The Problem
One of the biggest behavior issues I've seen stems from the need for control. A student may move very slowly getting her pencil out to make the whole class wait. A student refuses to complete his assignment, despite the fact he has the capacity and drive to do so. Why? Simply put, control.
Students in special education (especially the more severe) have a life that is run by others. Their clothes are chosen for them each morning. Their meals are planned by someone else. They do not get to choose their classes in school. They have little independence and little control in their life. There is one thing they can control though. Their behavior.
The Solution
The struggle for control is usually pretty easy to identify. The problem arises when trying to come up with a solution to this problem. Obviously, the student feels like they have no choices in their life. So the goal is to introduce something they can systematically control. This may be in the form of a plant the student can grow and take care of. Maybe it's choosing from a list of snacks to choose from the store. Perhaps you get the family involved and the kiddo can choose their outfit each day. Whatever you choose to give them control over, make sure they won't have to relinquish that control too often (like letting them choose how long to take a break).
It may seem like it's just easier to do the opposite, because after all, don't kids need to learn how to behave when they aren't in control? True, but the first and foremost thing is that we meet our kids needs. Second, is teaching them. After meeting their needs is when we can address more complex things like how to react when we don't feel in control. Needs come first.
Special thanks to Jill Dolbeare, Kim Durrer, Fran Taylor, and Leah Green for input on this post.
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