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- Tiered supports
1a. Tier 1
1a. Tier 1
In Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) in NSW schools, Tier 1 are the elements that are put in place to manage behaviours and support all students and staff.
1b. Tier 2 supports
1b. Tier 2 supports
These are targeted interventions for some groups of student based on data collected about their behaviours over time. Interventions are then put in place for those students which include re-teaching, improved responses, more explicit encouragement of expected behaviours etc. This targeted intervention aims at students learning to take responsibility for their own behaviour. This might include behaviour contracts and behaviour support plans.
1c. Tier 3 Supports
1c. Tier 3 Supports
A smaller group of students, approximately 1 to 5 per cent, may need more individualised and intensive supports, as well as the tier 1 and tier 2 supports. In many cases, the problem behaviour has become chronic as these students have experienced academic and behavioural difficulties over an extended period of time.
As with the tier 2 level, schools build on the foundations of school-wide universal prevention to support these students. Using data-based decision making to rapidly support these students is important. Interventions focus on creating and implementing individualised behaviour support plans that are linked to the universal system. For example, the individual plans are based upon the school-wide expectations; the identification of students in need of tier 3 supports uses the established data decision making framework.
Intensive and individualised behaviour intervention plans are developed and implemented to reduce the intensity and severity of challenging behaviours. These plans are devised using functional behavioural assessment. This assessment looks at contextual, learning and relationship factors to help explain the purpose of the behaviour.
1d. Summary: When data is collected about the behaviour of students who are not responding to Tier 1 supports, it can be used to develop an individual support plan for that student. If the plan is solely related to behaviour it might be called a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) but may have different names in different states and education systems. Behaviour plans in NSW government schools are supported by the website Positive Behaviour for Learning.
2. What is an Individual Behaviour Support Plan or Individual Behaviour Support?
2. What is an Individual Behaviour Support Plan or Individual Behaviour Support?
2a. Activity: What is a behaviour support plan?
2a. Activity: What is a behaviour support plan?
Review the documents below. Make some notes about what a behaviour support plan might entail and how they might be used.
These are the NSW planning tools. They can be found on the following website:
These are the NSW planning tools. They can be found on the following website:
2b. Individual behaviour supports
2b. Individual behaviour supports
For some students we might need to put individual behaviour supports in place to help them manage themselves when stressed or in situations where we know their behaviour may be triggered.
For example:
If we know that it is change-over day for a student (changing home to a different parent) and that they might be unsettled, we can have a quiet down / settling activity established and ready for them on that day.
If we know that a particular student struggles to come in to the classroom after break, we can have a partner or adult monitor them and assist them to get back into the classroom, rewarding them as they learn to manage this themselves.
If we know that a student is often triggered by larger noisy events such as assemblies we can take them to the assembly with headphones on, or take them only for a set amount of time, rewarding them with positive praise when they have completed that time in a calm manner.
2b. Teaching replacement behaviours
2b. Teaching replacement behaviours
Another key strategy we use with students who are displaying disruptive behaviours is to teach a replacement behaviour. For example, a student who used to yell or scream at others when they did not get their own way might be taught to take deep breaths, say "I need to get a drink" and have some calm down time before coming back to negotiate or discuss the original issue.
Social stories are a great way to teach replacement behaviours as they show the student what they used to do and what they will do now.
Sometimes the new behaviour is just a quieter behaviour so it reduces noise and stress for others. For example, a student who is stimming with something noisy like a book or a toy might be encouraged to stim with sand or shell grit instead. They still receive the same physical satisfaction and calming but it is less disruptive for other students.
2d. Using behaviour contracts to encourage personal responsibility for behaviour - these are a Tier 2 Intervention
2d. Using behaviour contracts to encourage personal responsibility for behaviour - these are a Tier 2 Intervention
Behaviour contracts are useful as a short term strategy to enable students to focus on modifying their behaviour in small manageable steps. Behaviour contracts encourage students to identify their unacceptable behaviours and work with the staff towards more acceptable behaviours. Students are assisted to identify behaviours that require change and to identify the learnings and reinforcement required to make that change and maintain it.
Contracts should be written in clear, easy to understand language and define the time frame for which the contract applies.
The process used to monitor and record behaviour should be identified and be the responsibility of both the student and teacher/educators. This encourages ownership of the program and is empowering the student to take control of changing their behaviour – for their own sense of self.
Education staff may work together to review goals and set new objectives for the student.
Documenting a student's responses to the program and recording gradual changes can be an excellent incentive for all parties involved.
The Behaviour Contract
The Behaviour Contract
The contract should be agreed between the child and the teacher or TA or other school staff member
Parents should be informed
The behaviour goal should be a SMART goal (maximum two goals) and should be expressed in simple language or images.
It might involve a replacement behaviour - instead of yelling and calling out, I will put up my hand.
It might need to involve teaching the required behaviour
The child and the teacher will monitor the behaviour over time
The contract must have a timeframe
Initially motivation might be extrinsic (bribery) but moving to intrinsic.
https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/teaching-self-regulated-learning-skills - Teaching self regulated learning skills
Examples of contracts
Behaviour Contract - NSW
https://www.sampletemplates.com/contract-templates/behaviour-contract-template.html
https://0.tqn.com/z/g/specialed/library/Behavior-contracts-monitoring/MY-CONTRACT.pdf
3. Inclusive communication and behaviour support strategies
3. Inclusive communication and behaviour support strategies
Find out more about the specific needs of some children in relation to behaviour support. You will learn more about communicating with and teaching children who have ASD in other units in this course.
Children who have ASD will generally need additional support to learn behaviours we take for granted including joining in, taking turns, communicating with others and understanding their own and others' behaviour. Aspect (autism spectrum Australia) describes a range of strategies including social stories, positive behaviour support and visual supports.
