Student Services

Behaviour Intervention Planning

Sample Behaviour Intervention Plan

Purpose and Background     Explanation    Team Thinking

The purpose of the plan is to have Jim develop sufficient social skills and self-control to gain positive acceptance and support from his peer group. This needs to be done with careful regard for the safety of other students.

Background information is extensive but the pertinent elements are outlined below. Jim has had negative experiences with males in positions of trust and responds better to females. This is particularly true when he is stressed. He gets in cycles where he repeatedly mulls over perceived injustices. He becomes quite agitated and very oppositional during these times. He requires help to get himself out of these agitated states and is capable of doing this through talking. This may best be done with female staff.

Jim has ADHD and has a general pattern of responding poorly to unstructured situations. He does respond positively to Ritalin but this only helps on low stress days. Jim can misinterpret other's behaviours and their intent. Volume can trigger anger reactions. Jim can misinterpret eye contact and frowns as challenging behaviour when he is feeling vulnerable. He becomes quite uncooperative during these times, sometimes withdrawing into himself and sometimes exploding for no apparent reason. However, the explosion does serve to keep people away.

Schoolwork is particularly difficult for Jim. He has clear areas of weakness that will be addressed in the IEP. However, this problem is further exacerbated by Jim's underlying sense of inadequacy and corresponding fear that he will be "found out."  Assisting Jim in learning academic skills is hampered by his need to hide his weaknesses. On the other hand, Jim has a fine sense of humour and loves to banter verbally. Eye contact is quite possible during these times. This positive state is often noticed after he has had a good game (he is an excellent basketball player) or after he has helped someone (e.g., helping a younger child in trouble).

Critical Programming Needs     Explanation     Team Thinking

System Social Learning Personal/Emotional
  • Jim stop hitting or kicking children on the playground
  • Jim must stop threatening and belittling children in the classroom
  • Have an action plan agreed to with Mrs. Sommers (Jim's mom) when Jim becomes uncontrollable
  • An alternative to being sent home at noon hours be developed
  • Family Services provide some in home support when Jim's behaviour becomes dangerous to his brothers and sisters
  • Jim receive cognitive behavioural training to help him handle his fears
  • Jim be taught new responses to dealing with angry feelings
  • Jim have the opportunity to experience working within his mastery level and that we provide structured positive feedback to help him recognize his strengths
  • Jim have the opportunity to take a leadership role with children who are academically weaker than him
  • Classroom routines and structures be taught maintained as much as possible
  • Jim have the opportunity to meet with a female staff person, one-to-one during times of stress
  • Volume be controlled whenever possible and particularly when dealing with Jim on problem issues
  • Positive alternatives to high risk activities be provided, particularly to replace unstructured activities that involve physical contact
  • High eye contact and smiles during positive interactions, and limited eye contact or frowns during stressful interactions
  • Medication be maintained and monitored

Interventions     Explanation     Team Thinking

Proactive
Structure Process

All staff will be made aware of triggers at the next school staff meeting.

Jim will meet with the TA at the beginning of the class to go over work and any change in routines.

Counsellor, with the support of the psychologist and assistance of the TA, will help Jim develop better ways of dealing with personal and intrapersonal problems.

The resource teacher will:

  • set up a group writing process for Jim and some other students to further develop writing skills
  • assist the teacher in developing an effective cross age tutoring program

The psychologist will present information the team has regarding effective strategies for working with Jim.

The time spent in this activity will usually be short but the TA:

  • can increase the time if she feels that he is too upset to be in the classroom 
  • can involve others for help if needed.
  • The counsellor will assist the TA in helping Jim clarify basic problem events. Jim can share this information at scheduled times (after lunch on even days).
  • He will assist Jim in the re-entry process when he has lost privileges by helping him develop better ways of handling problems.
  • The counsellor will assist in mediation when there are major conflicts with other students.
  • The writing program will be highly structured and focus on positive rewards and encouragement. The program will occur on odd days after recess with seven students.

The cross-age tutoring will be carefully structured with students trained on where and how to give tokens for success. There will be support for giving accurate positive feedback.

Reactive
Structure Process

A progressive re-entry plan will be developed for those situations where Jim must remove himself from a class or outdoor activity.

Alternative workspace will be provided in either the sick room or in the resource room.  When administrators are present, Jim will use the sick room unless it is used.  Otherwise, he will use the resource room.

A structured re-entry to the lunchtime will be offered under the direction of the physical education teacher.  Jim will be given the chance to referee games at this time.

The counsellor and TA will explain the plan to Jim and the principal will give formal direction and answer any questions.  The focus will be on Jim developing self-control.

Jim, together with the TA and resource teacher, will develop a positive workspace in these places and be shown where assignments will be placed.  The goal is to have a positive, predictable place where he can reduce stressors.

The physical education teacher will approach Jim and, if he is agreeable, make arrangements for him to be at school twice a week during lunch hours.  The program will be initially implemented for two weeks.

