How do I Respond when an Interfering Behavior Occurs?
Slide 1: Introduction
 When interfering behavior does occur we must respond to it consistently and
appropriately.
 This presentation will include:
 How do I respond when a minor problem behavior occurs?
 How do I respond when a more severe problem behavior occurs?
 How do I respond when the behavior reaches a crisis level?
 How do I ensure the safety of everyone?
When interfering behavior does occur we must respond to it consistently and appropriately.
Students will demonstrate different types of behavior. Some will be mildly distracting, while
others will dangerous and may be a safety issue. How we respond to behavior will of course
depend on the student, the type of behavior and the function that behavior serves for the student.
As we work with students with ASD, we will want to select those behaviors which require our
attention and intervention. Certainly, all students demonstrate some negative behaviors, so we
will want to “pick our battles” and respond to those we need to and ignore the ones we can safely
and effectively. When responding to interfering behaviors, there are some considerations to take
into account and key strategies we can implement.
This presentation will include:
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How do I respond when a minor problem behavior occurs?
How do I respond when a more severe problem behavior occurs?
How do I respond when the behavior reaches a crisis level?
How do I ensure the safety of everyone?
It is important to note that this presentation will outline what to do when the behavior is
occurring. As discussed in other presentations, it will still be important to have an intervention
plan in place that addresses the problem behavior by using proactive strategies and teaching a
replacement skill.
Slide 2: What do I do when an interfering behavior happens?
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Determining how to respond when there is an interfering behavior is not easy.
The steps involve determining the severity of the behavior and whether it requires your
immediate attention or intervention.
The first 2 levels are those behaviors considered mild in nature.
Level 1 Behavior) Behavior is not severe enough to warrant your attention or some sort
of intervention.
Level 1 Behavior Strategy) Ignore the behavior.
Determining how to respond when there is an interfering behavior is not easy. However, there
are steps you can follow. These steps involve determining the severity of the behavior and
whether it requires your immediate attention or intervention. It is helpful as we determine what
to do to think about behaviors in terms of levels.
The first 2 levels are those behaviors considered mild in nature.
Level 1 Behavior) Behavior is not severe enough to warrant your attention or some sort of
intervention.
There will be behaviors that may be annoying or undesired but do not require immediate or
direct intervention. These behaviors do not pose a threat to the student or to others, do not result
in property damage, and do not interfere with learning. We can refer to these as “distracting”
behaviors”.
Level 1 Behavior Strategy) Ignore the behavior.
For these distracting behaviors, ignoring is the best strategy. It keeps you from accidentally
reinforcing the behavior by giving the student attention and it keeps you from getting into a
power struggle with the student. Nothing good can come of creating a power struggle!
Slide 3: Examples of ignoring behavior
Emily rubs the spot in between her eyebrows while sitting at her desk during a lesson. The
behavior, while it may be distracting, is not interfering with her ability to listen and learn from
the lesson. Therefore, this is a behavior that does not require a reaction or response at the time it
is happening. Juan engages in echolalia and repeats movie lines. He does this during his down
time. While this is annoying to his parents and teacher, it does not interfere with his learning or
social interactions. The behavior does not warrant our attention at the time it is happening so the
paraprofessional ignores it.
Slide 4: Video Example of ignoring behavior
In this video example, you will see the student is supposed to be working on an assignment. The
teacher helps the student to start the assignment and then when the teacher walks away, the
student engages in some interfering behavior but, when the teacher does not respond
immediately, the student returns to work. The behavior, though unwanted, does not pose a risk
to injure someone and so can be ignored.
Slide 5: Video Example of ignoring behavior
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Video from Longan – Andy being ignored while he hits the desk
Slide 6: What do I do when I cannot ignore the behavior?
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Level 2 Behavior) Behavior is not severe but the student would benefit if the behavior
was stopped.
These behaviors are minor behaviors that cause mild disruption.
Learning may be impacted because of the behavior or materials may be disturbed.
Level 2 Behavior Strategy) Ignore the behavior to the maximum extent possible and
casually redirect the student to an appropriate task.
Level 2 Behavior) Behavior is not severe but the student would benefit if the behavior was
stopped.
These behaviors are minor behaviors that cause mild disruption. Learning may be impacted
because of the behavior or materials may be disturbed.
