Self Injurious Behaviour (SIB)

I would just like to thank everyone who has read and commented on our last posts. I have only one more question. SIB... Some of our students engage in SIB from time to time and in times of distress and overwhelm. 

We have figured what's causing it for most, needs not getting met, over stimulated, under stimulated, bored and communication. For most of the students we know what can help and do our best. But, for Riley, I know it seems pike we are picking her but we are just baffled and confused, we don't know what to do. 

Today, she has gone home with bite marks on her hands. She didn't come to school with them, so it happened at school. She was very overwhelmed today and was close to exploding but she kept it in and under control. Staff had an eye on her at all times, but somehow she manged to bite herself. We aren't sure when yet but we will do our best to figure things out and what triggered it. 

SIB is very common for Riley, more than the other students, so our responses change. She will headbang, bite, pull her hair nearly ripping it out, punch things and herself, and eat inedible objects. We will say stop or redirect her, if she's headbanging, we will use our hand to block or a cushion or mat. If she's biting, we will get her chew and hold her hands to block this, if she doesn't manage to bite, we have no choice but the pinch her nose so she stops, but that's last case scenario which we've only had to do once. We do everything to keep her safe, but the more people there is or if we try stopping her, the worse the SIB and she gets even more agitated so it's difficult. What else could we do to help, new tactics and support to put in place. 

Parents
  • We had a different student today who had a tricky part of the day and managed to hurt his arms quite severely and has gone home in bandages. Its never been that severe before with him. 

  • Hi N9

    I have fettled the post again to read slightly better - plus there is more info in it. Can you imagine what a nightmare paper level documents are for me ?

    Then you might have to tweak up the concern lenses a half notch for rational contingency based reasons in case it is manifesting on SM. You've nothing to lose if it isn't, for consider the state of alert only means it was eliminated SM if not the case, in s state where i'd recommend it needs to be eliminated in all cases. In fact evolving perspectives would probably invigorate andralogical collaboration leading to effective  & up to date safeguarding intelligence like this so avoid the hermits torch. Safeguarding is one of the areas of school life that naturally motivates staff to go the extra mile with adult learning. I would say that 21 century safeguarding requires elements of Andragogy & that is notoriously hard to facilitate for obvious reasons. I broach it to who seems a member of the converted as your posts indicate a distinct inclination. The future is efficient adult learning inn schools - a metacognition of SEN teaching where less is more by virtue of general collaborative evolution for one thing, the unfolding of things that just happens. The other spark i'd feel is a certain impulse skill, that enables fellows to take on more information as a motivational / info affair. One has got to have the drive, and has got to feel invigorated by the substance. The other thing is that Ai is greatly misunderstood, as to most it will simply make itself apparent in the form of computerised models. There is no avoiding Ai, but one does need to see that contrary to the incredible claims there is no consciousness in Ai, it is human information ultra compacted onto todays fast drives. This is important since the concept is all gibberished with technology & neural research that hasn't happened other than rumour. But the point is - to ge to the stage where effective collaboration takes place & al can be up to spped in less stressful ways a school needs to be Ai linguistic. This needs to be done via the Ethos, and is the opportunity to centralise the entire school group intelligence. The way to maximise the way students understand personal responsibility is for it to be a recurring them in that ethos. For example -i'm not saying such option is yet realistic. But many ways it would be more effective if the students initial year in SEN funded school was entirely linked to personal responsibility & the surrounding organism needs to be one giant illustrator. They'd also be taught extracts of english & maths and plenty of creative classes - not ready to be rolled out in state schools yet, but elements have been used and will again. Are you state btw or independent ?. The point is though - and is an effective point bereft of revolution. The current models waste masses of cognitive energy from the ground up. The sooner a universal model of sanctuary devoted to ethos and obtaining the mental conditions required for learning are put in place the better. Any school can put a friday afternoon in place that is creative and reinforcing personal responsibility. But those children require constant contact. Hence such contact needs to be passive = needs to be an Ai of PR in illustration. That way it can be topped up with minimal intrusion - but is always there. Within that openly visual guidance the oxygens of anto social behaviour counter measure itself, what students should do if they are being bullied. The way they can state they'll get immunity and confidentiality. This logic works on basis of a zero exclusion ethos. Thus it stands to reason that it becomes irrelevant what the hearsay is so long as we know its just SM combat. If its more serious like sexual stalking that will be revealed. But really its about finding people who are engaged in pointless drama & being able to have it known that nothing matters with respect to the bullies allegations. Hardly ever would the school witness such allegations as they exist purely to upset the victim. Furthermore such an approach just break ups of self destructive behaviours that damage learning. Naturally the non exclusion status is itself is best kept confidential.

