Overview:
Behavior is communicated differently by students who are non-verbal and often exhibit aggressive or non-compliant behaviors.
This may sound silly, but I can’t stop thinking about my T-shirt. Earlier this school year, I was talking to the speech therapist who works with my students when I noticed her fantastic shirt. It said, “Behavior is Communication.” Immediately, I asked her to send me the link to the shirt, and by the end of the week, I showed up at her office wearing my new purchase. Whenever I wear it, people often comment on how much they love it or look at me with interest.
As a teacher of students with low-incidence disabilities, I find this phrase an important reminder. Many of my students are non-verbal or have limited verbal abilities and often exhibit aggressive or non-compliant behaviors. It’s crucial for me to understand that these behaviors are a form of communication. My role is to decipher the meaning or root of these behaviors and support my students in learning to communicate their needs in a more effective way in the long term.
Students with low-incidence disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders, significant cognitive delays, or emotional disabilities, can exhibit a range of behaviors that communicate various needs or emotions. Understanding and addressing these behaviors requires a combination of observation, patience, and tailored strategies.
Aggressive Behaviors and Strategies:
Aggressive behaviors include hitting, biting, pulling hair, or throwing objects. These behaviors often signal frustration, sensory overload, or an inability to communicate a need effectively. Over my years of teaching special education, I have had students exhibit many of these behaviors daily. Some behaviors that I have consistently experienced over the years are scratching, hitting, hair-pulling, and biting. In each of these instances, I never got upset, yelled, or immediately told the student, “No hitting!” Instead, I remained patient, took a step back, and went through my steps to decipher the antecedent of the behavior. Then, I implemented a strategy to help students express their needs more productively.
Students Hitting and Scratching
In one instance, when a student hit and scratched me, the first step was to guide him to our calming corner to implement some calm-down techniques. This space has bean bags that our students can sit on, visuals to support students in expressing and explaining their emotions, stuffed animals, and various sensory toys. After this student calmed down, I was able to think about the antecedent of the behavior. The student scratched and hit me because he was upset that another student in the class received their snack before he did.
The next step was to reinforce and reteach waiting skills and turn-taking. As both a pre-k teacher and a teacher of students with low-incidence disabilities, this is a major skill that my students learn throughout the school year. Although we consistently practice this skill, my students often need constant reminders and reinforcement to continue to grow in this skill. As the teacher, I also have to make sure that the routines in my classroom are consistent so that students know what to expect each day.
Strategies for Hitting and Scratching
I used a visual timer to show him how long he had to wait before his snack was finished warming up in the microwave, as well as playing the transitional song “Are You Hungry” that signals to my students that we will eat. Positive reinforcement was used to praise and reward the student for waiting patiently. Even if a student has hit or scratched me or one of my TAs, we never make the student feel shame for the behavior but rather praise the positive behaviors being observed. For example, if the student goes to his seat and patiently waits for his snack, we would say, “Great job sitting safely in your chair and waiting for your snack!”.
We will give other visual reinforcements, such as a thumbs up, while the student waits. By addressing the root cause of the behavior and teaching alternative ways to express frustration, I aim to reduce the likelihood of future incidents by supporting the student in developing better-coping mechanisms and teaching the student more productive ways to communicate their needs.
Hair Pulling Strategies
Recently, a student pulled my hair because he was upset that I was not letting him play with my hair. On this particular day, I was wearing my hair down, and this student took my hair in both hands and calmly felt the texture. When I tried to move my hair out of his reach, he was upset, so he took all of my hair in his hand and pulled it. This student was only 4 years old, non-verbal, and still learning how to communicate. His behavior was communicating that he was upset that I took the hair away from him.
My first step was to put my hair in a bun to remove the student’s trigger from the situation. I realized quickly that this student was sensory seeking, and he wanted to touch my hair because he liked the sensation of the hair on his skin. I swifty gave him another sensory toy that he could play with that he enjoyed as a replacement for my hair. There was no point in this process where I became upset with the child. It is important as educators that we stay patient and remember that the child is still learning how to communicate effectively.
Non-Compliance and Strategies:
Non-compliance is when an individual refuses to follow a specific instruction or rule. Often, in my classroom, non-compliance occurs when a student is asked to share an item that they want for themselves or asked to participate in a non-preferred activity. Frequently, these non-compliant behaviors can stem from a desire for control, anxiety, or lack of understanding. Predictability and consistent routine are two of the most important factors to maintain in a classroom when supporting students with non-compliance. Having a consistent daily routine with a visual schedule supports students in knowing exactly what to expect and can alleviate the feeling of lack of control or understanding. Having a visual schedule that is easily accessible in the classroom allows students to always refer back to what we have completed throughout the day and what is still left.
First- Then Board
First-then boards can also support students in their ability to feel control during their day and understanding of daily routines. First, the boards use visual pictures to support students in understanding a sequence of tasks that they have to complete. The “first” task is usually a non-preferred activity, and the “then” task is often a preferred task or a reward if students are non-compliant with a non-preferred activity. Using a “first, then” board can help students feel more control over their day and realize that if they do a non-preferred activity, they will then earn their preferred or desired activity.
Giving choices can also help students feel more in control of their day. For example, if a student does not want to color during an art activity, a teacher might ask the student, “Would you rather use the red crayon or the blue crayon?” or “Would you rather have the red paper or the blue paper?” Although this strategy may sound simple, it often makes a huge difference in helping students feel like they have more control over their own day or their own learning.