Level 2 Behavior Strategy) Ignore the behavior to the maximum extent possible and casually
redirect the student to an appropriate task. If possible, do not give the student eye contact or
verbally tell the student to stop. Instead tell the student to do something constructive and specific
and point to the activity. You may find it helpful to also provide a small amount of physical
assistance to help the student begin the task. In other words, you direct the students to something
appropriate.
Slide 7: Ignoring behavior and redirecting example
Behavior- Paraprofessional Response Rationale
Emily begins rubbing her shirt sleeve over and over again during group calendar time. The
paraprofessional stands behind her, and gently prompts her hands to her lap. The
paraprofessional then points to the calendar and verbally prompts her to count with the rest of the
class and was disrupting group calendar time so the paraprofessional decided she needed to be
redirected back to work. Juan engages in echolalia during math class. His classroom
paraprofessional approaches him from the side, taps his math worksheet and quietly tells him to
do problem number 3. The paraprofessional saw that he was not doing his work so ignored the
behavior but non-intrusively redirected him to his school work. Juan discontinued the movie talk
and did his math. The paraprofessional provided praise to him for working.
Slide 8: Video Example of Redirection
In this example, you will see our student engaging in an interfering behavior which is pushing
the teacher’s hand and scratching at the teacher. The behavior isn’t severe and doesn’t
particularly hurt the teacher, however, it does require some intervention. The student in this case
is redirected back to work by reminding him what he is working for.
Slide 9: Video Example of Redirection
Alright Andy, let’s get your pencil! We’re going to work on-Andy, hands to yourself! Safe
hands! What are we working for? Pick up your pencil please!
Slide 10: What do I do if the behavior requires more than redirection?
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Sometimes students will require more intensive intervention when there is a problem
behavior.
Level 3 Behavior) Behavior is severe enough to require an immediate response by an
adult.
Considerations:
o Interfere with the learning of the student with ASD or the learning of others
o May cause disruption to materials
o May be a threat to the safety of the student or to others
Level 3 Behavior Strategy) For these behaviors, you will intervene at the time of the
behavior to keep the student and others safe and to reduce disruption.
The nature of the intervention will vary depending on the student and the behavior.
Sometimes students will require more intensive intervention when there is a interfering behavior.
We are now going to talk about Level 3 behaviors.
Level 3 Behavior) Behavior is severe enough to require an immediate response by an adult.
There are several considerations when making this determination. You can ask yourself the
following questions: Does this behavior interfere with the learning of the student with ASD?
Does the behavior interfere with the learning of other students? Does the behavior cause major
disruption to materials? For example, are items thrown or knocked on the floor? Is the behavior a
threat to the safety of the student or to others? If the answer is yes to any of these, then the
behavior requires immediate intervention and this is a Level 3. Marcus is screaming during gym
class. The other students cannot hear the teacher and are distracted by his screams. Lilly breaks
the pencil lead purposefully when given a writing task. Caleb will frequently pound the key
board when he is taking a test and does not know the answer. This causes damage to the key
board requiring intervention.
Level 3 Behavior Strategy) For these behaviors, you will intervene at the time of the behavior to
keep the student and others safe and to reduce disruption. When these behaviors occur, it
requires you to quickly think about the situation to figure out what is going on and to then
intervene taking everything into account.
However, you will also communicate with your supervisors and with the student’s case manager
(this is normally the special education teacher) when the student has problem behavior that is not
easily ignored or redirected.
For these behaviors, the nature of the intervention will vary depending on the student and the
behavior. This is when it is especially important to have an intervention plan in place that
outlines exactly what to do when the behavior occurs. If you have an intervention plan in place,
do whatever is described in the plan. If you do not have a plan in place, it will be important to
tell your supervisory teacher when the student has interfering behavior that is not easily ignored
or redirected.
When there is an interfering behavior, this may be a good time to teach the student a more
appropriate behavior that can be used instead of the behavior. It is the responsibility of those
working with and supporting the student to determine the right course of action. If you are
unsure of what to do, ask the teacher or another supervisor as they can guide your response.
Slide 11: Intervention examples
Behavior, Quick Assessment, Paraprofessional Response
Marcus is screaming during gym class. The gym is loud and has a lot echoes. The class is
playing a chase game which is very loud. The paraprofessional knows that Marcus does not like
loud noises. The paraprofessional asks Marcus if he would like to get a drink of water in the hall.
He quickly says yes and calms down as soon as he is out of the noisy gym.
