruptive behavior • Destructive Behavior • Aggression

6. The Fallacy of Punishment Punishment is more likely to simply repress rather than change behavior. Punishment increases potential for escape behavior and student aggression. Serves to destroy the bond between the student and the teacher and often results in alienation of the student from school. Yet,… ….simple, predictable consequences IN COMBINATION with HIGH FREQUENCY recognition of desired behavior can prove effective.

7. Sustained Behavior Change Requires Feedback

8. Classroom Layout

9. Teacher Attention and Feedback Verbal Reprimand for Behavior Opportunity to Respond ///// ///// //// (14) // (2) Academic Correction Verbal Praise for Academics Verbal Praise for Behavior /// (3) ///// /// (8) // (2) ///// ///// // (12) /// (3) // (2)

10. IDEA 1997 • Mandate to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan to address behavior(s) of students with disabilities that impact their learning or the learning of others. • When a change of placement to a more restrictive environment is being considered for a student with disability as the result of behavior. • More than 10 days of suspension (cumulative) is considered a change of placement.

11. IDEA 1997 Use of Positive Interventions • Mandate to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan to address behavior(s) of students with disabilities that impact their learning or the learning of others. • When a change of placement to a more restrictive environment is being considered for a student with disability as the result of behavior. • More than 10 days of suspension (cumulative) is considered a change of placement.

12. Functional Assessment of Behavior • The Behavior Intervention Plan is to be informed by a Functional Assessment of the students behavior. • Most human behaviors are learned. • These behaviors serve to meet needs and desires. • Student behavior (including misbehavior) typically ‘works’ for the student.

13. How might we typically address the following behavior? Jeremy is a third grade student. He has a hearing disorder. He frequently stands back and refuses to actively participate in the lesson. He will observe, but refuses to offer any responses or to engage in the assigned work.

21. Behavior can serve a variety of functions for a student • Attention - always ask where the attention leads. • Escape or Avoidance (Explore underlying need) • Power, Control, or Competence • Peer Affiliation • Material Gain or Tangible Reward • Self Gratification • Justice or Revenge (Neel & Cessna, 1993)

22. Selecting an Appropriate Consequence (Function vs. Form) The nature of the surface behavior has little to do with the selection of an appropriate consequence. The function of the behavior should serve to direct the selection of the consequence.

23. Be Careful with Escape Escape and Avoidance is often a function of undesired behavior. Is Escape and Avoidance a basic human need?

24. Be Careful with Escape Escape and Avoidance is often a function of undesired behavior. Is Escape and Avoidance a basic human need? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

25. Be Careful with Escape Escape and Avoidance is often a function of undesired behavior. Is Escape and Avoidance a basic human need? Typically, Escape and Avoidance result from threats to the need for: safety, competence/self-esteem, and/or autonomy. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

26. Fear • Students may become frightened for any number of reasons at school. • Fear of failure • Fear of teacher • Fear of peers • Fear of unknown • Frightening locations • Post traumatic events Pro-ACT, 2016

27. What does FEAR look like? Posture: Breathing: Action: Communication:

28. Response for Fear • Threat reduction • Promote feelings of safety – safe distance, calm voice, necessary visuals. • Reassurance – “I want you to feel safe.” • Two clear options for activities that will promote feelings of being safe and bring student into successful action. Pro-ACT, 2016

29. Frustration • Given the increased level of expectations held for today’s students, frustration is a common trigger for crisis in schools. • Unclear expectations • Challenging work • Unfamiliar topics • Lack of knowledge or skill • Too many errors • Too many reprimands

30. What does FRUSTRATION look like? Posture: Breathing: Action: Communication:

31. Response for Frustration • Lending Control - promotion of competence and success • Remain calm, confident • Reassure – “Stan, stop. Let’s sit down.” • Provide two clear choices that will allow student to be successful and competent while moving into desired activity. • “Stan, I want you to be successful. Let’s turn back to the work we did yesterday and do one of those problems or we can get a drink of water and come back here and I will work with you on this math sheet.” If you provide a student with a legitimate pathway to demonstrate competence – most will take it.

32. Think of a student you have worked with … Whose escape or avoidance behavior led to an episode where his or her behavior escalated into a crisis. What need was being threatened or unmet? What factors added to the escalation to bring it to a crisis level? What was done or could have been done to prevent further crisis behavior?

33. Fear and Frustration Each table will engage in a series of role plays (of your design) that involve fear or frustration (as assigned). Each person in the group should take the opportunity to play the staff member. Each role play should include a threat of minor injury by the student. Use and empathetic “I statement” and two positive choices addressing the need of the student.

