School Safety Plan

makelifehappen · Phoenix Joined: Feb 05, 2007 Posts: 548 Location: Toronto

It has been our experience that when dealing with the school system, there is this optical illusion that they know what your child needs are, have done many IEP's before, have worked with children "like yours", have extensive knowledge and training in how to work with and teach your AS child. I was never more appauled when I found our IEP sent home with 3, YES 3 goals and 2 modifications and one of these three measurable goals was to get her to the find her way to the bus independently! Are they for real??!!!!!

*shakes head*

I have asked here and on many other forums, groups, parent networks for suggestions for IEP's, but it seems that everyone is even more clueless than the last guy, as the school tends to write up this sort of rubbish and gets away with it! It kills me, daily, as I sit at my computer tapping away at my keyboard playing search engine Queen, to know that there are people out there that simply do not have the language, knowledge or resources to get the services that their children are entitled to and deserve. Asperger's is still being swept under the carpet and not given the full credit that it deserves as a ASD.

Here is a copy of the Safety Plan that we have created, drawing on many points from a sample one I was given recently, which identifies my child's needs and steers clear of the staff's needs (which is what the school board often writes up when they do the safety plan).

Best wishes!

Safety Plan

Behaviour

Anxiety: Tense body, Fidgeting, Stomachache, Headache, Holding her hands over her ears, Asking for a time out, Obvious physical signs of stress, Increased volume of voice/uncharacteristic manner, Fatigue, Lack of inertia

Trigger(s)

Hypersensitivities

Noise (Hearing): CAP Disorder, Bells, Fire drill, Gymnasium noise, Lunchroom activity/noise, Music class (instrumental), Unstructured times such as recess, lunch, entry and exit times in hallways, Lights, Fans, Air conditioning, Noisy traffic, Malls/restaurants/social gatherings or outings, White noise (classroom noises – desks sliding, pencil sharpener /tapping, chatter)
Temperature: Over heating – low heat threshold, Cold sensitive
Hunger: Hunger/thirst or low blood sugar, Allow AS CHILD FILL IN NAME ability to have snack, even during times of discipline
Visual distractions: Strobe lights, Flashing lights, Fast action scenes on television or video, Flickering florescent light
Tactile defensiveness: Enjoys tight clothing, Likes to be touched, but only on her own terms, Tags, Texture, Sock seams. Elastics, Snow pants, Underwear, Hats
Tastes: Sensitive to certain tastes and textures
Smells: Perfumes, Wood, Aftershave, Food, Plants, Animals
Transitions: Any routine variation, Schedule change, Supply teacher

Prevention Strategies

Remain Calm
Evaluate the extent of hyperactive behaviour to assess need for immediate or graduated response.
Either remove the trigger from AS CHILD FILL IN NAME or AS CHILD FILL IN NAME from the trigger in a calm, nurturing & non-punitive manner
Make sure the FM system is on especially if the class is noisy/assembly times difficulty may be due to high ceilings in school/echoing
Talk to AS CHILD FILL IN NAME quietly and reassure her that she is ok
Give plenty of advance notice as to changes in routine or schedules including reminders
Breakdown instructions into smaller steps
Offer visual and verbal instructions for assignments and rephrase or repeat to ensure comprehension
Assist in organizing her day with a visual schedule, agenda
Prepare AS CHILD FILL IN NAME for unstructured activities by rehearsing what she needs to do and advise her that she may seek a quieter place.
Ask AS CHILD FILL IN NAME if she has eaten appropriately
Consider turning florescent lights off and using an incandescent lamp
Do not restrain or touch her while she is in an anxious state. It will only cause her to escalate.
Have staff refrain from wearing perfumes and aftershave
Outline clear expectations of what behaviours are acceptable and not acceptable in the classroom
Where possible, select classes with smaller number of students and a highly structured environment

Intervention(s)

When AS CHILD FILL IN NAME shows signs of anxiety, be supportive by:

Be respectful of her feelings
Try to reduce the triggers especially if she is reacting to competing voices/noises in the classroom
Check for overheating – remove excess sweaters or jackets
Check for headache – look for directions from parents in OSR
Suggest a walk or redirection to help her calm. Use a pre-determined signal such as laying the agenda on the desk or taking the attendance to the office. AS CHILD FILL IN NAME can then take time to collect herself in a calming way and not become the focus of a power struggle.
Have a quieter non-threatening place where AS CHILD FILL IN NAME can go to regain her composure while maintaining her self-esteem and dignity
Do not try to rationalize her behaviours with her at that time, as she is not capable of social autopsies while in anxiety mode
Help AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to de-escalate by encouraging self-calming strategies such as deep breathing, removing herself to a quieter place while trying to assist her in maintaining her self-esteem and dignity
Check for hunger – suggest she may want to get a snack from her lunch
Assist her to get something from her lunchbag such as a source of protein
Redirect and support but do not touch.
It is important to note that at this stage, further escalation of behaviour can be avoided. Do not get in a power struggle.

