CI5523 - Interventions for Students with Challenging Behaviors Blog

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is that challenging behavior is often a form of communication rather than simply a discipline problem. I have worked primarily in a self-contained specialized programming classroom with students who all have varying levels of behavioral, communication, and functional needs. I am no stranger to challenging behaviors in the elementary setting and have found it difficult to separate myself from the frustration. Something that has helped be a more effective teacher is to change from asking, "What's wrong with this student?" I've learned to ask, "What is this behavior trying to communicate?" I remember working with a student who frequently refused to complete assignments. This was displayed through shoving away materials, screaming, scribbling the work out, and more. At first, it appeared to be defiance, but after asking questions to the student and other supports in the classroom as well as observing patterns, I ...

After reading the article on the SPRINT/RtI² model, I found it easy to reflect on my own school's RtI process. Reading about the framework was especially helpful because I approach it from the perspective of a special education teacher. I am much more familiar with the RtI process after students have qualified for an IEP, when the focus shifts to monitoring progress toward individual goals. As a result, I have not spent as much of my professional career actively participating in the general education RtI process. In fact, this has been an ongoing discussion in my building regarding whether self-contained special education teachers should participate in our school's "Data Days." During these meetings, classroom teachers receive substitute coverage so they can meet with a multidisciplinary team to review student data, identify students in need of additional support, and determine appropriate intervention groups. This is one of those situations where it is easy to identi...