Behavior is everything that living organisms do and how they interact with the environment. This includes how people move, what people say and what people think and feel – it’s what we do! Behavior is a form of communication. Children tell us something through their behavior, whether they intend to or not. This can occur in the form of appropriate behavior or challenging behavior. In school settings, a student’s maladaptive behavior can impact his own learning or that of others. Proactive strategies, techniques that are introduced before any challenging behaviors occur, can be used with children of different cognitive abilities and language levels to help reduce or prevent disruptive behavior. Proactive strategies are important when supporting student behavior because they help clarify expectations, encourage appropriate behaviors, foster positive relationships, build motivation and meet the needs of the individual child. To support student behavior in the classroom, try the techniques below:
- Build a relationship with the child: Engage with the child at their language level and incorporate their interests. And don’t forget to have fun!
- Offer choices: Try to limit the choices to two so the child understands the options and does not get overwhelmed.
- Premack principle: Offer a preferred activity to reinforce a less preferred activity using “first, then” language. Visuals can be provided to help children with lower language levels understand this concept.
- Environmental strategies: Reduce any distractions, including background noise and extra materials. Use visual cues and support; arrange seating so all children can see the teacher and utilize assistive listening devices as needed.
- Priming: Support children by providing reminders before any transitions, indicating how long an activity will be or how much longer they have with a preferred item/activity.
- Positive attention and praise: Catch them doing the right thing! A smile and behavior-specific praise go a long way.
- Our own behavior: How we talk to children, our tone of voice, facial expressions and body language can make a huge difference in the behavior of a child.
- Give clear, explicit instructions: This helps to ensure the child understands what is expected of him.
When working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing, the approaches above should be adjusted to meet the needs of the individual child. The language used for implementation can be modified so children of all language levels are supported when using proactive strategies. Use of clear speech, consistent language and appropriate volume while facing the child is essential when implementing proactive strategies. Repeat important information and allow for processing time to further aid the child’s comprehension. If the child still does not understand, simplify the language further and add the use of visuals, such as timers, schedules and picture boards, to provide support. Still stumped? Collaborate with speech-language pathologists, behavior specialists and teachers to best serve the child.
Ari Carrillo-Jones, M.Ed. is the Behavioral Specialist at CID- Central Institute for the Deaf. She provides support to students to help regulate emotions, attend to and engage in classroom activities, build daily living skills, reduce maladaptive behaviors and develop social skills. She collaborates with parents, teachers and other CID staff to meet students’ individualized learning needs. Ariana received her master’s degree in early childhood education from Arizona State University and will complete her graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis in May 2025.
