Disciplining Students with Disabilities
Disciplining Students with Disabilities
Behavior management can be a key to student, teacher, and district success. When students with disabilities are served, effective behavior management is even more critical. Failure to implement proper discipline with students with disabilities can have financial consequences. For example, a federal judge recently ordered the Waukee Community School District in Iowa to pay $50,000 in attorney fees to the family of a young girl with autism who was inappropriately placed in a time-out room for hours. For students, the emotional toll can be greater, albeit intangible. Given what’s at stake, district administrators must be aware of both the educational and legal issues involved in managing the behavior of students with disabilities by implementing effective districtwide policies and implementing appropriate interventions on a case-bycase basis.
Behavior management can be a key to student, teacher, and district success. When students with disabilities are served, effective behavior management is even more critical. Failure to implement proper discipline with students with disabilities can have financial consequences. For example, a federal judge recently ordered the Waukee Community School District in Iowa to pay $50,000 in attorney fees to the family of a young girl with autism who was inappropriately placed in a time-out room for hours. For students, the emotional toll can be greater, albeit intangible. Given what’s at stake, district administrators must be aware of both the educational and legal issues involved in managing the behavior of students with disabilities by implementing effective districtwide policies and implementing appropriate interventions on a case-bycase basis.
Preventative Strategies
In spite of administrators’ best efforts, some students will not respond to districtwide strategies. For these students, many of whom will have disabilities, other and more individualized strategies will need to be implemented.
To begin with, when students exhibit chronic behavior problems, it is important for administrators to consider the root cause as well as the purpose for the misbehavior before attempting to identify an appropriate replacement behavior, such as deep breathing or exercising.
To begin with, when students exhibit chronic behavior problems, it is important for administrators to consider the root cause as well as the purpose for the misbehavior before attempting to identify an appropriate replacement behavior, such as deep breathing or exercising.
Strategies for All Students
Strategies for All StudentsIt is well-known that student learning is impacted negatively by poorly managed classrooms and buildings and impacted positively by well-managed classrooms and buildings. Administrators can take several steps to promote a districtwide climate that cultivates well-managed classrooms and buildings. For instance, administrators may do the following:
1. Have all teachers establish and define reasonable classroom norms or rules and communicate them in the appropriate manner to each student. Each norm or rule should be stated in positive terms. And students should understand each rule’s purpose.
2. Obtain a commitment from all staff to teach students appropriate school behavior in the same manner that academic skills are taught and reinforced. Administrators may even encourage teachers and counselors to provide formal lessons on social skills, interpersonal problem solving, and conflict resolution. Various programs are designed to assist schools with this training.
3. Have staff define expectations for various areas of each building. For example, have staff describe to students what respect “looks like” in the classroom, library, lunchroom, and restrooms. At the same time, ensure that norms or rules are consistent throughout the building. A common understanding of expectations will eliminate disagreements among students and staff and reduce anxiety for students.
4. Communicate these behavior expectations and consequences to parents and families. This will encourage support from home and will likely reduce conflicts.
By Allison Fetter-Harrott, Amy M. Steketee, Mary Dare
March 2009
1. Have all teachers establish and define reasonable classroom norms or rules and communicate them in the appropriate manner to each student. Each norm or rule should be stated in positive terms. And students should understand each rule’s purpose.
2. Obtain a commitment from all staff to teach students appropriate school behavior in the same manner that academic skills are taught and reinforced. Administrators may even encourage teachers and counselors to provide formal lessons on social skills, interpersonal problem solving, and conflict resolution. Various programs are designed to assist schools with this training.
3. Have staff define expectations for various areas of each building. For example, have staff describe to students what respect “looks like” in the classroom, library, lunchroom, and restrooms. At the same time, ensure that norms or rules are consistent throughout the building. A common understanding of expectations will eliminate disagreements among students and staff and reduce anxiety for students.
4. Communicate these behavior expectations and consequences to parents and families. This will encourage support from home and will likely reduce conflicts.
By Allison Fetter-Harrott, Amy M. Steketee, Mary Dare
March 2009