Behavioral Influences

A variety of factors and influences can affect a child’s interactions in a group setting. Often, accommodations made within the classroom setting can help to support a child who is struggling with maintaining acceptable behavior. Other times, a student may require a more structured behavior intervention plan to provide a unified approach to support the student in the classroom setting.

Some of the elements that could impact a child’s ability to interact appropriately in an educational setting include long-term influences such as a child’s cognitive functioning, and their developmental profile. Other aspects of life that could affect the child’s behavior may be short-term such as moving to a new home, loosing a family pet, and/or a minor illness that could cause temporary discomfort.

Individuals will respond to situations in different ways. An event that has a short-term effect on one child could have long-term influences on another child.

Example of using Picture Cards to communicate appropriate behaviors

Because of the variety of factors that could impact students' behavior in an educational setting, it could be necessary for an interdisciplinary team that includes the classroom teacher, the special educator, the school counselor, the school psychologist, the behavior specialist, and the family to collaborate to determine the effective modes of behavior interventions, the appropriateness of the educational environment, and/or if additional evaluations and services would be needed.

However, in some cases, classroom modifications and behavioral strategies implemented in the class setting could alleviate some of the behavior difficulties a student exhibits

Given the variability of behavior difficulties, the student’s individual case would need to be considered in order to devise an effective behavior management plan.