Identifying prevention strategies

Identifying prevention strategies

A prevention strategy is

• A change made to the environment

• NOT contingent on any student behavior

• completely initiated by the adult

Multiple Choice

A prevention strategy

• Happens before the student does anything

• Happens after the student does something

Multiple Choice

A prevention strategy

• Is something the student controls

• Is something the adult controls

Lets practice a few

Ask yourself - is it a change to the environment? Is it initiated by the teacher? Does it follow student behavior?

The student will be allowed to ask for breaks

• Is it a change to the environment? NO. I cannot walk into the classroom and see or hear this happen.

• Is it initiated by the teacher? NO. The teacher is not saying or doing anything.

• Does it follow student behavior? YES. This is a replacement behavior because it is something the student does.

Let's try another...The student will be provided headphones in their desk

• Is it a change to the environment? YES. I can see if the headphones are there or not.

• Is it initiated by the adult? YES. The adult ensures the headphones are in place every day.

• Does it follow student behavior? NO. The student does not have to ask for the headphones, they are simply made available BEFORE anything happens. This is a prevention strategy.

One more... Before lining up for lunch the teacher will remind "you can ask for quiet lunch inside"

• Is it a change to the environment? YES. I can see and hear it happening.

• Is it initiated by the adult? YES. The adult is in charge of saying the reminder before every line up.

• Does it follow student behavior? NO. The reminder itself is the strategy, and the student does nothing to initiate it. The student MAY or MAY NOT respond. This is a prevention strategy.

Multiple Select

A prevention strategy is (pick all that apply)

• Initiated by the student

• Initiated by the teacher

• A reward for good behavior

• A change to the environment

• A change in the student

Multiple Choice

Which one is prevention?

• Two 15-minute check in times daily with a preferred adult

• Saying "good job!" when the student asks the speak with a preferred adult

Multiple Choice

Which one is prevention?

• After a student refuses, remind them "you can ask for different work"

• Providing a choice for all activities: would you like to write it by yourself or would you like me to help?

Multiple Choice

Which one is prevention?

• When a student goes to the door and threatens to walk out, say "You won't earn your eagle buck if you do that"

• Put a sign on the student's desk that says "If you can read this - you are earning your eagle buck!"

Now that we have an understanding of what "prevention" means

Let's talk about function - effective prevention strategies must be function matched

Great prevention strategies (i.e., those that work) are both truly preventative AND function matched

Lets practice

Function matched prevention strategies do one of two things

• Eliminate/ reduce trigger

• Prompt the replacement behavior

Eliminate or reduce the trigger

• Get rid of it entirely - Don't making the student write if they can tell you the answer, don't make them come to circle if they can answer from their desk, don't make them work with a peer if they can complete work individually. This can either be complete elimination (just stop asking them to do it) or a presentation of a choice (did you want to write it or tell me?)

• Reduce in severity - Ask to write less, ask to fill in the blank instead of write full sentence, do the first problem with Billy then you can finish on your own, provide sensory protection (headphones, visual barrier, allow to wear coat in class).

Prompt the replacement behavior

• Remember, this is adult initiated and BEFORE the student does anything

• Works best right before, or as you present the trigger: as you put work down remind them "you can use your break pass", send headphones to the indoor recess room, when break is over set a timer and say "ten minutes until your next break! You can keep the timer on your desk"

Multiple Choice

Pick the one that is prevention and function matched.

• Yelling functions to gain access to sensory room. Before going to specials the teacher puts the "break" pass in the students hand and reminds them "raise this pass and Ms. Cot will let you go to the sensory room"

• Yelling functions to gain access to sensory room. In specials when the student yells the teacher says "Sounds like you need the sensory room"

• Yelling functions to gain access to sensory room. The teacher makes sure to give the student an important job as soon as they enter specials.

Multiple Choice

Pick the one that is prevention and function matched.

• Calling out functions to gain teacher attention. The teacher sets a silent buzzer on her phone for 15 minutes, and every time it goes off the gives the student 10-30s of attention (high fives, praise, asks if they need anything)

• Calling out functions to gain teacher attention. The teacher sets a silent buzzer on her phone for 15 minutes and when it goes off she offers the student a break.

• Calling out functions to gain teacher attention. Whenever the student calls out the teacher reminds them they must raise their hand.

Multiple Choice

Pick the one that ir prevention and function matched.

• Arguing functions to avoid peers (getting sent out of class). Before every group activity, the teacher gives the student a choice: "Do you want to work with friends, or do it by yourself?"

• Arguing functions to avoid peers (getting sent out of class). Before every group activity the teacher gives the student a choice: "Who do you want to work with?"

• Arguing functions to avoid peers (getting sent out of class). Before every group activity the teacher reminds the student "Don't yell, its disrespectful"

Reminder

• Prevention strategies are changes initiated by the teacher - they can clearly be seen/heard/observed in the environment before any behavior from the student

• Prevention strategies should either eliminate/reduce the trigger (directly affect the trigger) or make replacement behavior more likely (by telling or showing the student what to do)

• Hope this helps! :)