    Overall what all this might do is minimise the effectiveness of SM blackmail, thus discourage it from front end. And empowers students to know they can readily talk about negative experience since the bullies claims would be ineffective in a state where the school explicitly indicates strict confidence. Should an adjustment like this ever be embraced, adjustments are need as woke culture could increase case of false reporting as the method of bullying. In neighbourhood for example disputes that is a real symptom. There are ways around potential exploitations of such a model if the team truly understand how most of the implications of each model work. Mistakes are made when individuals don't. In another example - we hear a lot around the web chats about ''the school did nothing about bullying''. Well plenty of schools are quite hopeless with it tbh. But in yet another of lifes contradictions it is already tough to approach the subject of teacher andragogy, let along parent! Often - effective anti bullying measures seem to have done little just die to the way it was all so confidential, and had enacted confidence based techniques as part of the strategy itself. Thus there would be an element of those remarks in a model determined to work with bullies - its obvious. It is a nobel and wise gesture, the ratings never seem to be great for schools who exclude.

    Every school is placed in the position where there is no orther choice sometimes.

    Ethos is a triplicity of Ethos - Logos - Pathos.  Logos can represent the andragogy & Pathos emotional intelligence naturally. When systems are not working well it is often as the triplicity nature of the group had fallen apart. I.E has resorted to Pathos, which becomes negative outside of the triple. I have rarely known matters to decay into Logos. Much can be said concerning this three way coupling, but it suffices it that integration is essential. For instance though a wonderful subject, theres not much point in listening to the post structuralism doctrine that attempts to obsolete Logos as a masculine abstraction  = logic and so on. The centrality of the equality experience requires a bit more depth than elimination, to often resorts to Pathos, a move that automatically deletes the other pair. Ethos is associated with centrality Neutrality. Logos is Positive & Pathos Negative. There is similarity with something sanskrit teachers refer to as :

    en.wikipedia.org/.../Guṇa

    In that sense ethos can be very compatible with other cultures & there are ways to be even more integrated. A few slight inconsistencies can be dealt with linguistically. The greek more an ethos of philisophy/theory of mind. The Hindhu of good citizenship.

    ''Guna theory's perspective on values constituting human personality is unique yet congruent with other ethical theories''

    So insight at this specific point just happens to be from sacred books of the east. This version of citizenship simply exemplifies what makes a good ethos, I.E essences of things that get a lot done for the least said. Andragogy for instance can never do that every time & in another example it would be ridiculous if say a doctorate tried. We know that with students, they need a gestalt of positive suggestion, backed up by other work.

    We know how images in corridors influence the peripheral vision element of the student mind. We see them around everywhere, but they are random, generic, and not actually part of any integrated technique. If schools are going to do that, then they might as well do it with a coherent objective.

    Ethos needs to impact. Citizenship with the personal responsibility aspects appropriate needs to become part of their consciousness = Memory. That is why the important elements you are looking for can literally be illustrated in an influential position on a school wall within a beautiful design -- Yes. Good citizenship includes the do's & don;'t within personal conducts in SM, perhaps in a discrete way though still with enough presence to be  approachable for project work. You could compose that Ethos, then monitor the impact that sessions of Q & A are opening up in student consciousness via creative projects. That is a minimalistic and economic way to experiment & monitor such progress that disrupts little in way of school workflow, can be budgeted easily, but can positively disrupt poor citizenship. Experimentally matters can go on to be more ofc, one can prove a scaffolding methodology is influencing the students in a systemic, thus efficient way in pen & ink as well as orally. With that evidence it would be so much easier to expand the concept. Definitive safeguarding with respect to SM icould be argued to be falsifiable when the school knows the social boundary conditions at large there, and the students can pontificate them to the staff. That way you'd have good confidence the pedagogy really can tell tale on any SM bully.

    It is time for Citizenship models to become ethos phenomena in lowers schools across the UK i feel N9. Naturally when schools get models to work well, it becomes possible to implement more that just a mural. 

    As you'd see if done meticulously the school might gain more eligabilty for grants.

    en.wikipedia.org/.../Falsifiability

    Go Well.

  • Thank you again for your reply. We are an independent special school. The student who hurt himself is doing well according to parents which is what we like to hear. He was a bit frustrated and overwhelmed about some things. 

    Riley also struggled a bit yesterday with the noise of the school and no one to talk to about any worries or issues so she got overwhelmed and absconded. She did come back to school by herself which is amazing. She also wore her ears defenders for the first time in school. 

Reply
  • Thank you again for your reply. We are an independent special school. The student who hurt himself is doing well according to parents which is what we like to hear. He was a bit frustrated and overwhelmed about some things. 

    Riley also struggled a bit yesterday with the noise of the school and no one to talk to about any worries or issues so she got overwhelmed and absconded. She did come back to school by herself which is amazing. She also wore her ears defenders for the first time in school. 

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