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SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
The 3 Rs
when Responding to and Planning for Behaviours of Concern CAMILLA MARKS SPECIALIST LEAD BEHAVIOUR, NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
Children who present with behaviours of concern are often attempting to communicate a hidden message to us. There may be many reasons in a child’s background and current circumstances as to why this message is being communicated. These reasons may include the presence of a special educational need, a history of adverse childhood experiences, difficulties with emotional regulation in busy educational environments, or a combination of all three. It is always worth remembering the power of the three Rs as some first principles when responding to Behaviours of Concern.
RELATIONSHIPS What happened next was also determined by the existing relationship that had been established between Mr Brennan and the child in question. He had developed this relationship by identifying what the child’s special interests were. He ensured that he met with him daily, to chat about those interests. In this specific case, he had identified that Manchester United was an area of special interest. Mr Brennan could refer to his favourite player and ask him in a playful tone to think about what ‘that player’ might do next in a similar situation.
RESPONSES What we (the adults) do when presented with an instance of Behaviour of Concern will determine what happens next. Remember that in such an instance, all the people involved (children included) will be in a heightened emotional state. Our job as the adult is not to pour oil on the fire. I remember so well as a rookie teacher in the early days of my teaching career, observing with awe how a more senior staff member (Mr Brennan) handled very heightened situations. He always approached students with a sense of humour, a lightness of tone, and a humorous demeanour. He made sure that he kept words to a minimum and he ensured that he physically reduced himself to the same height as the child he was responding to.
RULES, ROUTINES AND EXPECTATIONS Referring to well established rules, routines and expectations with the least amount of verbal input possible is also crucial when attempting to turn down the emotional volume in the midst of an incident. The following factors are worth considering when thinking about Rules, Routines and Expectations: 1. Review the current whole-school system for rules, routines and expectations 2. Consult with staff and students to develop no more than five clearly labelled rules stated in clear language (‘We keep our hands to ourselves’, ‘We walk in the corridor’, ‘We use kind words’) 3. Reinforce these rules regularly
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by implementing a whole-school reward system 4. Consider where the ‘hot spots’ are in the school environment. Do you have more behavioural incidents in the corridors or during transitions to the playground? 5. Regular reminders using visual prompts throughout the school building are a great way to nonverbally refer to whole-school rules routines and expectations, (similar to how public health messages have been promoted during Covid-19 with the use of visual prompts in high traffic situations). Managing and responding to Behaviours of Concern may be challenging and sometimes stressful, so remember to be kind to yourself, ask for help when needed, learn from every event and seek advice and support when necessary. The NCSE offers a wide range of Positive Behaviour Seminars and School Support. If you would like to get in touch with the NCSE, the best approach is to use the contact form on the website https://ncse.ie/contact-us-2. LINK