Academic and Behavioral Interventions

Are you looking for ways to teach students to respond appropriately to normal experiences and interactions with peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to avoid crowded areas. As the student develops the capacity and ability to deal with typical physical exchanges with other students appropriately, slowly increase the student’s access to crowded areas.

2. Converse with the student to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., hitting others) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., accepting typical physical exchanges appropriately).

3. Teach the student to avoid typical physical exchanges by giving others room to pass, taking turns, watching the movement of others around him/her, etc.

4. Intervene early and often when there is a problem to prevent more severe problems from happening.

5. Make sure that others are not purposely bumping, touching, or brushing against the student.

6. Practice role-playing that involves typical physical exchanges (e.g., being bumped, touched, brushed against, etc.).

7. Teach the student acceptable ways to express displeasure, anger, frustration, etc.

8. Praise the student for responding properly to typical physical exchanges with others: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

9. Praise the student for responding properly to typical physical exchanges with others based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

10. Make sure the student will have adult supervision (e.g., at P.E., lunch, recess, break time, etc.).

11. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., responding properly to typical physical exchanges with other students) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

12. Teach the student to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).

13. Place the student away from classroom movement to lessen typical physical exchanges with other students.

14. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

15. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for strategies to teach students to respond appropriately to normal experiences and interactions with peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Refrain from placing the student in crowded situations where they might feel awkward.

2. Select a peer to escort the student in congested areas of the school to lessen typical physical exchanges and/or intercede should problems happen.

3. Get the student to practice appropriate oral exchanges that should be made when typical physical exchanges take place (e.g., “Excuse me.” “I’m sorry.” etc.).

4. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for responding properly to typical physical exchanges with other students at school.

5. Do not force the student to interact with others.

6. Get the student to practice dealing with typical physical exchanges in the classroom (e.g., peers bumping against their desk, bumping into others when forming a line, etc.).

7. Emphasize the logical consequences of failing to respond properly to typical physical exchanges with others (e.g., other students will avoid him/her, loss of friendships, loss of chance to interact with peers, etc.).

8. Use those times when the student accidentally bumps, touches, or brushes against other students. Assist the student in realizing that those physical exchanges were typical and accidental.

9. Get the student to lead the line, walk beside the line, walk at the end of the line, etc., to avoid or lessen typical physical exchanges with other students.

10. Praise those students in the classroom who respond properly to typical physical exchanges with other students.

11. Get the student to walk on the right-hand side of the hallways, stairways, etc.

12. Select a peer to model an appropriate way to respond to typical physical exchanges with other students.

13. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

14. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

15. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for hacks to encourage students not to make inappropriate comments to peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Give the student the chance to work with a peer who will be a model for communicating appropriately.

2. Do not force the student to interact with other students with whom they are not entirely comfortable.

3. Minimize stimuli that contribute to the student’s derogatory remarks, unacceptable gestures, arguing, calling names, cursing, etc.

4. Make sure the student knows the logical consequences of their unacceptable behavior(e.g., peers will choose not to interact with him/her, exclusion from learning activities, etc.).

5. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Repeated failure may result in anger and frustration that may take the form of unacceptable remarks.

6. Teach the student problem-solving skills: (a) find the problem, (b) find goals and objectives, (c) create strategies, (d) create a plan for action, and (e) carry out the plan.

7. Praise the student for communicating appropriately based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

8. Take the student away from the learning experience until they can demonstrate appropriate behavior.

9. Stop the student from becoming overstimulated by a learning experience(i.e., monitor or supervise student behavior to limit overexcitement).

10. Make sure the student knows that unacceptable remarks will not be tolerated at school.

11. Separate the student from the student(s) who is the primary stimulus or focus of the unacceptable remarks.

12. Convey your feelings in a socially acceptable manner.

13. Utilize language that is pleasant and calming when speaking with the student to avoid stimulating the student to make unacceptable remarks.

14. Require that the student find alternative, appropriate behaviors after an instance of unacceptable remarks (e.g., walking away from the peer, seeking teacher intervention, etc.).

