“How To Set Up A Special Education Program”- Behavior Management Overview/ Calm Down Area
I get asked about behavior management all the time. We all have that “one student” that just “doesn’t respond to anything….” or I hear all the time “trust me- you’ve never had a student like I have.”
WRONG!!!
Do not give up hope on any child or challenging behavior. Let’s remember why we chose to be special education teachers; to help these students. These next few days I will be sharing with you some strategies for managing behaviors within the school setting. The first topic I wanted to address was when you can/cannot restrain a child. This is just based off of my personal belief of working with students with special needs- as every district, teacher and administrator may have different expectations and protocol.
Restraining a child should only take place if the student or peers are in danger.
Every possible intervention should take place to remove peers, dangerous objects and possible triggers in order to avoid having to restrain a child.
It is beneficial to have a Calm Down Area set up within your classroom with the proper visuals and calming tools readily available to use in any crisis situation. In your calm down area you can have these rules and sign posted for clear expectations of all students.
This calm down area can become a safe place for any upset/angry or aggressive students. Check back over the next few days to learn about other behavior management strategies to reduce aggressive or dangerous situations.