34. Two Aspects to Most BIPs Increase Reasonable Alternative Behavior that Addresses the Function of the Target Behavior Decrease the Display of the Target Behavior – Make it Less Effective in Meeting the Identified Function

35. Direct Behavior Intervention Plan Current Undesired Behavior: What need is being threatened or unmet? Expected Behavior: Student Displays the Desired Behavior Prevention Efforts: (This includes efforts to alter the environment, change in teacher behavior,etc.) Promotion of Success: (This includes efforts to bring level of instruction and opportunities to respond to the student’s level) Yes No Response: Response:

36. What to do???

37. Student Behavior can Signal When Instructional Level is Not Appropriate: Careful Observation to Identify Triggers Often as one of the people who spends the most time directly interacting with a student, you may quickly become aware of when a student moves away from his or her typical or ‘baseline’ behavior. This may be signaled by an increase or a decrease in behavior. A critical skill in working with children is to be good at observing triggers that may serve to move a student into a potential crisis situation.

38. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Agitation Trigger Hangover/Recovery Adapted from: Managing the Cycle of Acting-Out Behavior in the Classroom By Dr. Geoff Colvin

39. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Agitation Trigger Hangover Student Cognition Pro-Act, 2014

40. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Staff Movement Away from Self Control Agitation Trigger Hangover Student Cognition

41. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Staff Movement Away from Self Control Agitation Trigger Hangover Staff Cognition Student Cognition

42. Teacher Self-Control Plan • Critical that teachers and staff have an ACTIVE self-control plan that can be put in place quickly and repeatedly. • Breathing (e.g., two deep breaths) • Self-Talk (e.g., “I can deal with this.”) • Grounding Action (e.g. Touch fingers together.)

43. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Agitation Trigger Hangover Area of Greatest Influence

44. Provide a ‘Win-Win’ Opportunity When confronted with challenging or non-compliant behavior, many teachers quickly revert to a “curriculum of control” They forget what they were attempting to accomplish with the student and switch to the goal of getting the student to “do what he was told!” Often they give situational control to the student and simply follow their challenging behavior attempting to gain the upper hand.

45. Understanding the Crisis Crisis De-escalation Escalation Agitation Trigger Hangover Clear expectations – one person engaged with the student – Key to promote safety of everyone (student, other students, staff). Use crisis communication – simple statements of what you want student to do. Stay calm and positive.

46. Understanding the Crisis Student is no more capable of processing information during de-escalation than he was during escalation. Crisis De-escalation Escalation Agitation Trigger Hangover Active Listening to the student and re-engagement into the structure of the classroom instruction. Provide ‘hurdle help’ as needed to promote successful reintegration. Whenever possible wait for student to return to baseline prior to processing event and delivery of consequences.

47. RESULTS: Baseline Basic Intervention Follow-Up Aggression Elopement Destruction Aggression Aggression Van Acker, E. Y.,& Van Acker, R, (2015)

48. Randy • Eight years old • Deaf since birth • Average intelligence • Diagnosed with ADHD-combined type • Significant deficits in social skills • Will simply put his head down or if ‘pushed’ will run out of the classroom

49. Math Instruction(Word problems with addition and subtraction) • Ms. James was writing problems on the overhead projector and asking the students to copy these on their small white boards, • Students were then directed to solve the problems (showing their work). • When instructed to do so each child was to display their answers.

50. The classroom teacher has assigned the class to read the next 6 pages in the Social Studies text and to answer the questions at the end of the chapter. Randy starts to try and do the lesson. He begins to look upset. He is displaying increased movement and he is starting to look around the room and to divert his attention from the task. He mumbles to himself and starts to actively protest that, ”This shit is stupid. Nobody cares about this crap.” The teacher moves towards Randy and asks if everything is okay? Randy says, “I don’t know why we can’t do this as a class or with partners. This is really boring!” The teacher says, “I know you can do this if you try – just do your best” Randy says, “I hate this shit!” The teacher says. “Randy you need to watch your language. You can not cuss in this classroom.” Randy says, “Don’t tell me what I can and can not do. You aren’t my boss!” The teacher says, “Randy, we have to all get along and do what is asked of us – otherwise the classroom just won’t work.” In a loud voice, Randy says, “I’m tired of this bullshit. I hate this f___king class.” Randy starts to get up to exit the classroom. The teacher steps in his way (to block his exit) and says, “Sit down right now and do what I have asked you to do! Stop swearing!” Randy says, “F__k you! I am out of here!” The teacher moves towards Randy and grabs his arm – attempting to move him back to his seat. Randy shakes her hand off of his arm and pushes past her – exiting the classroom.