Intervention Ideas for Disorganized Students

Intervention ideas for disorganized students

Provide the student with a list or verbal reminders of necessary materials for each activity of the day.
Act as a model for organization and appropriate use of work materials (e.g. putting materials away before getting more material out, having a place for all materials, maintaining an organized desk area, following a schedule for the day, etc.).
Have the student chart the number of times he/she is organized/prepared for specified activities. Use positive reinforcement when organized/prepared.
Teach the student to maintain care of personal property and school materials (e.g. keep property with him/her, know where property is at all times, secure property in lockers, leave valuable property at home, etc.).
Assign the student organizational responsibilities in the classroom (e.g. equipment, software materials, classroom materials, etc.).
Provide a coded organizational system (e.g. notebook, folders, etc.). Color code classes (e.g. blue=math, green=science, etc.).
Develop monthly calendars (along with the completion of daily planners) to keep track of important events, due dates, assignments, etc.
Provide the student with clearly stated criteria for acceptable work (e.g. neatness).
Provide the student with only those materials he/she needs to complete an assignment (e.g. pencil, paper, dictionary, handwriting sample, etc.). Be certain that the student has only the necessary materials on his/her desk.
Have the student establish a routine to follow before coming to class (e.g. check which activity is next, determine what materials are necessary, collect materials, etc.).

Intervention ideas for students that disregard consequences

Provide the student with as many academic and social successes as possible.
Teach the student to “think” before acting (e.g. ask him/herself, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).
Intervene early when there is a problem in order to prevent more serious problems from occurring.
Inform others who will be working student (e.g. teachers, principals, clerks, substitutes, etc.) about the student’s tendency to ignore consequences of his/her behavior.
Communicate with parents, guardians, agencies, or appropriate parties in order to inform them of the problem, determine the cause of the problem, and consider possible solutions to the problem.
Write a contract with the student specifying what behavior is expected (e.g. showing an interest and participating in school activities) and what reinforcement will be made available with the terms of the contract have been met.
Provide the student with “real-life” experiences from the environment. Have individuals from the work force (e.g. mechanic, draftsman, secretary, etc.) visit the class to relate the importance of schoolwork to work experiences that involve math, reading, writing, etc.
Reinforce the student for showing an interest and participating in school activities based on the length of time he/she can be successful. Gradually increase the length of time required for reinforcement as the student demonstrates success. Also create tangible and intangible rewards.
Determine the student’s preferred activities, interests, etc., and incorporate them into the daily schedule, program, etc., at various points throughout the day.
Communicate with the parents/guardians (e.g. notes home, phone calls, etc.) in order to share information concerning the student’s progress and so that they can reinforce the student at home for showing an interest and participating in school activities.

Intervention ideas for students with impulsive behavior

Reduce distracting stimuli (e.g. place the student on the front row, provide a carrel or quiet place away from distractions, etc). This is used as a means of reducing distracting stimuli and not as a form of punishment.
Teach the student decision-making steps: (a) think about how other persons may be influenced, (b) think about consequences, (c) carefully consider the unique situation, (d) think of different courses of action which are possible, and (e) think about what is ultimately best for him/her.
Make the student aware of the reasons we all must practice responsibility (e.g. others’ rights are not infringed upon, others are not hurt, order is not lost, property is not damaged or destroyed, etc.).
Maintain visibility to and from the student. The teacher should be able to see the student and the student should be able to see the teacher, making eye contact possible at all times.
Do not leave a lot of unstructured time for the student. Make certain the student has an adequate amount or number of activities scheduled in order to prevent the likelihood of impulsively engaging in unplanned activities.
Communicate with parents (e.g. notes home, phone calls, etc.) in order to share information concerning the students’ progress and so that they can reinforce the student at home for acting in a deliberate and responsible manner at school.
Prevent the student from becoming over stimulated by an activity (e.g. monitor or supervise behavior to limit overexcitement in physical activities, games, parties, etc.).
Assign additional responsibilities to the student (e.g. chores, errands, class needs, etc.) to give him/her a feeling of success or accomplishment.
Have a peer work with the student in order to model deliberate and responsible behavior in academic and social settings.
Reduce the opportunity to act impulsively by limiting decision making. Gradually increase opportunities for decision making as the student demonstrates success.

Intervention ideas for students that use inappropriate comments/touch

Verbal or nonverbal cue to stop, “This is inappropriate”
Have student go on a recovery & return when ready to learn
Communicate with parents
Collect data- for documentation about this problem
Do not reinforce the behavior, they may just be seeking your extra attention
Write a contract with student, specifically stating expected behavior
Interact frequently with student when they are following expectations
Vary seating arrangement- could be space or friend issue
Practice with student about waiting for turn to speak with short amounts of time and increase as success is demonstrated
Teach student when it is acceptable to interrupt others

Directly teach student personal boundaries and space (bubble)
Separate student from the primary focus of students physical touch
Reduce the opportunity for the student engage in physical contact
Model socially acceptable physical contact (OK PDA at Sherman)
Discuss real world expectations about physical contact
Break up lesson/groups so students physical needs can be met appropriately
Recognize student when they are being appropriate
Role play various ways to act during interactions rather then through physical touch
Make sure student sees the relationship between their behavior and the consequences which may follow
Separate student from activity/lesson until they are able to show they can respect their space and others personal space

Intervention ideas for students that interrupt

Reinforce the student for demonstrating appropriate behavior: (a) give the student a tangible reward (e.g., classroom privileges, line leading, passing out materials, five minutes free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an intangible reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

Speak to the student to explain: (a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., interrupting other students who are trying to work, listen, etc.) and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., waiting for a turn to speak, working quietly, etc.).

