First, let’s talk about our definition of a “meltdown.” This chapter uses “meltdown” and “tantrum” interchangeably. It can be a result of unmanaged frustration, or it can appear out of nowhere. Observable behavior may include crying, kicking, screaming, hitting, throwing objects, biting, banging the head onto the wall or floor, collapsing to the floor, name-calling, etc. This can last from a few minutes to over an hour.
We are not going to pretend that there is a magic formula that we can give you to guide your actions during melt-down or crisis. Thus, it is imperative that the adults in the situation have insight into the causes of a student’s behavior.
• First, ensure that the teacher, student, and others are safe.
• Remove hazards from the environment.
• Call for additional adult assistance.
• Maintain a calm voice and demeanor and keep talking to a minimum.
• Once the child has begun to calm down, you might offer rhythmical and closed-ended strategies, such as rocking, drinking water, counting, spelling, deep breathing, and singing.
This challenging behavior may require additional and ongoing support from your site psychologist or behavior specialist.
Difficulty Organizing
Materials
Many students have poor motor planning and sequencing skills. Often, their visual system is under-responsive, and it does not organize sensory input well. These students have extreme difficulty making a plan to organize materials, and they also often have decreased fine motor skills. Messy backpacks overflow with extra papers, desk drawers are chaotic, utensils are unusable or missing, and papers are not put in binders.
• Replace the three-ring binder with a flexed file folder (the accordion type). This reduces the organizational steps that are needed with a three-ring binder to a much simpler filing method for papers. It also allows the student to see the entire folder at a glance.
• Prompt him to organize papers or throw away the old ones at the end of the day when he is packing his backpack.
• Remind him to take inventory and clean out his pencil box on a scheduled basis.
• Have a peer help him clean and organize his desk each week. Reduce the level of assistance to modeling as independence increases.
• Provide containers to attach to the sides of his desk. This will let the student see the contents easily versus having to bend and peer into a dark desk.
Classroom Celebrations
Although special events such as birthday and holiday parties can be fun, they can also be overwhelming and chaotic for some students. The routine is different, new people may be in the classroom, different foods and odors can be confusing, and the social expectations change from the customary.
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