Lilly broke her pencil lead when asked to write the letter “A” 5 times on the paper. The
paraprofessional knows that Lilly does not like handwriting and finds it very challenging. The
paraprofessional takes Lilly’s paper and shows her a block where she is to write the letter “A”
one time. The paraprofessional explains that “First, she write “A”, Then she can play with a ball
for a few seconds”. The paraprofessional also provides light prompting to help her get started on
writing the letter “A”. Lilly writes the letter, then plays with the ball. The paraprofessional does
the same thing until she has written the letter 5 times.
Caleb pounds the keyboard when he doesn’t know the answer on the test. It is known that Caleb
does not like getting things wrong and also does not typically ask for help. When Caleb pounds
the keyboard, the paraprofessional casually moves it out of the way so Caleb cannot damage it.
Once it is removed she shows Caleb how to raise his hand and helps him raise his hand and ask
for help. When he raises his hand, she immediately helps Caleb with the test question.
Slide 12: An example of an intervention
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Jasper throws his book and hits the paraprofessional
Think for a moment about the setting event or antecedent that may have occurred before
Jasper walked into the room and threw his book.
The best course of action may be to redirect Jasper to his work activity or perhaps prompt
him to ask for a break from a work task.
Let’s think about the situation
o We would like for Jasper to ask for a break when his work is too hard.
o Prompts him to do the more appropriate behavior.
o He returns to work quickly after a short break, this time with support in place that
will help him to be successful.
Let’s look at an example.
Jasper throws his book and hits the paraprofessional in the room. Ms. Jones carefully considers
her next actions. She thinks for a moment about the setting event or antecedent that may have
occurred before Jasper walked into the room and threw his book. He rode on a noisy bus this
morning and the hallway was crowded and loud. She thinks about the antecedent that may have
triggered the behavior. He was given a work task and perhaps it was too hard. His behavior could
be a reaction to any of these triggers. Her response to the behavior will take these triggers into
consideration.
Ms. Jones knows that yelling at him to “stop throwing” will likely intensify the situation. She
also knows that if she prompts him to pick up the book that he will probably refuse resulting in a
power struggle. Therefore, the best course of action may be to redirect Jasper to his work activity
or perhaps prompt him to ask for a break from a work task. She decides to prompt Jasper to ask
for a break and gives him a 30 second break before prompting him back to work. When he goes
back to work she helps him complete the first problem.
Now you may be thinking that letting Jasper have a break is rewarding him for throwing. But
let’s think about the situation. We would like for Jasper to ask for a break when his work is too
hard. We would like for him to do this instead of throwing. Ms. Jones quickly evaluated the
situation and determined the work task was too hard and trigged the throwing. Therefore, she
prompts him to do the more appropriate behavior. The break he is given is short and he is not
able to play with fun things. He returns to work quickly, this time with support in place that will
help him to be successful. Perhaps next time the work is too hard, he will ask for a break instead
of throwing something.
Slide 13: Examples of crisis level behaviors
Examples of behaviors that are crisis level are:
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Aggression towards another person,
Self-injurious behavior,
Destructing a room,
A tantrum that goes on and on and doesn’t stop
I’m sure you can think of other crisis level behaviors by the students you support.
Slide 14: What to do when the behavior reaches a crisis level
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In some instances, the student’s behavior may become severe enough to be considered a
crisis.
What comes to mind when you hear the term “crisis”?
o Danger
o Issues related to safety
When a student with ASD demonstrates crisis level behavior that is considered to be
dangerous in some way, then it is important for us to think about how to calm the
situation and to gain control.
In some instances, the student’s behavior may become severe enough to be considered a crisis.
Think about this term for a minute. What comes to mind when you hear the term “crisis”? I am
sure you think about danger and issues related to safety. That is what we are referring to when
we think about crisis level behavior for the student with ASD. Now, what do you typically do in
a crisis? I hope you are thinking about making sure everyone is safe and the danger is avoided.
If you are, again, you are correct.
When a student with ASD demonstrates crisis level behavior that is considered to be dangerous
in some way, then it is important for us to think about how to calm the situation and to gain
control-immediately!
Slide 15: Ensure the safety of everyone
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Your goal is to guarantee the safety of the student, the other students and of course,
yourself.
Focus on calming the student:
o Remove any students who may be in harm’s way
o Remove any items that may pose a danger
o Ask for assistance by nearby adults
o Move the student to a safe area of the room
You should never return physical aggression in any form!