15. Teach the student positive ways to interact with other students.

16. Teach the student to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).

17. Assess the appropriateness of the social situation concerning the student’s capacity and ability to function successfully.

18. Always treat the student with the utmost respect. Converse with the student objectively and professionally at all times.

19. Make sure the student will have adult supervision (e.g., lunch, break time, etc.).

20. Minimize learning activities that might threaten the student (e.g., announcing test scores aloud, making students read aloud in class, overly praising the success of high achievers, etc.).

21. Talk with the student to explain(a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., arguing, menacing, calling names, etc.) and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., following the rules, staying on-task, paying attention to their duties, etc.).

22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

23. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for ways to motivate students not to make inappropriate comments to peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Urge the student to interact with others.

2. Make sure that your remarks to the student are in the form of constructive criticism rather than criticism that can be perceived as personal, menacing, etc. (e.g., instead of saying, “You always make the same mistake.” say, “A better way to do that might be . . .” ).

3. Let the student voice their opinion in a situation to avoid becoming angry or upset.

4. Give the student a quiet space to work. This should be used as a way to lessen distractions, not as a punishment.

5. Make sure the student recognizes unacceptable remarks (e.g., call attention to the remarks when they happen, record each instance, terminate the learning experience when the comment occurs, etc.).

6. Praise the student for communicating appropriately with other students: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

7. Make the student aware of the number of times they make unacceptable remarks and unnecessary noises.

8. Teach the student appropriate words or phrases to use in situations of anger, stress, frustration, etc.

9. Alter or adjust situations that contribute to the student’s use of obscene or profane language (e.g., if a task causes the student to become upset, modify the task to a level at that the student can be successful).

10. Stop annoying or anxiety producing situations from happening (e.g., give the student tasks only on their capacity and ability level, give the student only the number of tasks that they can successfully manage in one sitting, lessen social interactions that encourage the student’s use of obscene language, etc.).

11. Give frequent chances for the student to meet new people.

12. Attempt several groupings to ascertain the situation in which the student is most successful.

13. Praise those students in the classroom who connect appropriately with teachers and other students.

14. Provide a predetermined signal (e.g., hand signal, oral signal, etc.) when the student begins to use unacceptable language.

15. Make sure that positive reinforcement is not inadvertently given for unacceptable language (e.g., paying attention to the student only when they are using profane or obscene language).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for genius tricks to encourage students not to make inappropriate comments to peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Refrain from ignoring the student’s unacceptable behavior. Ignored behavior may increase in frequency and may lead to contagion on the part of other students.

2. Do not criticize. On occasions where correcting the student, be honest yet compassionate. Never cause the student to feel negatively about themselves.

3. Place emphasis on individual success or progress rather than winning or “beating” other students.

4. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

5. Teach the student appropriate ways to express displeasure, anger, frustration, etc.

6. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and ( c) the duration of time scheduled for the task is sufficient.

7. Address the student calmly and deliberately rather than in a manner that would show evidence of shock and surprise.

8. Solidify on-task behavior by providing a full schedule of daily activities. Stop lag time from happening when the student would be free to take part in unacceptable behavior.

9. Get the student to practice appropriate oral exchanges that should be made (e.g., “Excuse me.” “I’m sorry.” etc.).

10. Give the student the chance to work with a peer who will be an appropriate model for interacting with other students.

11. Refrain from the discussion of topics that are sensitive to the student (e.g., divorce, unemployment, alcoholism, etc.).

12. Talk regularly with the student to monitor language used.

13. Intervene early and often when the student begins to make unacceptable remarks to other students to help prevent the student from losing control.

14. Create a routine (schedule) schedule of learning activities and tasks for the student so they know what to expect at all times.

15. Provide an appropriate physical distance from the student when interacting with them to avoid stimulating the student to make unacceptable remarks.

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for strategies to encourage students not to make inappropriate comments to peers ? If so, keep reading.

1. Embody using appropriate language at all times (e.g., use appropriate language to express disappointment, unhappiness, surprise, etc.).

2. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., communicating with other students in an appropriate manner) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met

3. Teach the student to respect others and their belongings by respecting the student and their belongings.

4. Refrain from arguing with the student.

5. Get the student to put themselves in the other student’s place (e.g., “How would you feel if someone called you dumb or stupid?”).

6. Refrain from confrontations with the student that lead to unacceptable behavior on the part of the student (e.g., give the student options for alternative tasks, other times to perform tasks, assistance in performing tasks, etc.).

7. Refrain from physical contact with the student who is likely to become orally abusive (e.g., a pat on the back may cause the student to argue, threaten, call names, curse, etc.).

8. Do not embarrass the student by giving them orders, requirements, etc., in front of others.

9. Provide visibility to and from the student. The teacher should be able to see the student; the student should be able to see the teacher. Make eye contact possible at all times.

10. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for communicating appropriately with other students at school.

11. Show the student why making unacceptable remarks and unnecessary noises is not acceptable (e.g., impolite, might hurt others’ feelings, etc.).

12. Be firm, fair, and consistent with expectations and consequences of behavior.

13. Provide instructions in a compassionate rather than a menacing manner (e.g., “Please finish your math paper before going to recess.” rather than, “You had better finish your math paper or else!”).

14. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, and instructions not grasped.

15. Talk with the student about ways they could deal with unpleasant experiences that would typically cause them to use obscene language (e.g., talk to the teacher, go to a quiet area in the school, talk with a counselor, etc.).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for genius tricks to encourage students to interact with their peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Choose nonacademic learning activities designed to enable appropriate interaction of the student and a peer (e.g., board games, model school building, coloring, etc.).

2. Using observation and interviews with other students, determine those characteristics of the student that interfere with successful interactions to ascertain skills or behaviors the student needs to create.

3. Get the student to practice appropriate interactions with the teacher(s).

4. Make sure the student knows that failing to interact properly with a peer may result in removal from the learning experience and/or loss of participation in future learning activities.

5. Urge the student to interact with others.

6. Get the student to interact with a peer for short periods to enable success. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time the student interacts.

7. Do not force the student to interact with someone with whom they are not entirely comfortable.

8. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for interacting with peers at school.

9. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., sitting near another student, talking to another student, etc.) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

10. Praise the student for interacting with peers based on the duration of time they can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

11. Get peers to invite the student to take part in school or extracurricular learning activities.

12. Solidify the development of friendships with peers (e.g., designate learning activities for the student involving peers, give the student and a peer joint duty, etc.).

13. Talk with the student to explain(a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., not talking, sharing, etc.) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., talking, sharing, etc.).

14. Praise the student for interacting with peers: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

15. Give organized learning activities for the student to take part in before, during, and after school (e.g., board games, softball, four square, tetherball, jump rope, flash cards, etc.).

16. Give the student the chance to work with a peer who will be an appropriate model for interacting with other students.

17. Urge the student’s peers to include them in free-time learning activities.

18. Praise those students in the classroom who interact properly with peers.

19. Urge the student to become involved in athletic learning activities.

20. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

21. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

22. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for ways to motivate students to interact with their peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Select an outgoing, non-menacing peer to help the student interact more properly with peers.

2. Organize their surroundings so that the student has many chances to interact with peers.

3. Get the student to run errands with a peer to enable interaction.

4. Organize a sociometric learning experience with the class to ascertain the peer who would most prefer to interact with the student.

5. Make sure the student knows that interacting with a peer is contingent upon appropriate interactions.

6. Teach the student appropriate ways to interact with another student (e.g., how to greet another student, suggest learning activities, share learning materials, problem-solving, taking turns, converse, etc.).

7. Observe interaction closely, so the peer with whom the student interacts does not encourage the student’s unacceptable behavior.

8. Make sure that the interaction is not so stimulating as to make successful interaction with another student complicated.

9. Include the student in extracurricular learning activities to urge interactions with peers.

10. Select an older peer with desirable social skills to interact with the student (e.g., in the play area, cafeteria, hallways, etc.).

11. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Failure may cause the student to be reluctant to interact with peers.

