Revealing the hidden, adaptive benefits of behaviors.
Welcome to the book study. We are so excited to join in a collegial discussion with on this very important and ever-present topic.
Let’s Get Started:
Please take a couple of sentences to introduce yourself to the group. By taking this step you will not only test the waters of this online discussion format, but you will also virtually and asynchronously connect with our online community. Get in the habit from the start to check the discussions daily (as much as your schedule will allow) to engage in the discussions that are capturing your attention. As we begin with introductions, reply to at least one person in our discussion community with what you would like to gain from this course, or what you find in common with the person you are replying.
Now to this week’s reading:
As we begin we will be reading the Introduction and Chapter 1. This material frames the overview of the course. As you do your reading, reflect on your experiences with students with whom you have addressed behavioral challenges. How did you determine which approach to take? Where were you successful? Where were you unsuccessful?
Select a student. Without divulging confidential information, apply the Polyvagal Theory to him or her as you progress through the class. In chapter 1, consider the developmental background and current level of readiness for age appropriate interactions in school as you address these questions.
Question of the week
Why is it important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior before developing a plan to change it? How would determining the difference between an intentional behavior and one that is a response to stress impact how you interact with a child?
Goodrich-Garza Education 
I am excited to begin. Let’s get reading!
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It is important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior before developing a plan to change it because we may end up treating the behavior ineffectively. The book states that wide ranges of techniques or conflicting techniques can lead us confused and frustrated. I can only imagine how a child would feel.
A stress response would require the adult to provide a form of safety for the child. The adult should be intentional about building a secure relationship with the student. When this occurs and the student has a stress response, they will feel comfortable and safe with the adult. When they feel safe, the adult can create opportunities to develop self-regulation and intentional control of their behaviors. The way we respond to stress responses prioritizes emotional and relational safety. Conversely, intentional behavior responses might be met with compliance based goals/interventions.
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Hi Whitnee, Don’t forget to introduce yourself to the group. We have a range of participants in special and general education participating and it is useful to get to know the roles of the various colleagues. Thanks for your thoughts on the different approach to a stress-based behavior vs an intentional behavior. I have always felt that the ABC model was a bit too simplistic because of the philosophy that all behavior is to obtain or remove/avoid something or gain attention. The Polyvagal theory consideration of a “bottom up” approach to understanding behavior, steeped in the neurological system. While our educational system is fraught with various pulls on our time and attention, it is the hope of Beth and I that by providing another way to look at behavior we will be able to better support our students in their ability to benefit from the learning environment by supporting their development of healthy regulation.
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Great information, Whitnee!
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I like your thought Whitnee that when we respond to behavior without understanding the foundation of it we are a greater risk of providing an ineffective response. While our response may diffuse the moment, it does not alter the behavioral response.
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Hello everyone! I’ll start with a quick introduction. In August I will be entering my 20th year as a teacher, my 6th year in Tomball ISD, and my 3rd year at the junior high level. I have always taught classes outside of core content and love how much I flexibility I get with curriculum. By far, my favorite part of being an educator is connecting with kids. I am passionate about character development. I also just started my second year in the school counseling masters program at UT Tyler, so if things fall into place correctly, this will be my final year in the classroom. I’d really love to be a college and career counselor, but as I get deeper into the program, the more I am finding interest in other areas. I’ve become fascinated with how the brain works, particularly in connection to emotional development and regulation. So this book study comes at just the right time.
For as long as I can remember, my first reaction to a struggling student has been to reach out to their counselor to ask questions to tailor my approach. I thought I was just being nosy, but it turns out, I’ve always believed in determining etiology. I knew the concept, but I definitely didn’t know the word. Things started making sense when I read Dr. Bruce Perry’s (and Oprah) book, What Happened to You? There is always an explanation for behaviors and actions, the key is figuring out what it is, which is not easy to do with children. Understanding the why will guide us on the how to react to behaviors.
Recognizing a behavior that is a response to stress cues us to take action to offer security to a child. Making a child feel safe and secure in our care is foundational. The importance of relationship building is not a groundbreaking strategy, but it’s more important than ever to make sure that is happening. I’m sure we have all had students who behave for us better than others. Or who behave poorly for us, but not others. Almost always, the root of the behavior is in the connection with the student. Just like a student can’t learn from us if they don’t respect us, they can’t behave for us if they don’t feel secure.
As the book says, there is not a one size fits all approach to addressing behaviors. Here lies the complexity for a teacher. Since no child is the same, how can we ever assess the needs of each and every student to ensure safety to create a productive learning environment? This is what I am hoping to make sense of as I read further.