When this level of behavior happens, your goal is to guarantee the safety of the student, the other
students and of course, yourself. Once you know everyone is safe, then the focus can become
calming the student. To ensure the safety of the situation, you can remove any students who may
be in harm’s way. Remove any items that may pose a danger and ask for assistance by nearby
adults. If possible, move the student to a safe area of the room but only if you are able to do so
safely without further upsetting the student or escalating the behavior. If there is aggression, you
can move away or you can block the aggression. Blocking is the use of your own body to protect
yourself. You should never return physical aggression in any form or hold the student’s hands
down in some sort of restraint! Only block the behavior if you absolutely need to and can do this
safely. When possible, move out of the way! It may be helpful to get behind the student if
possible.
Slide 16: Ensure the safety of everyone examples
Behavior Rationale Response
Caleb will sometimes pound the keyboard when taking a test. However, today, Caleb threw the
keyboard and began finding other objects to throw. The aide attempted to redirect him, however,
he continued. The aide in the class was concerned about the safety of Caleb and the other
students. The paraprofessional removed the other students from the area, removed the chairs that
were in close proximity to him so they could not be thrown. Using a radio, she called the office
and asked for assistance. She talked quietly to Caleb and continued to protect him as he calmed.
When given a writing worksheet, Lilly began hitting herself in the head over and over. The
paraprofessional was concerned about Lilly’s safety. The paraprofessional approached Lilly and
gently prompted her hands to her desk. She removed the pencil on the desk so Lilly could not
grab it. She talked quietly to her and gave her a short break to calm down.
Slide 17: Remain calm and deescalate the situation
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When a problem behavior occurs, we must stay in control and calm.
Remaining calm will help you think about the steps you need to take to quickly
deescalate the situation without reinforcing the behavior.
It is important that when responding to interfering behaviors that the behavior is not taken
personally.
When a problem behavior occurs, we must stay in control and calm. It may be natural to become
emotional or angry. This will not help to stop the behavior, but will only make it worse.
Remaining calm will help you think about the steps you need to take to quickly deescalate the
situation without reinforcing the behavior. This will help you to weigh the outcomes and decide
what is going to be the quickest way to calm the student and return to the activity.
It is important that when responding to interfering behaviors that the behavior is not taken
personally. It is also important to not get into any power struggles. Remember that the student is
trying to tell you something that they need or want when they have interfering behavior. It is not
a personal attack on you! It is our job to figure out what is being communicated and to respond
accordingly.
Slide 18: Use any physical contact with caution
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It is imperative that you never respond to a student demonstrating interfering behaviors
with physical or aggressive behavior.
At times it may be necessary to use prompting such as physical prompting, to direct the
student.
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This prompting is gentle and is only used when absolutely necessary.
Physical prompting and touch should be used with caution.
It is imperative that you never respond to a student demonstrating interfering behaviors with
physical or aggressive behavior. It may be easy to think that you can show Jasper how to pick up
his book by taking his arm and leading him to the book and physically helping him to pick it up.
This will likely escalate the situation leading to more and more extreme physical interactions.
At times it may be necessary to use prompting such as physical prompting, to direct the student.
This prompting is gentle and is only used when absolutely necessary. For example, Caleb’s
paraprofessional may have gently guided him to a safe area of the room when his throwing
escalated. Physical prompting and touch should be used with caution. Students with ASD may
not like physical touch; therefore, using touch when they are already escalated may not be the
best course of action.
Slide 19: Summary
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Responding to problem behavior can be challenging.
Knowing how to respond to the behavior when it does happen is critical so we work to
reduce it as quickly as possible and do not reinforce it or help make it stronger.
There are several strategies we can use to deescalate behaviors when they occur.
Always work collaboratively with the educational team and the student’s teacher to
determine the best way to respond to behavior when it occurs.
Responding to problem behavior can be challenging. There are many different reasons why
behaviors occur and an infinite number of things that can trigger it or cause it to occur. Knowing
how to respond to the behavior when it does happen is critical so we work to reduce it as quickly
as possible and do not reinforce it or help make it stronger.
There are several strategies we can use to deescalate behaviors when they occur. Simple
strategies such as ignoring the behavior and redirecting are powerful and helpful in most
situations. However, providing a response that takes into account the function of the behavior
and the trigger can help to teach the student what to do instead of the problem behavior.
Always work collaboratively with the educational team and the student’s teacher to determine
the best way to respond to behavior when it occurs.