Behaviour

Defensive stage: Demanding questions, Tries to gain teacher’s attention, Challenges / intimidates, Tells others how to behave or be quiet, Begins to lose rationality, Refusal and non-compliant

Trigger(s)

Confusion over expectations – unclear instructions, negative interpretation
Lack of insight in reading the body language of teachers and peers
Misses social cues and voice inflections
Fears teacher and/or class rejection
Lack of preparation or perceived lack for the structured class (homework not complete or no supplies)
Negative feedback for poor work, reprimands for behaviours judged inappropriate for which she had no control
Lecturing or yelling at her
Embarrassing her or shaming her
Blaming her

* When the above triggers are not resolved the behaviours will escalate.

Prevention Strategies

Positive feedback about achievements and ongoing progress
Negative test results should be provided in individual settings

Intervention(s)

Set simple clear limits
Give her expectations that are concrete, reasonable and attainable
Be consistent
Tell AS CHILD FILL IN NAME what she needs to do
Offer choices that will allow her to regain her composure
Restate expectations outside the room again

Behaviour

Loss of Control: Raising voice, Yelling, Hitting others/self, Shoving desk, Throwing objects, Hiding under desk or in a small space, Tearing paper

Trigger(s)

Trying to discuss the cause of the meltdown and lecturing her about it, during .
Blaming her
Making her feel embarrassed or ashamed

* If triggers cannot be resolved then the behaviours will escalate

Prevention Strategies

Intervention(s)

Once AS CHILD FILL IN NAME goes into a “full rage” and her loss of control is a safety concern for herself or others AS CHILD FILL IN NAME is often unable to reason or disengage her emotions at ther point. It is important to remember that rage is not always specific to events in the classroom, but AS CHILD FILL IN NAME’s anger at herself for losing control.
AS CHILD FILL IN NAME should be allowed space and not be crowded
Always allow AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to vent
Remain calm, using a neutral, firm voice tell AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to go to her safe place and walk with her
The person accompanying her to the safe place should walk with her and do not attempt to talk to her. This is not a time to reprimand her or chat until she has regained control.
Avoid confrontation- ther is not a time to discuss cause of the outburst.
Do not use restraints or holds on AS CHILD FILL IN NAME as it will only escalate the behaviours.
Redirect her verbally. Use short instructions in a calm voice.
Once she begins to calm down and regain control, remind her to do some deep breathing exercises.

Behaviour

Tension Reduction (Recovery stage): Expressions of remorse and frustration at her inability to self-control, May express desire to hurt herself in order to prevent this from happening in the future, Can become extremely sad and tearful. AS CHILD FILL IN NAME knows the others fear her when she goes into a rage and is very distressed by it, Slowed breathing, body tension subsides

Intervention(s)

This is an important time for learning to take place. It is not a time for detailing all of her inappropriate behaviours and making her accountable by either suspension, removal of privileges or expulsion. It is time to remember that she has been identified as having Autism. All, including AS CHILD FILL IN NAME can learn.
Allow AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to talk about her feelings
Once AS CHILD FILL IN NAME has expressed her feelings, this can be an opportunity for instruction and discussion on how to better handle specific situations in the future
Allow AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to maintain her dignity
Allow AS CHILD FILL IN NAME to express her feelings and discuss alternative strategies that can be used if the situation occurs again
Discuss and plan appropriate consequences for behaviours but only when her condition is taken into account. Be sure she feels she received a fair hearing and all the children involved were treated the same.
Once AS CHILD FILL IN NAME has regained control she may need help re-integrating into the classroom and catching up on missed work.
Restore the environment if necessary
Do not continue to nag or argue about her meltdown as it could lead to more.
Offer praise for regaining her self-control
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