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Thanks Leslie. Welcome to the study. Your observations will lend great perspective to the discussion. I agree that the challenge of personal attention to each child is a huge challenge for us as we juggle the expanding expectations of the educational environment. As we go through the book, keep that in mind. What are some ways that you have developed good relationships with students in the classroom? What are some models of interaction that you have used that show the student that you value them as a person? (These are meant to be rhetorical, but thoughts and responses from anyone are invited).
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Leslie, I love your comment that said “Just like a student can’t learn from us if they don’t respect us, they can’t behave for us if they don’t feel secure.” It is so true that we need a relationship built on respect and security with our students first before we are able to to help them progress through anything. Thank you for the reminder 🙂
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I agree with your comment about one size fits all. I mentioned that in my post as well. Connections are so important. I can think of many students who do better for one teacher over another. Relationships are the key nearly every time! Students want to feel safe and cared for.
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Hi Leslie!
I am also fascinated about how the brain works, especially how neuroplasticity gives our brains the ability to change and grow based on our experiences. I am also interested to keep reading this book to learn about the brain science behind the author’s approach to managing challenging behaviors.
I loved your concept about how if a student doesn’t respect a teacher they can’t learn from them, and how if they don’t feel secure they wont be able to behave. I agree with you if there is not a connection with the student where he feels safe, then he will not be in a place where he will be able to learn because he will feel the need to look for safety.
Thank you for your post!
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Hello everyone. I am Gay DeVilla and I am an educational diagnostician. Next school year will be my third in Tomball ISD.
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When I started teaching, I assumed that all of my students understood right from wrong and therefore were able to control their behaviors and “make good choices”. And like many I assumed that a strategy that worked for one student would work for all. However this does not take into account the individual student’s needs. It is important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior in order to fully understand what works best for the student so that we can design a plan that effectively addresses a child’s response to his/her experiences.
Determining the difference between an intentional behavior and a behavior as a response to stress helps us understand the behavior and address it by forming a more supportive approach over an oversimplified approach (ie: finding a replacement behavior so that the child can get what he/she wants to obtain in a positive way).
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Hi Gay,
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree 100% with your idea that often our responses to behavior are sometimes inappropriate and oversimplified. We are very complex beings and there are times when even the child him or herself does not understand what causes their dysregulation. We have to have a good understanding of the child. I think you will find the next few chapters really broaden your understanding of the complexities of behavior and some strategies that can support the student.
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Before school started last year one of our AP’s did a PD on adolescent brains. He talked about how the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed in adolescents and that has a lot to do with their behavior. That stuck with me every time a kid acted out, made a poor decision, or any of the other things that make junior high kids special. I started visualizing them as a giant brain. Or I would chant “brain, brain, brain” to myself. After teaching mostly upperclassmen in high school for 17 years, adjusting to junior high behaviors has been a struggle. (Brain!)
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And as we know, a child’s chronological age is not always reflective of their developmental level. 🙂
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I love this Leslie. “Brain, brain, brain”. I will definitely remember this. People often talk about how resilient children are especially when they undergo a significant event. This book has made me think a bit differently about that. It may be that what we see on the outside is resilience, but what is on the inside is very complex. Sometimes I think everyday in a young teenager is a significant event. Their physical. mental and emotional balance is evolving so quickly. It is certainly a unique time in development.
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I think more needs to be done to teach resilience.
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Junior high students are really interesting. I loved teaching this age group though but like you said, each one is a different brain and needs “individualized” understanding.
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Hi Gay, yes the bottom up approach is not natural to us. I’m not sure if it is in our training or our upbringing but I do think we all tend to have an initial response of right/wrong, cause/effect. The NVCI training really helped me with this. It gave me a response sequence that paused my gut response and gave me time to look deeper.
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Hi, my name is JoAnne Newcomb and I have been working in the Tomball ISD for 3 years as a special education teacher in the PALS department. Next year I will be switching to the SLL department for Tomball ISD. Being a special education teacher working with students with many abilities has been a pure joy in my teaching career. I have learned through being a part of their lives and educational career many different aspects of teaching that I enjoy as well as the educational advantages they teach me on a daily basis. No one day will be the same.
