Behavior management is one of the most challenging things in special education. Almost all of the students in a special needs class have behavior issues, whether they are aggressive, hyperactive, oppositional behaviors or just shut down quietly and refuse to cooperate. Problem behaviors can occur in overstimulating situations (think Autistic students who have meltdowns!) or for a variety of other reasons like: hunger, tiredness, and frustrating situations related to school work, etc. Regardless of the reason, if teachers act before behaviors escalate, students can regain composure and return to their school routines without much loss of instructional time. However, sometimes even when teachers have the best de-escalating techniques and response strategies in place, students get passed the reasoning point, and negative behaviors occur. In this case, allowing students to access a quiet area in the classroom where they can cool off and take a break from whatever is making them lose control is the best strategy a teacher can employ.
The Purpose of a Break
To provide an appropriate escape or “time away” from a person, place or thing that’s producing negative feelings (fear, anger, frustration, etc) and negative reactions.
The Goal of a Break
To de-escalate and prevent emotional and/or physical outbursts
How to set up a break area?
A calming area should be a quiet area in the room, with a rug, pillows, cushions, bean bags, blankets, weighted blankets, body pods and sensory sacks, sensory toys and fidgets. A partition or shelving should be used to block off part of the area to give students privacy and prevent distractions in the classroom. Usually only one student will be in the break area at a time, but sometimes two students will ask to use it at the same time. If you have a generous floor plan in your room, you can create a break area spacious enough to allow for two students to be in there and have plenty of space to lounge or play with the sensory toys. This should only occur if the space is big enough where students can still maintain their personal space, and it should never be allowed if a student has an aggressive outburst that might put the other child in danger.
When deciding what kind of materials to include in a calming area, teachers should think of their students’ needs (What kind of materials are the students able to manipulate?) and interests (What kind of materials would entice them?). Also teachers should keep in mind that some objects in the break area can be thrown, stomped on or banged during a temper tantrum, therefore expensive or irreplaceable items should be avoided. Books, sensory books, hand puppets, pictures, and other objects can be placed in a break area if they are considered to have a calming effect on an upset student.
A quiet break area paired with an active break area is great for giving kids options and presents opportunities to teach students to self- regulate their behavior. You can have two types of materials in the break area: materials that help the students calm down by appealing to their senses, like the Calm Down kit (breathing visual, mirror, pin wheels, sensory bottles, stress balls, iPad, Sometimes I Get Mad social story, When My Brain Needs A Break social story, crayons and paper or coloring books, etc) and also materials that allow students to relax by manipulating objects and sensory toys (sets of toys with pieces that need to be assembled following specific instructions).
How to teach it?
Break area is not a time out area, but a place to calm down!
For students who struggle with behavior issues and have outbursts and tantrums multiple times a day, a quiet break area is the perfect place to stay contained during their emotional episodes, but also to regain composure afterwards. Throughout the day, other students get overexcited and/or overwhelmed too, so they can learn to use the break area as well. Teach your students that taking a break is a non-punitive action that is good for them. When you offer a student a break, you should always make it in a calm voice, so the student won’t perceive it as a punitive time-out action!
Special need students should be allowed to take breaks any time they feel the need to unwind, even after coming in from recess if they are extremely tired, hot or overexcited. They should be taught to place their break cards on their personal boards and then access the break area. A visual timer should be set for 5-10 minutes, depending on the circumstances, to let the students know the amount of time they are allowed to use the break area for. In case of tantrums and more severe instances, the timer can be set for up to 30 minutes or more.
Get a copy of the break cards here.
If behavior is not severely interfering with a student’s ability to function in class, students should be allowed to take up to 4 breaks per day, and these breaks should not exceed 2-3 minutes. Time in the break area should be limited in order to minimize the loss of instructional time. If you suspect that students are using the break area to avoid class work, the number of breaks per student can be revisited in order to curtail that behavior.
Each break area should have a “relaxation menu” that can give students ideas about what activities to chose from when in the break area. When a student is frustrated or mad, they are not thinking clearly, so the teacher should direct their attention towards the menu or make a choice for them. The menu should be displayed in the break area, in a visible spot.
Behavior management should be done with a few ideas in mind: empathy, kindness, and firmness. When a student is using the break area, set a timer, explain to the child that you will allow them to calm down for that amount of time, then be silent. If the student is upset and wants to engage in verbal exchanges or demands, explain once, then ignore the behavior. After the timer goes off and the student is calm, direct them to return to the task they were previously performing. If the student is not calm, say “It looks like you need a little more time” and reset the timer. When the time is up again, privately praise the student for calming down and returning to his work area. This reinforcement may help the student repeat this desired behavior in the future. Continue this cycle until the child has calmed down.
Sometimes your students may need a total break. Allow them to completely cover themselves with a blanket or hide in a body pod to block all sensory stimuli for a while. After a big meltdown, some students may be so tired that they may fall asleep for a few minutes. That is ok. It means they need to take a complete break away from the physical environment! You may also want to consider dimming or turning off the lights too.
Creating a calming area in your classroom is a great way to help students regulate their behavior and emotions, and make better choices!