Divisional Supports     Explanation     Team Thinking

  1. The principal provides support to staff when Jim's behaviour is extreme and determines when the formal safety plan must be implemented.  His role with Jim is the person in authority.  He will be identified as the person who decides whether Jim is in or out of the classroom, or school and takes the official responsibility for these decisions.
  2. The classroom teacher provides programming for regular subject areas and a positive classroom environment with clearly defined expectations and routines, and leads day-to-day problem solving around common social issues.  Her role with Jim is that of director and coach.  She will provide Jim with lots of high-success opportunities so that he can experience positive results from following her direction but will be firm in expectations that he will follow them.
  3. The counsellor will meet with Jim on a regular basis to discuss alternative strategies for dealing with stress, and will meet with Jim and other students involved to resolve major social issues that are too time-consuming to solve within the regular classroom.  The counsellor will take a mediator role with Jim when his behaviour has caused him to be removed from the classroom or school and will help him develop personal plans to better handle situations and gain re-entry.
  4. The resource teacher will work with Jim in a small group to help him develop writing skills and will assist the teacher in implementing a student tutor program that can help Jim and other students in the classroom to practice basic reading skills.  She will take a strong encourager role.
  5. The physical education teacher will continue to support Jim in developing his basketball skills and give him the opportunity to develop some refereeing skills during the noon hour games. He will take a mentor role.
  6. The instructional assistant will meet with Jim first period in the morning to outline the day, determine response to direction, assist with projects, and be available when classroom or recess is too stressful. The instructional assistant may also assist Jim in completing self-directed learning activities and provide some of the structured, positive feedback.  She will be the listener, particularly in the morning when Jim sometimes likes to unload, and the supporter.
  7. The psychologist will continue to attend regular meetings with the team and to provide parents and staff with strategies that may be beneficial to Jim in dealing with fears of inadequacy. The psychologist will work with Jim's mother to identify and contact a therapist or psychiatrist if this seems helpful.

Outside Supports     Explanation     Team Thinking

  1. A Family Services social worker will work with Jim's family to address changing household needs.
  2. A Community Child and Adolescent Treatment worker will meet with team to discuss effectiveness of medications and provide cognitive behavioural training to help Jim address his fears.
  3. Big Brothers will attempt to find someone with outdoor interests to become involved with Jim.

Home Supports     Explanation     Team Thinking

Family Services, together with the family, will attempt to identify the most effective use of resources and modify them as time changes. At present this includes

  1. respite for Mrs. Sommers on a weekly basis so she can continue her involvement with her parent support group
  2. crisis support during the times that Jim is out of control within the home
  3. support for involvement with the school division's Parent Resource Centre

Outcomes and Performance Objectives  Explanation    Team Thinking

The following outcomes and performance objectives were agreed to by the team.

Outcome 1 with Performance Objectives

Jim will reduce physical attacks at recess by 90% by May 31

  1. Jim could play outside with other children during recess, with the teacher assistant helping him with planning and cuing him when difficulties start to arise with a prearranged interrupt.  This would reduce target behaviours by 90% by December 1.
  2. Jim could play outside with other children during recess and handle some conflict situations in the presence of the teacher assistant. This would be used in particular with a group of students who would be primed by the counsellor to engage in a specific problem-solving approach.  The approach would be the one that Jim had experienced when working with the counsellor to resolve difficulties.  This, together with the cuing, would reduce targeted behaviours by 90% by March 25.
  3. Jim could play outside with other children during recess and handle some conflict situations on his own with the teacher assistant being in the vicinity but not directly involved in the interactions.  This would reduce targeted behaviours by 70% and with intervention by another 20% by May 30.
Outcome 2 (No Performance Objectives identified at this time)

Jim will become involved with other children in the classroom in positive ways, and children will begin to ask for him to be part of their workgroups by December 15.

Outcome 3 with Performance Objectives

Jim will work within the classroom 70% of the time, using acceptable classroom behaviours, by May 31.

  1. Once Jim gets into the classroom, he will be able to remain within the classroom until recess time 80% of the time by November 30.
  2. Once Jim gets into the classroom, he will be able to remain within the classroom until recess time 90% of the time, and when he returns to the classroom after a problem will be able to remain within the classroom until recess 70% of the time by February 28.
  3. Jim will accomplish the above, increasing the 70% to 90% and will be able to stay within the classroom after recess and into the next recess at least 60% of the time by April 30.
  4. Jim will choose to be in the classroom and be able to remain within the classroom at least 70% of the time by May 31.
Outcome 4 with Performance Objectives

Jim will be able to stay at school for noon hours at least four days out of five by November 30.

  1. Jim will be at school during lunch hours twice a week assisting the physical education teacher (coach) in refereeing basketball by October 1.
  2. Jim will be at school during lunch hours three times a week assisting the physical education teacher in refereeing basketball by October 21, and will ref one of the games with the younger children without adult intervention (although the regular duty teacher will be present). 
  3. Jim will be offered the opportunity to stay at school for the remaining two days of the week by November 15 when there is a formal school activity, or to help teachers in the school (primarily with younger children). 
  4. Jim will be offered the opportunity to attend school during lunch times by November 30 and, after some discussion with the counsellor, will be allowed to play with peers as part of a formal activity or will have the opportunity to do an alternate activity alone or as part of a small group.