When diving into the book I saw myself and my students with every word I was reading. I truly did not realize the many different strategies that are required when truly dealing with some of the intense and different signs of behavior. When I started teaching students I went in with the misconception of using the top down approach because honestly that’s what I learned through school and teaching in the general education classroom (behaviors get sent to the office and dealt with outside the classroom mentality). I had to quickly change that method and began to learn the bottom up approach when working with students with special needs. I was taught by my students so many life long lessons of the different types of behaviors as well as how to better help and manage the intensity. Just like the chapter stated there is no one way method when it comes to behaviors. I learned through discussions with many different sources how to better help students during behavioral situations that range from stimming when upset to full meltdowns. One example is when I had a student that would stim that sounded like a running lawnmower when a storm was coming or even when they knew the lawn crew were coming. This to them caused major anxiety and as their teacher I had to look for the signs to help him manage through the really stressful times without disturbing the stim because that was comforting to them but still allowing the rest of the class to manage their own situations. Another example is having a student who was constantly in fight or flight mode because they did not know what was going on with their body and why they were feeling the intense stress and unsafety that was caused by the internal feelings in their body that are not visible to us on the outside. I had a LSSP put it in the perfect words when it came to explaining why we as educators and parents were seeing what we were seeing. It was stated they do not understand why their body feels that way and the first sign of the feeling they go into fight or flight and they go after the ones that they feel the most safe with. They are not intending to hurt you but you are their safety and they are asking you to help save them from the feeling that you don’t see but they feel. Once that was stated I was able to shift my thinking to more understand why it was happening and what I could do to better help him make it through the really hard times and celebrate the really good times. I am excited to read this book to learn additional strategies to better serve the students I work with daily and add to the wealth of knowledge that each one of them teach me daily.
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I love your post. To me I could sense the shift that you made once realizing the complexity of the child’s behavior. The feelings, which we cannot see, but they feel so strongly, really have an impact and can spiral quickly. By maintaining our calmness in the presence of what can be significant behavior, we can establish a safe environment that prevents the escalation of behavior.
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Knowing the students you had the past two years Joanne, I feel like I know exactly what you mean. I’m always impressed with how teachers and paraprofessionals who work with students with significant behaviors retain their compassion for the student and don’t let the behaviors define the relationship with the student.
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JoAnne, I also saw and thought about my students when reading the first chapter. I feel like I have a better understanding about a few of my students behavior just from the introduction of the book. Different behaviors from students have taught me more about behaviors than just reading. Experience is key to understanding behaviors. I am also excited to learn more for the book.
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Joanne, I think you were at the NVCI class this past week. As I read your post, especially the part where our students go “after” the ones that are their safety net, I knew it was you! This statement really made me reflect on the different instances I’ve had with students as well as with my own special needs child. For an adult that may not know, this statement really changes the perspective of the issue. Thank you so much for sharing here as well.
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I am Kathy Bonds, a content specialist in special education. I’ve been in Tomball 9 years and 24 years in education.
when working with a student I try to look at the ABC’s of their behavior to help determine the function of their behavior. I like to have the big picture before I look at the details and then adjust that picture as I learn more details. I love the idea that all behavior is communication. I’ll add to that that we are the Sherlock Holmes in their lives to help determine the why. I am always looking for more ideas to help students and teachers be more prescriptive or intentional in what they are doing.
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I love the Sherlock Holmes label! We really are behavior detectives 🙂
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Hi Kathy,
So glad you have joined us. I know you will have good ideas as we work through this book. I’ll be interested to see if in the first three chapters if your perspective of obtaining a big picture first before looking into details changes. The bottom up process we consider in the first sections of the book have in previous years brought me frustrations as I can get hung up on it not being an underlying circumstance that we can change. Well I’ll leave that thought there for now. The later portions of the book really helped with that conflict.
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Hello everyone, My name is Steffinie Hardy and I just finished my first year as a Specialized Support Teacher at Creekview Elementary. I taught in the Structured Learning Lab for 5 years prior to that. I have been entrenched in trying to understand student behavior for the past 6 years and I am excited to learn another approach to understanding student behavior and what they are trying to communicate through that behavior.
Why is it important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior before developing a plan to change it?
It is important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior because If we don’t understand the reason for the behavior or why a child is acting a certain way, behavior will continue. The behavior may change form, but will ultimately be caused by the same need.
How would determining the difference between an intentional behavior and one that is a response to stress impact how you interact with a child?
Determining the difference between an intentional behavior and one that is a response to stress will impact my interactions with children because I will know where the behavior is coming from. Is the child being defiant and misbehaving on purpose? Or is the child having an emotional response to something I can help with? Knowing the cause will help me know how to best help the child navigate through their emotions.
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Hi Steffanie, I love your statement, “The behavior may change form, but will ultimately be caused by the same need.” Sometimes I think we never really address the need, but alter how the need is responded to with social skills training, or token systems, etc. You’ve got me thinking …
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Like Beth, I highlighted your statement, “The behavior may change form, but will ultimately be caused by the same need.” as well. So true. If the cause of the behavior is not addressed, even if we are able to effect change in the outward expression to some degree, the child will still have the same need. It is bound to pop up somewhere else.
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Hello everyone, my name is Shawn Lugbauer. This is my first year in Tomball. I’m going to be teaching SLL at Lakewood Elementary. I’m back in special ed after taking a 6 year break in a pre-k class. I’m excited to be in Tomball ISD and part of this book study.
Just like anything else we do in the classroom, it is important that we first consider the individual student before developing a behavior plan. We need to understand the why behind their behavior before we can successfully change it. We can do that by connecting with our students and taking the time to really get to know them. When we understand the cause, we can work to develop strategies that prevent the behavior from happening.