Write a contract with the student specifying what behavior is expected (e.g., waiting for a turn to speak, working quietly, etc.) and what reinforcement will be made available when the terms of the contract have been met.

Communicate with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) in order to share information concerning the student’s appropriate behavior and so that they can reinforce the student at home for not bothering other students at school.

Identify a peer to act as a model for the student to imitate appropriate behavior.

Interact frequently with the student in order to maintain his/her involvement in the activity (e.g., ask the student questions,, ask the student’s opinion, stand close to the student, seat the student near the teacher’s desk, etc.)

Maintain visibility to and from the student. The teacher should be able to see the student and the student should be able to see the teacher, making eye contact possible at all times.

Assess the degree of task difficulty in relation to the student’s ability to perform the task successfully.

Teach the student appropriate ways to communicate needs to others (e.g., waiting a turn, raising his/her hand, etc.)

Make sure the student knows when it is acceptable to interrupt others (e.g., in an emergency).

Intervention ideas for students that lie, distort the truth, etc.

Provide the student with many social and academic successes

Reduce competitiveness in information sharing in order that the student will not feel compelled to make inaccurate statements about his/her experience

Try various groupings in order to determine the situation in which the student is most comfortable and does not feel compelled to lie, deny, exaggerate the truth, etc.

Develop a system of shared responsibility (e.g., instead of trying to determine who is guilty, classmates work together to help clean up, return materials, make repairs, etc.)

Take no action in situations where conclusive evidence does not exist.

Help the student learn that telling the truth as soon as possible prevents future problems (e.g., admitting that he/she made a mistake, forgot, etc., means that the necessary steps can be taken to correct the situation instead of waiting until the truth is determined in some other way).

Treat the student with respect. Talk in an objective manner at all times.

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

Communicate with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) in order to share information concerning the student’s progress and so that they can reinforce the student at home for making accurate statements at school.

Write a contract with the student specifying what behavior is expected (e.g., making accurate statements) and what reinforcement will be made available when the terms of the contract have been met.

Intervention ideas for students that move around

Remove the student from the group or activity until he/she can demonstrate appropriate behavior and self-control.
Have the student chart the length of time he/she is able to remain in his/her seat.
Provide the student with a predetermined signal when he/she exhibits inappropriate behavior.
Interact frequently with the student in order to maintain his/her attention to the activity (e.g. ask the student questions, ask the student’s opinion, stand close to the student, seat the student near the teacher’s desk, etc.).
Make certain the student has all necessary materials in order to reduce the need to leave his/her seat.
Facilitate on-task behavior by providing a full schedule of daily events. Prevent lag time when the student is free to engage in excessive and unnecessary bodily movements.
Make sure that reinforcement is not inadvertently given for inappropriate behavior (e.g. attending to the student only when he/she engages in excessive/unnecessary body movements).
Provide the student with a quiet place in the classroom to go when he/she becomes upset. This is not meant as punishment, but as a means of helping the student be able to function more successfully in the environment.
Trying various groupings in order to determine the situation in which the student is most comfortable.
Give the student frequent opportunities to leave his/her seat for appropriate reasons (e.g. getting materials, running errands, assisting the teacher, etc.).

Interventions for students that are tired/listless/unmotivated

Call on the student when he/she can answer successfully.
Give the student responsibilities in the classroom (e.g. teacher assistant, peer tutor, group leader, etc.).
Determine the student’s preferred activities, interests, etc., and incorporate them into the daily schedule, program, etc., at various points throughout the day.
Show an interest in the student (e.g. acknowledge the student, ask the student’s opinion, spend time working one-on-one with the student, etc.).
Communicate with parents (e.g. notes home, phone calls, etc.) in order to share information concerning the student’s progress and so that they can reinforce the student at home for showing an interest in school activities.
Reinforce the student for showing an interest and participating in school activities: (a) give the student a tangible reward (e.g. classroom privileges, passing out materials, five minutes free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an intangible reward (e.g. praise, handshake, smile, etc).
Avoid competition. Failure may cause the student to lose interest or not participate in school activities.
Provide a full schedule of daily events to keep the student actively involved.
Do not criticize when correcting the student; be honest yet supportive. Never cause the student to feel badly about himself/herself.
Investigate the student’s eating habits and the amount of rest he/she is getting outside of school. Investigate the possibility of the student being involved in the use of drugs or alcohol.