Behavior Is a Form of Communication

BEHAVIOR IS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION

Several incidents of late have raised the issue of how our children’s behavior at school may not be indicative of an “ornery” or “stubborn” streak—but rather that something is not right. There are several things to consider when evaluating whether your child’s behavior may be indicating something that is wrong with him/her or whether there is something unsettling happening at school. While some might point to your child, claiming that his/her behaviors are purposeful, there are several other ways to look at them.

The behavior might be indicating that something is wrong at school and needs your attention.

The behavior might be related to a medical condition (e.g., stomach aches from celiac disease).

Some questions to ask include:

Is your child’s behavior reportedly much worse at school than it is at home?

Is your child having a difficult time with transitions from the classroom to work with a therapist or to move to another
classroom?

Has your child come home with unexplained bruises, scratches, or other pains?

Is the school continually claiming that your child is misbehaving but can’t explain what causes the behavior?

Is your child being removed from class or sent home from school frequently?

A “yes” to any of these questions should be cause for significant concern.

When children with a disability have difficulties with behavior at school, a behavior plan may be suggested. Before a behavior plan (Behavior Intervention Plan or Positive Behavior Support Plan) can be put in place, a Functional Behavior Assessment must first be conducted. There should be nothing in your child’s IEP concerning behavior until this is done.

To help parents understand the handling of behavior at school, MPACT (Missouri Parent’s Act) will present the training “Positive Behavior Interventions” Tuesday, April 2, at the DSAGSL office.

If you are in need of help with your child’s IEP or further information concerning the rules around placing a behavior plan in the IEP, you may contact Michelle Levi-Perez at MPACT at or (800) 995-3160.

In Illinois, you may contact the Family Resource Center on Disabilities at (800) 952-4199 or the Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center at 1-866-436-7842 ().

The National Down Syndrome Congress has a discussion concerning the management of challenging behaviors for persons with Down syndrome at: http://www.ndsccenter.org/resources/position9.php

More information concerning discipline and behavior can be found online at the Wright’s Law website:

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.index.htm