Most of the training a new paraeducator gets on day one is about rules and paperwork. That matters. But the question you'll face first, often in the first hour, is what to do when a student's behavior gets in the way of learning.
Here are three things that help, starting today.
1. Look at what happened right before
Behavior rarely comes out of nowhere. Something usually happens just before it: a hard task, a change in the routine, a noisy room, being told "not now."
When a behavior happens, ask yourself what happened in the minute before it. Write it down if you can. Over a few days, patterns show up, and the trigger is often something the adults can change.
2. Notice what happens right after
What happens after a behavior affects whether it happens again. If acting out gets a student out of a task, or gets them attention, it's likely to come back.
You don't have to stop everything to notice this. Just ask: what did the student get, or get out of, right after?
3. Teach what to do instead
Reacting to the behavior on its own rarely changes it. What works better is showing the student another way to get the same thing, like asking for a break with a word, a card or a sign, and then making sure that way works every time they use it.
If the new way works as well as the old behavior did, the student has a reason to use it.
Keep it simple
- Before: what happened right before?
- After: what did the student get, or get out of?
- Instead: what could they do instead, and does it work for them?
Bring what you notice to the teacher or behavior specialist you work with. Your notes about what happened before and after are some of the most useful information they'll get.
Free tool to help: our ABC data sheet lets you note the before, the behavior and the after in one place: special-learning.com/tools/abc-data/
When your team is ready for more: our online course, Intro to ABA, Level 1, teaches the principles behind these three things. It's $199 per person, and the first two sessions are free for 7 days: https://store.special-learning.com/product/level-1-aba-online-training-course-autism-basic
Share this with someone starting as a paraeducator this year.
Educational, not medical advice. Your school's behavior plan for a student always comes first.