Our interaction to behavior that is a response to stress impact should be one of compassion and empathy so the student feels safe and work to develop strategies to prevent the behavior from happening.
When a behavior is intentional, the focus might be on giving the child the vocabulary they need to express themselves or maybe a replacement behavior.
I’m looking forward to reading this book and learning more about how to respond to behavior in a way that is more beneficial to the students.
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Hi Shawn and welcome to Tomball. You are going to love the team you will be working with. It’s great to have you not only join the district but also to join us in this book study. Yes, what underlie a behavior takes time and intentionality to discern. This book provides several methods all with excellent examples of what the methods look like in practice. I also like to think it takes a team. We often communicate with parents to support a student’s behavior, but something I see in Tomball that I’ve not seen in other districts is how engaged administrators get in helping to discern and intervene when behavioral needs occur. Great to have you join us.
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Hi Shawn, Welcome to Tomball. As we progress through the book, I hope you and the others will share some strategies that you have learned and used to develop relationships in your classrooms. Developing relationships takes time. With a new year upon us at the end of the book study, it might be nice to have some ideas gathered through the course of the study, from both the book and each other.
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My name is Sheri Mohle. I’m starting my 9th year at Northpointe Intermediate. I am the Advanced Academics Specialist, and I love what I do.
As we all know, “one size fits all” doesn’t work for clothes or children. We see this every day when we are working with students. It is commendable that in years past, those seeking answers on what the issue was with a child, tired to come up with reasons and diagnoses. However, they didn’t know to go deeper. While there are symptoms that tend to gravitate toward a certain diagnosis, we need make sure we don’t stop there. We need to look farther. As we all know, COVID isolation did damage to the mental health of many adults and children. We are still trying to deal with the fallout. We don’t know all that happened, so we must dig deeper to find out why this behavior started. Then, we can start at ground zero and do what is best for the child.
When intentional behaviors are done, student are aware of what they are doing. Can these come from an underlying case? Yes, however a stress response come when a child doesn’t feel safe or doesn’t have the capability to deal with a situation in a way that is expected. We have to realize this is something the child can’t control. When we accept this, we can make a road map, doing the correct things for that child. We can now begin to see positive change in the child.
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Thank you Sheri for your response and bringing out the purpose of a diagnosis and how little information it truly provides us when considering strategies to support a student. In a medical model a diagnosis is a set of symptoms that are managed with some type of intervention. But as you have indicated, when we seek to support a student with behavioral needs, I have to remind myself that what underlies the behavior will differ between individuals, time periods, and contexts.
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I agree with your “one size fits all” is not the way we tackle the behaviors that are in the classroom. Each student is different and what may work on one student does not work on the next. Thus making the road map difficult at time and time consuming but once there is a solid plan in place and with many changes it will tend to improve. With that said it is not always the best answer. I also agree with your saying that “doesn’t have the capability to deal with a situation in a way that is expected” but also have reservation when it is a behavior that is not seen at home versus in the educational setting. That is when we have to step back and investigate the whole situation and why it is happening in certain places and not others. Those are the road maps that are very hard to navigate and takes a lot of patience and determination on parents and educators alike. I see the struggle on both sides and sometimes that road map takes a long time to figure out.
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Hello! My name is Gisselle Gonzalez, and I’m a new specialized support teacher. I will be teaching at Timber Creek Elementary. I am very excited and grateful to be a part of the Tomball ISD team.
One of the reasons it is important to understand the etiology of a behavior is because knowing the cause behind the behavior helps us provide individualized support for a student. Instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, we will be able to develop a customized behavior plan that has a great chance of success because it takes into account where the student is developmentally, making it easier for them to adopt and benefit from it.
Determining if it’s an intentional behavior or a response to stress will help me better understand the cause of the behavior and decide the best course of action to take. If it is an intentional behavior, the student could probably benefit from a behavior plan that teaches the student a replacement behavior to get what they need. If it is a reaction to stress, then we would need to focus on making the child feel safe and developing a trusting relationship with them. Either way, it is important to develop a sense of compassion for the child and try to figure out what the challenging behavior is telling me about my student.
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Welcome Gisselle,
So true. All behavior can communicate, but challenging behaviors really draw a response more quickly. Children who act out as opposed to withdrawing often get reinforced because of the attention that they glean from adults and peers. We can even see stress behaviors that morph into learned behaviors. I love when I am in the classroom and the teachers call children by name and give a compliment based on the child’s level. Drawing attention to the positive can often build the child’s confidence.
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Hello everyone! My name is Shannon Marshall and I just finished my 18th year of teaching. I will be starting my 9th year at Wildwood in the fall. I was teaching ECSE but now I will be teaching SLL in the fall. I am excited about this book study because I LOVE BEHAVIOR! Learning more about behaviors, understanding behaviors, and helping adapt and shape behaviors is going to be very beneficial for my students.