12. Teach the student problem-solving skills so they may better deal with problems that happen in interactions with another peer (e.g., talking, walking away, calling upon an arbitrator, compromising, etc.).

13. Select a peer with whom the student is most likely to be able to interact successfully (e.g., a student with similar interests, background, classes, behavior patterns, nonacademic schedule, etc.).

14. Organize interactions (e.g., create rules, limit the stimulation of the learning experience, limit the length of the learning experience, consider time of day, etc.) according to the needs/abilities of the student.

15. Restrict chances for interaction on those occasions when the student is not likely to be successful (e.g., when the student has experienced academic or social failure prior to the scheduled nonacademic learning experience).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for strategies to encourage students to interact with their peers? If so, keep reading.

1. Designate a peer to sit/work directly with the student (e.g., in various settings or learning activities such as art, music, P.E., on the bus, tutoring, group projects, running errands in the school building, recess, etc.). As the student becomes comfortable working with another student, slowly increase the size of the group.

2. Urge or reward others for interacting with the student.

3. Provide the student the responsibility of being a teacher’s aide for a learning experience (e.g., holding up flash cards, demonstrating the use of equipment, etc.).

4. Give the student the responsibility of tutoring a peer.

5. Ask the student to select a peer to work with on a specific task. If the student has difficulty choosing someone, determine the student’s preference by other means such as a class survey.

6. Select a peer to model appropriate interactions with peers for the student.

7. Attempt several groupings to ascertain the situation in which the student is most comfortable.

8. Assess the appropriateness of the social setting concerning the student’s capacity and ability to interact with peers.

9. Give the student many chances for social and academic success.

10. Designate the student to work with one or two peers on a long-term project (e.g., mural, bulletin board, report, etc.).

11. Create situations in which the student must interact (e.g., returning finished tasks to students, proofreading other students’ work, etc.).

12. Get the student to work with a peer who is younger or smaller (e.g., select a peer who would be the least menacing).

13. Create social rules: • Share learning materials. • Utilize a quiet voice in the school building. • Walk indoors. • Utilize care in handling learning materials. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

14. Ask the student to be the leader of a cooperative learning experience if they possess a mastery of skills or an interest in that area.

15. Ascertain the peer(s) with whom the student would prefer to interact and attempt to enable this interaction.

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

Are you looking for hacks to motivate students to interact with their teachers ? If so, keep reading.

1. Make the student practice positive oral communications with an identified number of teachers throughout the school day.

2. Make sure that all teachers interact with the student regularly and use positive oral communications when speaking to him/her.

3. Make the student interact with several adults (e.g., run errands, request learning materials, etc.) to increase the chances for communication with adults.

4. Teach the student appropriate ways to connect to teachers that a problem exists (e.g., “I don’t understand the instructions.” “I couldn’t finish my task.” “I can’t find all my learning materials. ” etc.).

5. Find teachers with whom the student most often interacts to make sure that they model appropriate oral communications for the student.

6. Spend some time each day talking with the student on an individual basis about their interests.

7. Teach the student skills in keeping positive conversations with teachers (e.g., asking questions, listening while the other person speaks, making eye contact, head nodding, making remarks that relate to what the other person has said, etc.).

8. Assist the student in becoming aware of their tone of voice when greeting, requesting, and/or disagreeing by calling attention to unacceptable voice inflections for the situation.

9. Ascertain an individual(s) in the school environment with whom the student would most want to converse (e.g., custodian, librarian, resource teacher, principal, older student, etc.). Let the student spend time with the individual(s) each day.

10. Praise those students in the classroom who interact properly with teachers.

11. Provide instructions in a compassionate rather than a menacing manner (e.g., “Please finish your math paper before going to recess.” rather than, “You had better finish your math paper or else!”).

12. Do not criticize. On occasions where correcting the student, be honest yet compassionate. Never cause the student to feel negatively about themselves.

13. Always treat the student with the utmost respect. Talk objectively at all times.

14. Do not embarrass the student by giving them orders, requirements, etc., in front of others.

15. Get the student to practice appropriate interactions with the teacher(s) in classroom learning activities (e.g., simulations, role-playing, etc.).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.