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Challenging behaviour - SEN Teachers asking for advice

NAS80219

I have just posted on the forum letting you know I'm new here and a bit about our school background and why we have joined. I hope you can read it. If you have I would like, (and I have permission by the appropriate people), to share a bit about a student who we have been struggling with for a while now. I will call them Riley (not their real name for privacy and safe guarding reasons). 

Riley is a teenager who joined us last year. Riley is diagnosed with autism and displays very challenging behaviour at times which we struggle to manage at times. Rileys challenging behaviour includes, but not limited to:

  • S.I.B (Self Injurious Behaviour)
  • Aggression towards staff (verbal and physical) 
  • Absconding and running off 
  • Disruptive behaviour (creating a difficult working environment for others) 
  • Refusal to do work and listen to instructions 

We do our best to help Riley when things get difficult. We use PECS and visuals, schedules, sensory toys, weighted blankets, side hugs, change of face if Riley doesn't want a particular teacher, and space if they want to be left alone. 

Today was a bit tricky for everyone, expecially Riley. Riley was very tired, overwhelmed and confused, emotions you don't want to deal with, especially at the same time. Riley didn't want any teachers today and locked them out the room and was doing laps round the school. Riley started swearing at staff, telling them to 'f!ck off', then started throwing things about in a way to communicate. We said 'Riley, you look upset. Do you want to have a chat with anyone?', incase they wanted to chat about what's bothering them but Riley refused this. 

Honestly, that was a little part of the day, and that's just a usual day. We don't like seeing students struggling and we try our best to figure out the issue behind the behaviour and what we can do and put in place to help but over the past few months of working close to Riley, nothing has changed or is getting worse and we just aren't sure what to do or suggest next. We contact the parents everyday so we know how she is before school and we update them after school about the day. If anyone has any ideas, we are very grateful. We are open to everything. Thanks for reading this. Sorry its very long, didn't know how to shorten it. 

Parents

  • Schools need a collective of Autistic/ADHD Adults and Autistic/ADHD Therapists within the community who can help. These individuals will be able to help work out innately what is causing injury and throwing these children into self-defence mode. From my experience, ADHD individuals seem to be able to understand both NeuroTypical and Autistic  individuals and then can also keep at the pace of an ADHD child.

    Short of this, a designated 'sensory' room might help, but there's always the issue of lighting, which maybe someone like LightAware could help with. A child running laps around a building is actually engaging in a safe response to trauma or adrenaline. Exhausting oneself with physical activity is the best way to avoid taking it out on others. This shouldn't be discouraged. ADHD children typically need far more activity then they are allowed and it's quite harmful to their biology if they don't get this. 

    Chatting with someone might not help. NeuroTypical individuals seem to calm down with a bit of cheering on and positive affirmation. For an Autistic child, this cheering on will sound cruel, demeaning and cold hearted. Autists are looking for help analysing a function and problem-solving. They rarely need positive affirmation when under stress, but practical solutions. Further, they'll have difficulty with language and interception, so find 'chatting' over a thing only compounds the frustration unless they are with someone who's clever enough to out-think them, help them find the language they're missing and explore all kinds of possibilities assaulting their senses. NeuroTypical individuals might avoid exploring nuances of possible complexities, as they can find certain associations might make them feel guilty. It can be good to help encourage staff to be more Observant, scientific-like and engage with their analytical self. It could honestly be best to see if there isn't an autistic parent in the community who can assess the school and help find the issues creating further complications for these children.

  • in reply to JuniperFromGallifrey
    JuniperFromGallifrey said:
    A child running laps around a building is actually engaging in a safe response to trauma or adrenaline.

    Riley is an adrenaline seeker at times but we have safe ways to deal with this. She has also been through trauma the past few years and sometimes she gets triggered at school. We think she may have PTSD due to how badly she reacts but we can't discuss this. It is also leading up to when the trauma began so she's struggling in that area aswell. 

    She also goes to periods of high and low mood. Ofcourse teenagers and everyone else go through mood swings but this is on a different level and lasts a while. One day, she'll be her normal self, the next she can be really low and agitated. Other times it seems like she has endless energy, she's talking really quickly and really loudly almost shouting, and she doesnt stop laughing or talking, she's just in this weird mood that even a little issue that would usually bother her, wouldn't. Literally, she could be really annoyed with something but she'll be laughing, smiling and seems cheerful, it's not her. I can't explain it but this can also lead to absconding. 

  • in reply to NAS80219
    NAS80219 said:
    We think she may have PTSD due to how badly she reacts but we can't discuss this

    Why can't you discuss this? We all have PTSD at this age due to a society we are mismatched to fit in.

    Here again, perhaps a Theatre class can help as there is something therapeutic in it. There are rules to relationships involved and forms of exchange. here again, understanding etiquette as a form of Art / Aesthetic (how can we create a kind and respectful environment with the colours we choose? how can we create a form of "art" in our relationships?)

    Could be good to see if you cannot hire someone. Theatre classes aid with memory techniques, as well as social.

Reply
  • in reply to NAS80219
    NAS80219 said:
    We think she may have PTSD due to how badly she reacts but we can't discuss this

    Why can't you discuss this? We all have PTSD at this age due to a society we are mismatched to fit in.

    Here again, perhaps a Theatre class can help as there is something therapeutic in it. There are rules to relationships involved and forms of exchange. here again, understanding etiquette as a form of Art / Aesthetic (how can we create a kind and respectful environment with the colours we choose? how can we create a form of "art" in our relationships?)

    Could be good to see if you cannot hire someone. Theatre classes aid with memory techniques, as well as social.

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