Just from reading the introduction and chapter one I already have another way to help pinpoint a student’s behavior or the reason for the behavior before making a plan to address the behavior. I think we know one size does not fit all but sometimes it’s the only behavior knowledge we have. We try what we know, which a lot of the times does not help, solve, or address the challenging behaviors of some students. Finding the right approach seems easier said than done. I have used the “iceberg” approach, using the behaviors I see to influence the plan we put in place. Looking below the surface makes sense to me and I am excited to learn more about this and how to figure out what is going on below the surface.
Whether it is an intentional behavior or a response to stress both should be addressed in a way that is helpful to the student not adding any additional stress. Forming a relationship with all students so they feel safe and cared for is an important first step. After having a positive relationship formed, you can begin to form a plan to help regulate the student’s behavior and help the student to regulate their behavior. I believe just knowing the student doesn’t have control over their behavior and it is due to stress helps you take a more empathetic approach and, helps you have more patience with that particular challenging behavior. If a student is displaying an intentional behavior, then I might use some of the strategies that we have been taught. Strategies for intentional behaviors might be a token system, first then chart, incentives, or maybe just a prompt or reminder about behaviors.
I’m looking forward to learning more about behavior in chapter two!
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Hi Shannon. I agree it is important for the tone of the classroom to be one that is supportive for all students. I find that the more information we learn about a child, and the stronger partnerships we can form with the child and his or her family, the more successful we will be in addressing behaviors, regardless of the root cause, but particularly those bottom up behaviors.
I also agree that knowing that a child does not have control helps us to be more empathetic. What is important for all of us to remember is that these reactions are not isolated to our students. They are part of all of our DNA as human beings. As we go through the book you will be challenged to explore your own reactions as well in order to better relate to the content. Only share what you feel comfortable sharing, but try to be very intentional in reflecting on the content and activities as we forge ahead together.
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Hello! This is Patsy Ward and I am an occupational therapist in Tomball ISD, heading into my 6th year. I have appreciated everyone’s comments about trying to understand the “why” of behaviors and the complex world children must navigate. When students are not in attendance at school, we really do not know what they are experiencing elsewhere- home, community, etc. I am hopeful for the things I can learn in this book as I love “brain science” combined with compassion. I frequently remind myself that I never even really know if a student “spilled their milk” before coming to school. Then it can be overwhelming the think that their survival instincts to overcome each challenge has been built on how their caregivers mold their interaction and reaction to each and every moment.
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So true Patsy, I often use the illustration of the child having a meltdown in the hall between the classroom and cafeteria. We don’t know from the surface if the child fell, did not want to leave an activity, was disturbed by the noises or smells in the cafeteria, or maybe felt sick just to name a few things. The more we learn about the child the more successful we can be in helping them establish their calm and readiness for learning.
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That is so true Patsy, you never know what takes place with a child and what might be a trigger.
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My name is Kim Keller, I am an occupational therapy assistant and have been in Tomball ISD over 13 years. I often talk with teachers and paraprofessionals regarding behaviors of students. I do like the fact that it is stated that behaviors need to be viewed as strength based versus deficit based to help identify ways the student is helping themselves regulate. It is important to try to figure out what is the underlying cause of the behaviors, so the interventions are successful.
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Thanks Kim. I am glad you are joining the discussion. You have a great perspective in the variety of students, classrooms and strategies you observe as you travel to different campuses. I like the strength based approach that you describe. Tapping in to a student’s competence is one way to build their ability to develop and grow their awareness of “what works best” for them. That ties into the development of self advocacy that can support them as they advance through school.
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Good evening, all! My name is Nelly Garcia. I have been a Bilingual Special Education Teacher at Canyon Pointe Elementary for 5 years. Many years prior, I was a Bilingual classroom teacher in Cy-Fair and Klein. I was a Parent Advocate in Cy-Fair as well. Shortly after my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I felt a calling to teach in the special education program. I was so eager to learn everything and anything about special education, IEP’s, etc. Behavior, however, never crossed my mind to really dive in to study since honestly, I thought it fell more into parenting. Through this reading, I learned that this is a very top-down approach when I was really supposed to see my son’s behavior, for instance, as bottom-up. My son had very difficult days trying to request things. He would meltdown because I didn’t understand him. Those days were difficult because at the book says, “Emotional co-regulation with caring adults leads to successful self-regulation.” In my case, this didn’t happen. I wasn’t able to emotionally regulate, therefore, my non-verbal child wasn’t able to either. Those were trying days, thankfully as I have learned more and more about behavior I have been able to help my child and my students process their emotions and behaviors.
