Ψ From the School Psychology team . . .

September 2014

Strategies for Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviour

1. Build a relationship. You will have more success if the student trusts that you are sincere in your efforts to
help.

2. Use praise to reinforce desired behavior. Students are “wired” to learn and typically want to succeed,
even though their behaviour, at times, communicates resistance. Students who are highly oppositional are
typically inundated with negative feedback and therefore, react defensively. Providing genuine, positive
feedback helps bring down the “wall” they have built around them.

3. Try using Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (Greene, 2014; livesinthebalance.org): Identify the
student’s concerns (empathy) and articulate your own expectations (define the problem). Together,
brainstorm solutions that address both the student’s concern and your own (invitation). Set a date with
the student to review your plan.

4. Treat chronic behaviour problems like a lagging academic delay (e.g., unable to read). Rather than using
consequences, identify the skill they are missing and teach it to the student.

5. Offer a choice between two acceptable options (e.g., “Do you want to work at your desk or in the Learning
Centre?”)

6. Whenever possible, use “start” requests rather than “stop” requests.

7. Outline “expected behaviour” and pre-determined consequences for “unexpected behaviour” in writing
to avoid discussing the issue in the moment and potentially escalating the situation. Pre-determined
expectations also reduces the likelihood a student will find a “grey area” to justify his/her actions.

8. When you have to respond to a non-negotiable behaviour, and provided the student has learned the
appropriate skill, simply state his/her choices and walk away or at least stop talking. Remember, when a
student is escalated, he/she is less able to engage in rationale thought. Use a non-emotional approach
with as few words as possible, otherwise stress levels in the brain remain elevated and your goal is to
deescalate the situation. For example:
“Sally”, you have two choices….you can ‘insert desired behaviour here’ or you can ‘insert undesired
behaviour here’.
a) If student chooses desired behaviour, offer verbal praise and recognition.
b) If student chooses undesired behaviour (e.g., leaves class), allow student to make choice, document and follow through with
pre-determined consequence.

9. When the student has deescalated, speak to him/her privately about the behaviour rather than in front of
peers to prevent loss of face and potential re-escalation, particularly if peer attention is reinforcing.

10. Important to note: The undesired behaviour may escalate before you see improvement but this doesn’t
necessarily mean you have to change the intervention. Under stress, we rely on what we know and resort
to “familiar” ways of coping. Consistent delivery for several weeks is required to make effective change.

Resources
 Green, R. (2014). Lost at school: Why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help
them. Scribner.
 www.livesinthebalance.org
 www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/documents/res-cprf-teachers-2007.pdf
The School Psychology contact for your school this year is Gina Mallard, School Psychologist
 www.cec.sped.org/

The School Psychology contact for your school this year is Gina Mallard, School Psychologist