Lost and Found. Ross W. Greene

what kinds of cues indicate he is welcome or not; ways to check for clarity regarding if he has or hasn't been rejected).

       Goal 2 (Sensory Issues)

       Through Plan B problem-solving discussions, help TJ identify conditions in which he feels the need for motion or sensory stimulation and work toward solutions aimed at helping address and communicate about these needs.

       Goal 3 (Academic)

       Through Plan B problem-solving discussions, determine the factors that are making it difficult for TJ to complete specific writing assignments, and collaboratively determine solutions for addressing these factors.

      By whom? Teacher, classroom staff, support staff How frequently? Daily/weekly

       Environmental structure and supports to be provided (Time/Space/Materials/Interactions)

       Time:

       Access materials that he can use to meet need for proprioceptive physical feedback (rough paper on his desk, a fidget, a squeezy ball, etc.).

       Calming breaks as needed

       Materials:

       Plan B

       Fidgets, etc.

       Chart to memorialize solutions and agreements

       Interactions:

       The vast majority of interventions -- particularly Plan B discussions -- should occur proactively rather than emergently. However, should TJ become dysregulated over an unsolved problem, the following recommendations should be applied:Determine whether the expectation prompting the dysregulation was supposed to have been removed (Plan C) … if so, let TJ know that the expectation was placed upon him in error.Determine whether a solution is already in place for the unsolved problem and whether it simply isn't working; if so, let TJ know that it would be best to engage him in a Plan B discussion as soon as possible so as to revisit the problem.Use a calm, positive tone and reassure TJ that the problem can be solved.Use additional de-escalation strategies as necessary to ensure TJ's safety and that of other students.

      Who will establish? Teacher, classroom staff Who will monitor? Teacher, classroom staff

       Communication provisions:

      Communication between teacher and parents will be facilitated by the use of the weekly log communicating how successful TJ is in solving high-priority unsolved problems.

       Implementation:

      A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) will be generated by the team —comprised of many of the actions described in the second half of this FBA—to support these goals and help improve TJ's school functioning.

      _______________________________

      School Psychologist

Figure 3.1 CPS-Flavored Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

      “I was skeptical about CPS. I have a very intense behavioral background. I was steeped in the whole routine of applying consequences for undesirable behavior and rewarding positive behavior. So CPS was like learning a whole new language for me. It was like discovering that the sky was purple; I didn't realize that there was another world out there. At first, I really struggled. I wanted to be able to embrace it, but it just didn't make sense. Eventually I found it productive to question my old beliefs and practices. I think having a disabled child myself, and having him go through school, helped to change my perspective. I forbade his school from giving him time‐outs; I didn't want him to be punished for things related to his neurologically based condition—things that stickers and punishment weren't going to change. So I think having my son helped me see other kids with concerning behaviors through different lenses. But one of the biggest hurdles is that even today, teachers are being trained to use carrots and sticks as their primary classroom management tools.”

      —SUSAN, EDUCATIONAL TECHNICIAN

      Question: What do we say to the well‐behaved kids when they observe that their behaviorally challenging classmates are being treated differently or aren't receiving the consequences that are usually applied to misbehavior?

      Answer: We point out the reality. The consequences weren't working very well anyway. You're working hard on the problem and intend to keep everyone safe. Fair doesn't mean equal. In every classroom, different kids are being treated differently, according to their needs, and that approach benefits everyone, including the well‐behaved students. Behavioral differences should be handled no differently than academic differences.

      “These kids who are receiving endless consequences … they often feel like the world is out to get them. So they project that they don't care. But they didn't get to the point of not caring overnight, so I wouldn't expect that we're going to solve all of their problems overnight either. I mean, you've got to work with them for a while.”

      —TOM, SUPERINTENDENT

      Question: Isn't it important to know the cause of the student's concerning behavior? I mean, that's what we spend a lot of time talking about in our meetings.

Answer: The field of developmental psychopathology tells us that the same concerning behavior can be caused by a variety of different risk factors (a concept known as equifinality). The list of risk factors is pretty long, but includes trauma, exposure to substances in utero, premature birth, brain injury, and environmental deprivation. In many meetings, those causal factors are a primary focal point of discussion. But the reality is that we can't really establish the cause of a student's difficulties with great precision. And, often, we can't do much about those factors now anyway. What should we be talking about instead? Lagging skills and unsolved problems.

      By the way, the same risk factor can give rise to a variety of different concerning behaviors (a concept known as multifinality). The list of concerning behaviors is pretty long, too, but includes behaviors that I refer to as lucky (for example, whining, pouting, sulking, withdrawing, crying) and unlucky (for example, screaming, swearing, hitting, kicking, spitting, biting, destroying, and running). You don't want to take those categories too seriously, except for one thing: caregivers are far more likely to respond with empathy, nurturance, and support with lucky behaviors than with unlucky behaviors. But, as you now know, whether lucky or unlucky, the behavior is communicating the same thing: there's an expectation the student is having difficulty meeting.

      “That's one of the biggest things that came out of implementing CPS in my school: many classroom teachers had no idea that they could have this powerful impact with kids through the relationships they were building with them and the problem‐solving discussions they were having with them.”

      —SUSAN, PRINCIPAL