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Hi Nelly,
Maya Angelou has a famous quote, “Do the best you can, and when you know better, do better.” Each one of us, in this course, recognizes that there is much to learn about behavior. I applaud you for taking this step. I will look forward to your insights as you share from your extensive background as a parent, teacher and parent advocate.
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Hi, I’m Luis Escalante, computer science teacher. Reading the first chapter of “Beyond Behaviors” truly resonated with me. Like many educators, I initially believed in a traditional approach to managing behaviors through a system of rewards and punishments. However, this book has shed light on the importance of understanding the underlying causes of behaviors. Dr. Delahooke’s introduction to brain science and the development of children’s ability to regulate emotions has been eye-opening. It’s crucial to see behavior as a form of communication, indicating underlying needs or distress. By moving beyond labels and diagnoses, we can adopt a more compassionate and science-based approach to support our students. I’m excited to apply these insights to help my students better navigate their challenges and achieve their full potential.
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Welcome Luis. One of the things I like about the Summer is that we get to interact with teachers and staff in all different departments and roles in the district. As a computer science teacher, you see students in a different context than in English and History. To me, one of the beauties of the study of behavior is that we all have it. Teasing out what is causing barriers to learning can have a positive impact on all students. I look forward to reading your insights as we forge ahead.
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My name is Mariana Escalante. This upcoming year is my fifth year as Spanish teacher. Reading the first chapter of “Beyond Behaviors” has been a transformative experience for me. Dr. Delahooke’s insights into the brain science behind children’s behavior and the impact on their developing nervous systems have deeply touched me. Understanding that challenging behaviors are a child’s way of communicating their needs or distress has changed how I view my students.
The introduction to Polyvagal Theory, which explains the fight-or-flight response, was particularly enlightening. It made me realize how important it is to respond with empathy and understanding rather than trying to control behavior through external measures. As a mother of two, I find this perspective invaluable both in my classroom and at home. Recognizing the signs of distress and understanding the root causes of behaviors is crucial in helping my own children navigate their emotions.
By moving beyond labels and diagnoses, we can truly connect with our students and support them in a more meaningful way. I am eager to implement these strategies in my classroom and to continue learning how to better support my students’ emotional and behavioral needs. This book is a powerful reminder that our role as teachers is not just to educate, but to understand and nurture each child’s unique journey.
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Hello Mariana, it’s wonderful to meet you! Your dual perspective as both a teacher and a mother resonates with me. Applying these insights at home and in the classroom not only helps us connect more deeply with our students and children but also fosters a more compassionate and effective approach to behavior management.
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Hi Mariana. Yes, the Polyvagal theory, and the focus on developmental readiness are two big points of consideration that, to me, add dimension to the study of behavior. Two things that move beyond the simplistic behaviorist model of escape, obtain or attention seeking. When I look at a child who is dysregulated I can only imagine how horrible that must feel=out of control, chaotic, in a word frightening. As adults, sometimes we can manage our responses to things that perhaps, when we were children, caused us distress. Seeking to understand our students and guide them through that process will have a profound effect on their ability to learn and progress. You are right. Labels and diagnoses don’t tell the whole story. They provide one part of the information that we need, and may provide the eligibility for some services, but we miss the boat if that is where we stop learning about the child.
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Hello everyone, my name is Sarah Stewart, and I currently serve as the Coordinator of School Operations at Tomball Star Academy. Prior to this role, I was a special educator for 21 years. One of my roles at TSA is to support our students who receive special education services. A student I will focus on while progressing through this course struggles with maintaining focus, adhering to proper hygiene practices, and demonstrating academic independence.
To help him succeed in his college classes (he will start taking them at LSC in the Fall), we are working hard to teach him strategies to address these challenges. Determining the etiology of his behaviors is crucial for developing effective and compassionate interventions. It is important to understand whether his behaviors are stress responses or intentional actions. By applying the Polyvagal Theory and considering his developmental background, we can better understand the root causes of his behaviors. This understanding shapes how we interact with him, ensuring that our approach is supportive, empathetic, and tailored to his unique needs.
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Hi Sarah, I am very excited to have your participation in the study. I am hopeful that you can bring some of your insights as to what contributed to the success or challenges of those students that you worked with in the LifePath program as well as those students who are academically strong but still have behavioral challenges that can impact their success. The behaviors that cause challenges are not always hitting, tantrumming, etc, but could be those that you describe regarding hygiene and more executive functioning (seeing alternatives, planning, organization).
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My name is Kimberly Lambright. In my 30 years as an educator, I have fulfilled a variety of roles from elementary classroom teacher in grade levels PK-8 (all subjects) and as an elementary and junior high school assistant principal. I have been in Tomball for the past 11 years at Decker Praire Elementary and am currently serving as one of the music teachers.
I am looking forward to this book study and the ways it can help students in my classroom.