When we teach behaviours to students with ASD, ADHD or students with intellectual disabilities such as Down Syndrome we need to be very explicit about what behaviour should look like and sound like.
3a. Social stories and role play
3a. Social stories and role play
Social stories or social narratives are small 'story' using pictures or videos and spoken or written text, created to teach a student how to do something that is part of everyday life for many other students. Each social story usually only deals with one social or behavioural learning.
Let's look at some:
http://www.livingwellwithautism.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/personal_space.222180413.pdf - social story about personal space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHzPND3biL8 - saying Hi to friends social story
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h3QIbGQyNye9473HzQ3ignZj63S5DoMp (strangers social story)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zYVR5PDom8 - sharing with friends social story
3b. Use visuals, sign language etc
3b. Use visuals, sign language etc
Students with ASD, and some other disabilities such as ADHD or Down Syndrome are often visual learners. This means that they respond well to visual reminders or images that are used to communicate with them, particularly in relation to behaviour. Having visual timetables (whole day, block of day, within lesson) available to the student significantly reduces stress and communicates expectations. Similarly being able to sign (key sign) or sign (AusLan) with students who are non-verbal can significantly support behaviour management because even when a student is verbal or partially verbal, language can be difficult to use when upset and so signing can be used at those times.
3c. Other behaviour management practices for students with ASD
3c. Other behaviour management practices for students with ASD
Tabletop and online games
Tabletop and online games
The Secret Agent Society (SAS) Social Skills Program
The Secret Agent Society (SAS) Social Skills Program
has been very successful teaching social skills to children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders.
4. Use of communication and other inclusive strategies to manage behaviour for students with additional needs
4. Use of communication and other inclusive strategies to manage behaviour for students with additional needs
Depending on the additional needs of the child, there are a range of supports that might be required to teach and reinforce required behaviours. They will be driven by data collected and analysed, as previously described. This could include:
1. specific communication strategies such as:
being very explicit about what behaviour should look like and sound like
signing and using visual symbols
using social stories, picture books and drama to teach the skills
calm discussion
calm and consise directive language
choices offered re the behaviour consequences
modelling required behaviours
praising required and improved behaviours very explicitly, including providing rewards
2. breaking down the behaviour skills learning into very small chunks and teaching and reinforcing repeatedly to ensure that children have a chance to learn and understand it
children with intellectual disabilities may not understand verbal explanations and rules
children who become very anxious, including those that have sensory issues may not understand rules re social behaviours
children who become very anxious, including those that have sensory issues may not be able to behave in particular ways when in moments of great stress
children with a receptive language disorder may not be able to understand or retain the information they are given and so may need visuals and other methods
3. ensuring that learning occurs at appropriate times for that child (tiredness, needs met, medication timing etc).
breaking the day up differently - shorter teaching times, mostly mornings after food and drink and rest
not trying to do new learning when child tired or medication running out (before next medication time)
student not emotionally upset or withdrawn when trying to learn
5. Setting long and short term goals
5. Setting long and short term goals
Behaviour Guidance Plans are plans which detail long and short term goals and specific strategies to decrease inappropriate behaviours and increase displays of acceptable behaviours. They need to be well planned, in consultation with significant adults in the child’s life, so that all significant adults can have a role in the plan. This requires attention to the following:
systematic and objective observation of the child who is displaying the behaviour of concern
initial (and ongoing) contact with the child’s parents in order to understand possible outside factors that may be contributing the behaviour of concern
an analysis of general patterns of the behaviour and the underlying reasons why the child is behaving in in appropriate ways
prioritising the behaviours of concern so there is a clear focus for the behavioural intervention - focus on one at a time, usually we will replace one behaviour with a preferred behaviour
identification of long and short term objectives
analysis of possible factors impacting behaviour
analysis of the reinforcers that may be contributing to the maintenance of the behaviour
development of intervention strategies aimed at reducing displays of inappropriate behaviour (for example, limits and consequences)
development of a strategy for meeting the child’s needs and encouraging displays of alternate acceptable behaviour that allow the child to meet their needs or goals
continued ongoing systematic observation throughout the implementation of the plan
continued support for the child
maintenance of ongoing partnerships with the child’s parents to provide emotional support for the child’s emotional wellbeing.
Generally we would like children to develop these abilities by the time they are young adults:
to resolve conflicts
to be able to cooperate and live harmoniously with other people in a society
to possess a sense of civic duty and perhaps even to be able to contribute in some way to society
to form meaningful relationships through socially acceptable behaviour
to act responsibly
to be able to make good choices and take responsibility for actions.
These are generally termed long term goals. We can sum up these long-term goals as:
contribution
responsibility
cooperation
withdrawal from conflict.
Short term goals are more specific and achievable. They contribute to the meeting of long-term goals. For example, a short-term goal is to encourage the children to put the blocks back on the block shelf. The long-term goal this meets is that the children learn responsibility, cooperation and self-help skills.
Inclusive practices including advice, policy and implementation / strategy sites for both teacher and parents are listed below:
Inclusive practices including advice, policy and implementation / strategy sites for both teacher and parents are listed below:
Behaviour and engagement | https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/attendance-behaviour-and-engagement
Positive Behaviour for Learning | https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/attendance-behaviour-and-engagement/positive-behaviour-for-learning
Student Discipline in Government Schools Policy | https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2006-0316
Behaviour Code for Students | https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/policy-library/associated-documents/behaviourcode.pdf
Activity: Assessment
Activity: Assessment
Activity 2 (Project), Part 3, Scenario 1, Q5, Q6, Q9, Q11; Scenario 2, Q3, Q4.
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