Self-Injurious Behaviors and Strategies:
Self-injurious behaviors, such as head-banging or hand-biting, can indicate frustration, stress, or an unmet need for sensory input.
Banging Heads
This past school year, I had a young boy who would bang his head on a table or the ground whenever he became frustrated. I also had a young girl in the same class who would bite her wrists when frustrated. The first step I would take with a student who exhibits self-injurious behavior, whether it be head or biting their wrists, would be to address the triggers of the behavior. Discovering the antecedent or trigger of behavior has to be done by taking consistent data throughout the school day.
Over the course of about a month, I took data on both of these students to see how often their self-injurious behavior was occurring and what was happening in the classroom when the behavior occurred. At the end of each week throughout that month, I would sit down with my school’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), we would graph the data, and we would talk about what trends we were seeing in the data. At the end of the month, we worked together to put together a plan to support each of these students individually. I also continued to take data after the month concluded to track whether the interventions were working effectively.
Interventions for Head Banging
One major intervention that I implemented for both students was constant and consistent positive praise. Both students had similar triggers and were frustrated when asked to do work instead of a preferred activity which was building with blocks for one of the students and puzzles or scooters for the other. Positive reinforcement, such as praise or tokens, can encourage students to engage in appropriate behaviors.
For my student with the head-banging behavior, token boards worked fantastically. At the beginning of each non-preferred activity, I would give my student a token board where he needed to earn 10 tokens to get his preferred activity. He would earn these tokens by doing his work without exhibiting head banging. Every 30 seconds to 1 minute I would say “Great job working!” and give him a token. At the end of 10 tokens, the student could choose a preferred activity to play for 3-5 minutes, such as building blocks, before starting the process over again.
Wrist Biting Behavior
For my student with the wrist biting behavior, “first, then” boards were more effective. We would put a visual on the “first” portion of the board which would be the non-preferred activity and a picture of a preferred activity such as scootering or a puzzle on the “then” portion of the board. This would show the student that once she finished the non-preferred activity, the preferred activity would be promised to happen next.
Many students I have had over the years have struggled to control their self-injurious behaviors and, therefore, have needed a safe environment or section of the classroom to support preventing injury. In my current classroom, we have a designated safe, calm space for the student to retreat when overwhelmed, which can also prevent self-injury. This part of the room has passing to keep the students safe if they are punching or banging their heads on the wall and floor.
It also has bean bags and calming sensory toys to help students feel overwhelmed. As educators, we must remember that these behaviors are our student’s way of communicating with us. Many of our students are still learning to communicate with words or other communication devices. It is important that we introduce other coping strategies to our students, such as breathing exercises, fidget toys, noise-canceling headphones, or jumping on a trampoline, which can work as incredible outlets for our students.
Possibilities for Communication are Endless!
Many of my students have been nonverbal or have had limited verbal ability over the years. This should not hinder their ability to communicate. I have used many other means of communication to support students who may not have access to their physical voice.
AAC Devices
Many of my students use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices each year to support them in their communication. For my students, this often means that they are carrying around iPads that we call their “voice” or “talker” because it helps them to communicate in the way some of their peers do with their physical voice. On the iPad, there are different icons that students can click on to say words or even full sentences, depending on their comfort with the device. This past school year, I had one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had with a student using an AAC device. He came into the school district from another district with limited resources and received an AAC device for the first time.
Over the year, the student became fluent in his AAC device, and his attitude changed. His father told me he was seeing changes in his son at home that he had never seen before. His son was more joyful and engaged than ever before. He could express himself through his AAC device to his family in a way that he had never before been able to do. In addition to this, his AAC device gave him the confidence to use his physical voice. This student came into the school year completely non-verbal and finished the school year being able to speak in 3-5 word sentences using his physical voice. I was so incredibly proud to see his progress and even more proud to see the joy and freedom communication gave this student.
Although AAC devices are amazing, they are not the only means of communication for students learning different ways to communicate.
Picture Exchange Communication System
Many of my younger students may try PECS or a Picture Exchange Communication System before trying an AAC device. For my students, this often means that they carry around a binder or book filled with picture cards that they can give me when they want to request. This often benefits younger students or students still learning to use an AAC device because they can give them one picture at a time. For example, many of my current students are learning to use the toilet.
Without PECS, many of my students become frustrated when having to go to the bathroom because they don’t know how to express to me that they need to use the restroom. They may cry or walk to the door to try to express that they need to use the restroom. With PECS, my students can open their binders and hand me a picture of a toilet to tell me they have to go to the bathroom. By just handing me the picture card, I can immediately bring my student to the bathroom, and my student will be free to communicate freely.
My students have PECS in their binder for anything they might use or need daily whether this be all the different toys we have around the classroom, pictures of friends, teachers, and family members or different places in the school building. Giving my students this tangible way to communicate has been so empowering to students.
We also use simple sign language to help many of my students communicate. Signs like “more,” “all done,” “help,” “yes,” “no,” “eat,” or “bathroom” have been life-changing for many students in my classroom who are nonverbal or have limited verbal ability. It gives them a quick and effective way to tell their teachers, parents, and peers what they need.
Conclusion:
Understanding that behavior is a form of communication is essential in supporting students with low-incidence disabilities. By recognizing and addressing the root causes of behaviors, we can implement strategies that help students express their needs more effectively. Whether through AAC devices, PECS, or simple sign language, providing our students with the tools to communicate empowers them and enhances their overall well-being. Our educators are responsible for fostering these communication skills, ensuring that every student has a voice and can engage meaningfully with the world around them. There is no greater joy than supporting our students in meeting their full potential.