Steffinie Hardy, I love you format and am using it as well.
Why is it important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior before developing a plan to change it?
Each child has a different upbringing and the etiology for each child’s behavior will be different. Applying a “one size fits all” approach can do more harm than good.
We all have been put on medications for this symptom or that. However, what we all want is to get to the root of the problem so there are no more symptoms to medicate. Behavior is no different.
How would determining the difference between an intentional behavior and one that is a response to stress impact how you interact with a child?
Knowing the difference between an intentional behavior and a response to stress would directly impact how I interact with a child. Taking the time to understand this for each behavior will change how each behavior is approached.
We all have both of these that effect our own behaviors. It is often difficult as an adult to determine which one we are dealing with in the heat of the moment ourselves. Expecting a child to notice and correct their behavior is not practical and leads to more frustration for all parties involved.
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Yes, Kimberly, a very good easy to follow format. I like it too. You comparison to taking a medication is great. The symptoms of behavior are only the surface. When we “treat” the surface we may improve the moment but don’t actually address the “behavior”.
Best,
Beth
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Hello All! I responded to the initial prompt right before leaving on vacation and am just getting settled back at home. I never introduced myself. My name is Whitnee Drake, and I am a physical therapist. I have been a PT for 12 years, working with children and adults with neuro-developmental diagnoses. I have worked in the educational setting for 3 years, and I just completed my second year in TISD. My PT program was doctorate level training, but I don’t recall addressing behaviors…at all. In my previous practice settings, I just needed my patients to stay engaged in a 30-60 minute treatment session, and I could move on to the next patient. In education, it is much different. I can honestly admit that this is an area where I need lots of education and training. I’m happy to be learning along with everyone!
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Good point Whitnee. The role of the private practitioner is very different then that of the school practitioner. One advantage is that, in a way, we can see children across time, as they respond to and develop strategies that help them participate better. I look forward to reading your “Ah Ha” moments as we move through the book.
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Whitnee, I appreciated how you and Delahooke both expressed how your education programs didn’t address certain things. I love being a part of a community that is always learning and growing so we can better help our kiddos and each other. I think a lot of learning comes from new experiences as we work with different kids, especially the kids who aren’t “successful.” Throughout the year, but especially at the end of the school year, I often reflect on or question what I could have done differently or better for my students. I also look forward to learning along with everyone and gaining some new perspectives on student behavior.
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Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Briley. This will be my 4th year in Tomball ISD and as a teacher. I teach in the Developmental program at WCES. I enjoy learning more about the function of behavior. Many times we deal with hard behaviors and try to fix what we are seeing at the surface but there is so much lying beneath. Students need to be taught skills to help manage emotions just like adults do. The book states the first question we should ask isn’t how to get rid of it but rather what is this telling us about the child? As we get to know the student better, we can determine if their response is intentional or a stress response. I have seen most responses from my students are stress responses. It does change how we interact and respond to the behaviors. I am looking forward to learning more techniques to take a deeper dive in the meaning of certain behaviors.
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Hi Lauren,
Great to have you in the study. I too always looked for the function of the behavior before reading this book. I would think, are they obtaining, avoiding, escaping? This book does make you go deeper.
Best,
Beth
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Welcome Lauren. I love your summary statement, ” The book states the first question we should ask isn’t how to get rid of it but rather what is this telling us about the child?” I look foward to analyzing this process with you as we move through the book.
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Hello, everyone! My name is Molly Hofrichter and I am a specialized support teacher moving from TES to West this coming school year. I have been in Tomball for 4 years and have been teaching for 12 years. I apologize for being late to the game, but I couldn’t access the discussion posts while camping last week.
It is important to determine the etiology of a child’s behavior before developing a plan to change it because we have to understand the function or unseen causes of a child’s behavior before we can prevent, change, or replace it. If we try to make a plan that is inappropriate for that child, it probably won’t help or might make things more frustrating for that child (and ourselves). This results in us seeing more of the same or new behaviors. An intentional behavior requires a different approach than a behavior that is a response to stress because they require different supports based on what that individual child needs at that exact moment or day. The child I’m thinking of throughout this book study expressed to me several times during crisis that she “can’t control” this or she “can’t do” that. She said she’s seeing a doctor because she can’t help her behavior, but “he’s not helping and he’s supposed to be helping her.” In these moments, she isn’t going to be supported through a “top down” response. For example, when I asked her if she was ready to start work or needed a break she once said, “you always say that!” or “you always ask me if I need a break, but it doesn’t help.” Clearly, my response wasn’t helping her and I needed a new one. I’m excited for this book study to help me find new ways to help kids and help other educators by thinking of “how the brain and body work together” and how to “view behaviors as adaptations” because kids are often unknowingly responding to a real or perceived threat.
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So glad you joined us Molly, hope your camping trip was wonderful. That’s great that your are beginning this study with a specific student in mind. Hope you gain some new perspectives.
