Aggression Management | Teach Special Education

Student Needs	IPRC Exceptionalities	Diagnosed Conditions
Aggression Management Anger/Frustration Management Anxiety Management Articulation Skills Attendance Strategies Attention Skills Assistive Technology Skills Blind/Vision Impaired Bullying Management Skills Central Auditory Processing Deafness Depression/Sadness Management Disengagement/Motivation Strategies Eating Disorder Strategies Emotional Regulation English Language Skills Executive Function Fine Motor Skills Gambling Disorder Grief Management Gross Motor Skills Hearing Intellectual Ability – High Intellectual Ability – Low Listening Comprehension Skills Low Vision Memory Skills Mental Health Strategies Metacognitive Skills Mobility Skills Non-Verbal Reasoning Organizational Skills Personal Care Personal Safety Phonological Processing Processing Speed Self-Advocacy Skills Self-Esteem Self-Harm/Suicide Management Self-Regulatory Skills Sensory Integration Skills Sequencing Skills Social Skills Substance Abuse Strategies Task Initiation Time Management Skills Transition Skills Verbal Ability Visual-Motor Skills Visual-Spatial Processing	Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Behaviour Blind and Low Vision Deaf and Hard of Hearing Developmental Disability (DD) Giftedness Language Impairment Learning Disabilities (LD) Mild Intellectual Disabilities Multiple Exceptionalities Physical Disability Speech Impairment	Acquired Brain Injury Alcohol-Related Neuro-developmental Disorder (ARND) Angelman Syndrome Anxiety Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Auditory Processing Disorder (Central) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Bipolar Disorder Blind/Vision Impaired Brain Injury Cerebral Palsy (CP) Conduct Disorder (CD) Concussions Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Deafness Depression Disorders Down Syndrome Eating Disorders Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Fragile X Syndrome Gambling Disorder Intellectual Disabilities Klinefelter's Syndrome Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Disorders Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Neurological Disabilities Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS) Prader-Willi Syndrome Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Seizure Disorders Selective Mutism Spina Bifida Tourette Syndrome Turner Syndrome (TS) Usher Syndrome William's Syndrome

Key Special Education Practices
Accommodations Alternative Programming Assistive Technology Board Special Education Plans Community Resources Differentiated Instruction Create an Inclusive & Positive Class Climate Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Individual Education Plan (IEP) Ministry of Education Resources Modified Programming Non-teacher Professional Assessments Teacher Assessments Safety/Emergency/Crisis Response Plan Professional Development Reporting on IEP Progress Tracking/Documenting Transition Plans

What it is

An area of student need based on his/her demonstrated verbal, non-verbal or physical actions.

Teaching Strategies

Instructional

• Use direct instruction/social skills lessons to teach appropriate ways to express anger.

• Establish baseline of current frequency of aggression and develop alternative programming goal on the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

• Use an Antecedent, Behaviour Consequence (ABC) chart.

• Collaborate with the in-school support team.

• Deliver a balanced program, reflecting preferred and non-preferred activities for the student, to decrease likelihood of aggression.

• Establish a written outline of what is and isn’t acceptable for the student, parents/guardians, teachers and administrators (specific rules with predetermined consequences).

• Involve the student as part of the problem-solving team.

• Implement a home-school communication book for tracking, focusing on instances that the student demonstrated positive anger management skills.

• Attempt to help the student determine the cause of the aggression.

• Provide a “time out” or "cool down" after aggression. Consider an in and out of classroom location for the student to use that is predetermined and supervised – Use could be student- or teacher-initiated.

• Allow student access to time out space, if requested, prior to aggressive outbursts.

• Use visuals to direct behaviour when escalating (cards with “stop” or pictures of pro-social behaviour).

• If the student refuses to leave the situation, consider removing others involved.

• Redirect the precursors to aggressive behaviour.

• Consider the use of careful humour (not sarcasm) to redirect/defuse.

• Frequently reward positive anger management, even small advances, by the student.

• Converse with the student privately (not in front of peers).

• Offer choices to avoid aggression and give the student some control.

• Use clear and concise language.

• Use repetition/rewording of instructions.

• Break down instructions to ensure comprehension and that the task is manageable for the student.

• Teach social skills lessons directly to the whole class.

• Develop and post social skills steps for positively handling aggression.

• Use social stories to teach appropriate responses.

• Use modeling and vocalize steps and choices.

• Use role playing to provide practice of pro-social behaviour.

• Use instructions with “first ____, then _____”.

• Modify tasks, if related to aggression.

• Teach peer relation skills, if related to aggression.

• For physical aggression, develop a predetermined “Safety Plan” for staff response to de-escalate the situation.

• Consider referral to school board social work and/or psychology staff.

Less... More...

Environmental

• Establish a “time-out”/”cool-down” area(s) and protocol for use.
• Keep scissors or other potentially dangerous items in a teacher-controlled area.
• Post classroom rules, routines and schedules.
• Teach the entire class emergency exit procedures and have a predetermined location evacuation.
• Provide calming tools (stress balls, "fidget" toys, drawing, music/iPod).
• Post and refer to social skills charts outlining pro-social responses.
• Use preferential seating and close proximity to the teacher.

Assessment

• Give advance notice of tests and assignments (e.g. one-week/month notice on a written calendar).
• Give a choice of assessment options.
• Provide an option for open book tests.
• Minimize distractions; consider an alternative testing location.
• Chunk tests and assignments into small tasks and provide feedback as each component is completed.
• Reduce quantity of test/assignment items.
• Provide additional time (ensure space is available, should it extend into recess/next class).
• Provide periodic supervised breaks.

Characteristics notebook pencil

Acts of frustration and anger, expressed either verbally (insults, threatening), non-verbally (running, inappropriate gestures) and/or physically (deliberately vandalizes property, physically confronts others, kicks, hits, throws, bites, etc).

Board Special Education Plans

Agency Contacts

Resources

Supporting Minds, Ontario Ministry of Education, p. 75-87

ABC’s of Mental Health: Angry-Aggressive Child

Strategies for Reducing Aggression

Tips for Teachers

For Purchase

Be Cool Video Series

Teaches “cool” way to handle anger at all division levels with video enactments