Immediate focus
Once the team writes the behavior support plan, there are a few more items to consider. For most, the environmental supports that are planned offer many accommodations to address the message of the behavior. Maybe the quantity of work is greatly reduced. Maybe additional adult support is included. These accommodations are temporary until the student’s skills are developed to help him manage his “message” more effectively and appropriately.
So, once the plan is written, the team decides what the long-term goal will be. This long-term goal might be to “do grade level work with his peers” or to “self-manage work demands” or to “recognize and address his emotional overload without hurting others.” You might have heard the sentiment, “it’s not fair that she gets to sit and do nothing while all the other kids have to do all the work.” The long-term goal will help answer the concerns of team members who think that the plan isn’t just getting the student out of academic or behavior expectations at school, i.e., making school seem too easy). The long-term goal is considered at each review meeting so that as the student’s situation improves, expectations continue to rise.
Following the identification of the long-term goal, the team then considers their “immediate focus.” Your behavior plan, of course, addresses the target behavior(s). But as your supports are being put into place and as the student is learning new skills, behavior issues can still arise. Your reactive strategies give you a plan for how to address those targeted behavior issues. But for many students with difficult behavior (and a history of difficult behavior), the targeted behaviors are just part of the larger problem. So, despite a great plan, there are still some considerations for all the adults to keep in mind. This is not a short-term “goal” as we all think about it in special education. So we think “immediate focus” is a better description. The immediate focus is a way for team members to remember to respond/support to the student as he is developing his skills. Here are some examples:
Student example For a student who’s target behavior is kicking/hitting/spitting
Immediate focus Keeping everyone safe (which means doing whatever is needed to avoid the episodes even if it means no work at that moment)
Student example For a student who is having many behavior issues including hurting people, refusing work, running away
Immediate focus Build personal relationships with him so that he sees staff as “on his side”
Student example For a student who is irritable, won’t work, says mean things to staff, argues a lot
Immediate focus To get through the day in one piece with good feelings on both sides
Student example For a student who struggles all day to follow the rules and wants to do what he wants to do
Immediate focus To help the student have a better understanding of what is expected at school (so for each time he does the wrong thing, explanation and treating the moment as a simple mistake) and to avoid meltdowns
Student example For a student with autism who is having frequent tears and meltdowns
Immediate focus To understand that the student does not have the skills to be flexible. In situations where he gets stuck, we’ll be gentle.
Student example For a middle schooler who keeps getting suspended
Immediate focus To avoid behaviors that might result in suspension
Student example For a student who won’t do the work, is mean to staff and students, might hurt others
Immediate focus To reduce the likelihood that his behaviors will escalate into more intense forms so we will choose our responses to the “turning away” behaviors accordingly.
Student example For a student who might hurt others, won’t participate in any work
Immediate focus To understand that his inability to maintain focus on school tasks is real. He is doing the best he can. So we will offer help that really helps.
So, once the plan is written, the team decides what the long-term goal will be. This long-term goal might be to “do grade level work with his peers” or to “self-manage work demands” or to “recognize and address his emotional overload without hurting others.” You might have heard the sentiment, “it’s not fair that she gets to sit and do nothing while all the other kids have to do all the work.” The long-term goal will help answer the concerns of team members who think that the plan isn’t just getting the student out of academic or behavior expectations at school, i.e., making school seem too easy). The long-term goal is considered at each review meeting so that as the student’s situation improves, expectations continue to rise.
Following the identification of the long-term goal, the team then considers their “immediate focus.” Your behavior plan, of course, addresses the target behavior(s). But as your supports are being put into place and as the student is learning new skills, behavior issues can still arise. Your reactive strategies give you a plan for how to address those targeted behavior issues. But for many students with difficult behavior (and a history of difficult behavior), the targeted behaviors are just part of the larger problem. So, despite a great plan, there are still some considerations for all the adults to keep in mind. This is not a short-term “goal” as we all think about it in special education. So we think “immediate focus” is a better description. The immediate focus is a way for team members to remember to respond/support to the student as he is developing his skills. Here are some examples:
Student example For a student who’s target behavior is kicking/hitting/spitting
Immediate focus Keeping everyone safe (which means doing whatever is needed to avoid the episodes even if it means no work at that moment)
Student example For a student who is having many behavior issues including hurting people, refusing work, running away
Immediate focus Build personal relationships with him so that he sees staff as “on his side”
Student example For a student who is irritable, won’t work, says mean things to staff, argues a lot
Immediate focus To get through the day in one piece with good feelings on both sides
Student example For a student who struggles all day to follow the rules and wants to do what he wants to do
Immediate focus To help the student have a better understanding of what is expected at school (so for each time he does the wrong thing, explanation and treating the moment as a simple mistake) and to avoid meltdowns
Student example For a student with autism who is having frequent tears and meltdowns
Immediate focus To understand that the student does not have the skills to be flexible. In situations where he gets stuck, we’ll be gentle.
Student example For a middle schooler who keeps getting suspended
Immediate focus To avoid behaviors that might result in suspension
Student example For a student who won’t do the work, is mean to staff and students, might hurt others
Immediate focus To reduce the likelihood that his behaviors will escalate into more intense forms so we will choose our responses to the “turning away” behaviors accordingly.
Student example For a student who might hurt others, won’t participate in any work
Immediate focus To understand that his inability to maintain focus on school tasks is real. He is doing the best he can. So we will offer help that really helps.