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Good evening! My name is Jennifer Hutto and I am starting my 4th year as a Specialized Support Teacher at Canyon Pointe Elementary. Prior to this, I worked as a special education paraprofessional in Tomball ISD starting in 2014, a natural transition from advocating and encouraging my son who has Autism.
I’m so thankful to be able to join in this book discussion, even if I’m a little late. Full disclosure: I had wanted to read this book and had ordered it last year but it has sat on my bookshelf ever since. Once I tracked down my copy, I was ready to join in. I’m so excited to get to experience the book with this group!
In reading the introduction and first chapter, it’s was apparent to me to see that I may have more frequently looked at behavior through the top-down lens so I’m excited to read more about bottom-up behaviors. Often our students who struggle with self-regulation and behavioral outbursts may also have a Behavioral Intervention Plan. While trying to better help understand a child’s behavior, BIPs frequently group behaviors into the traditional categories of non-compliance, attention seeking or task avoidance. I worry this may be over-simplified since these “labels” are only focused on the top part of the iceberg for each student. While these may be a good starting guide, it is up to us to investigate to learn more.
When determining the difference between intentional behavior and one that is a response to stress, I thought it was very poignant that the author stated that while a child who seems to be misbehaving may actually be in the process of “adapting and surviving.” This is such a heavy statement to consider that the child’s “misbehavior” is truly in that moment the only way they see themselves surviving the current stress-inducing stimulus.
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Hi Jennifer, Welcome to the study. You will have a multi-faceted perspective given that you are a parent, Para and now teacher. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts. Your last statement reminded me of one of the guiding theories in occupational therapy, that of occupational adaptation. The theory offers a description of the adaptation process of an individual as they try to respond to the challenges of their context or environment. One is hypermobility- That means that they keep trying various solutions without really following through on any one. Another is hyperstability, or basically, you get stuck. These constructs seem to get repeated in various formats through many descriptions of behavior. When combined with the stressor and polyvagal response of fight or flight we really see the need to provide a safe environment with the right level of press or expectation or demand to move the child forward. By establishing a relationship with the student we can see where that point is.
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Welcome Jennifer, yes good point that our BIPs are a direct response to the antecedant-behavior-condition (ABC) perspective. You’ve made me think, should we add to the BIP? Maybe relationship building strategies?
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Good Morning! My name is Lorina Rios and I am starting my 4th year teaching in Tomball ISD and 2nd year as a Specialized Support Teacher at Rosehill Elementary.Good Morning! My name is Lorina Rios and I am starting my 4th year teaching in Tomball ISD and 2nd year as a Specialized Support Teacher at Rosehill Elementary.
So I’m a little late, lots of travel for baseball tournaments, moving, and getting current home ready to list, so definitely has been a busy summer thus far but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be apart of this book study.
I had a challenging first and second year of teaching, as much of my time was spent managing behaviors and figuring out how best to support my students who exhibited them. While providing individual instruction came naturally to me, thanks to my knowledge and passion for teaching, handling behavioral issues was something I hadn’t fully anticipated. I quickly realized that teaching involves much more than delivering curriculum content.
Starting this book has me engaged and eager to reflect on past situations and learn how to handle them better in the future with the knowledge I will gain.
Determining the cause of a child’s behavior is crucial before developing a plan to change it because understanding the underlying reasons allows for more effective and appropriate interventions. Each situation is unique, so knowing how to approach it requires identifying the cause of the behavior. For example, a child acting out due to a learning disability needs different strategies than one acting out due to a lack of social skills. Empathy and support are also key reasons for understanding the cause. Knowing the root of the behavior helps foster empathy and allows us, as teachers, to provide the necessary support. For instance, a child struggling with trauma may need a nurturing approach, while a child testing boundaries might benefit more from consistent and clear limits.
Determining whether a behavior is intentional or a response to stress significantly impacts how you interact with a child. Your approach and goals will differ based on whether the behavior is intentional or stress-related.
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Hi Lorina. Welcome. Good observations regarding how to best approach behaviors with different causes. I look forward to you sharing your indights going forward. You DO have a very busy summer!
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Week 1:
Looking at a student’s “iceberg”, we can hopefully gain some insight into the etiology of their behaviors. I feel that their iceberg is the same underneath the surface, no matter what behaviors we are seeing on the surface. I am thinking for most of the students I see, it could be very difficult to determine what is intentional and what is a response to stress. I’m not sure how to separate that intentional behaviors could be an ‘in the moment’ reaction to stressors, making that behavior a response to stress. Reading this first chapter, self-regulation of stressors can be very challenging for students. So, possibly, by determining the etiology of a child’s behavior would enable the development of interventions for students, and possibly, those would be similar whether the behaviors appears intentional or not.
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