Tuesday Tip – Responding to Sensory Information

We all respond to sensory information differently.  That means we may be more sensitive or less sensitive to sensory input (sound, touch, taste, etc.) than others.  Think about the teenager who likes the music loud and the parent who wants it quieter.  Although there are variations in the neurotypical population, there are a significantly higher number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders who experience sensory differences.  It is important to discover the individual “sensory profile” of students.  Many things that we call behavior problems may actually have a link to sensory issues.

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Tuesday Tip – Learned Chains of Behavior

For as much as it is said that our targeted students have difficulty learning, sometimes they learn a series of behaviors-a chain of behaviors- where one behavior gradually escalates to another behavior which escalates to another, eventually leading to a full-blown incident.  These situations can become a significant challenge because once a chain begins it may be difficult to interrupt or change the student’s behavior to keep him from completing the escalation through the whole chain.  The goal becomes trying to identify what triggers the beginning of the chain.  Careful observation and data collection can help solve the problem.

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Tuesday Tip – Check Vision and Hearing

There are occasions where a child’s different behavior is the result of a vision problem or a hearing problem.  If he can’t see or he can’t hear well he will not perform well.  Sometimes the obvious is not recognized.

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Tuesday Tip – Finding Solutions to Behavior Problems

The most critical step in attempting to solve behavior problems is to identify WHY the behavior difficulties exist.  Unless you know why a problem is occurring, you will have difficulty finding a good long term solution.  Sometimes the answer is obvious.  Sometimes it takes considerable detective work.  But remember that the goal of discovering why is an important first step.

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Tuesday Tip – Keep a Balanced Perspective

When observing children who are demonstrating typical development, it becomes immediately obvious that there is a broad range of what is considered acceptable behavior.  In addition, it becomes quite clear that there are some predictable reasons for students not doing what is expected.  As children with special needs mature, they will experience many of the same challenges and milestones that their peers face.  In addition, they will need to surmount some additional challenges resulting from the learning style differences, communication needs, and other individual deficiencies that result from their particular disability.  It’s important to balance your thinking so you can sort through to see which issues are related to a child’s special needs and which things occur just because kids are kids.

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