De-escalation Techniques

April 23, 2020

Nina Pearsall, Supervisor of Special Servicesnina.pearsall@wmtps.orgSherry Schwartz, Social Workersherry.schwartz@wmtps.org

@nina_pearsall

Objectives for Today

De-escalate accelerating behavior

➔ Understand basics of behavior

➔ Learn about de-escalation strategies

➔ Share ways to apply these techniques

to a home setting

Background Nina Pearsall, Supervisor of Special Services

● Over 15 years experience with Applied Behavior Analysis

● Been trained in both Handle with Care and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

● One of the two district CPI trainers

● CPI is accredited program that teachers safe de-escalation, disengagement, and holds

● CPI serves educators as well as behavior health professionals, healthcare professionals, security and correctional staff

● “Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training equips you with skills, confidence, and an effective framework to safely manage & prevent difficult behavior.” CPI website

Background Sherry Schwartz, LSW, ACSW, School Social Worker

-Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)

-Attended the Nurtured Heart Approach training

--NHA: Created by Howard Glasser in 1992

-Philosophy for creating healthy relationships with people in your life.

-NHA is being successfully implemented through families, classrooms, foster care, health care professionals, social workers and criminal justice organizations that are seeking successful, early intervention techniques.

Behavior● Observable● Serves a function

○ What is your child trying to tell you? ● Crisis behavior is needy behavior

Your child begins to engage in “disruptive” behavior. How do you respond?

●

Level 1 of the CPI Crisis Development Model

Behavior Level: Anxiety

A change in behavior

Parent Approach: Supportive

An empathic, non-judgmental approach

Strategies for helping a child exhibiting anxious behaviors

● Giving something to help support

○ Time- “Do you need a minute?”

○ Space- “I am going to put this away and will come back in one minute.”

○ Help- “Do you need some help?”

○ Escape- “Do you need a break?”

○ Reassurance- “You can do it. I’ll be here if you need me.”

Goal- de-escalate the behavior by providing assistance to your child

Level 2 of the CPI Crisis Development Model

Behavior Level: Defensive

Beginning to lose rationality

Parent approach: Directive

Decelerating an escalating behavior

Strategies to help a student exhibiting defensive behaviors

● Continue to be supportive

● Validate and redirect

● Set limits

● DO NOT ENGAGE

Remember, they are losing rationality. DO NOT

try to rationalize with them.

● Paraverbal communication

The vocal part of speech, excluding the words

● Tone● Volume● Cadence

“Do you understand the information I told you?”

Verbal Intervention- Verbal Escalation Continuum

Questioning

Refusal

Release

Intimidation

Tension Reduction

Questioning

● Informational Seeking○ Give a rational answer

● Challenging ○ Downplay the challenge. Stick to the topic. Set

limits

Refusal

Noncompliance

● Set limits

Release

Verbal and emotional outburst

● Allow venting

● If possible, remove the child or the audience

Intimidation

Verbal or nonverbal threats

● Take all threats seriously

● Seek assistance

Tension Reduction

Decrease in physical and emotional energy

● Establish therapeutic rapport

Setting limits

Goal is to de-escalate behaviors

● Simple/clear

● Reasonable

● Enforceable

Approaches to setting limits

● Interrupt and redirect

● When/then statements

● If/then statements

Rational detachment

“Ability to manage your own behavior and attitude and not take the behavior of others personally”

What can you do?

● Deep breaths- count to ten ● Parent time out ● Have positive outlets ● Follow through and don’t give up- do NOT

want intermittent reinforcement

Integrated ExperienceBehavior influences behavior

● Behavior○ Anxiety○ Defensive○ Risk Behavior○ Tension

Reduction

● Response○ Supportive○ Directive○ Physical

Intervention○ Therapeutic

Rapport

PostventionTherapeutic rapport- re-establish communication

● Reflection- What is my child trying to tell me?○ Look for patterns○ Consider alternative, appropriate behaviors○ Teach/implement alternative appropriate behaviors

Proactive Strategies

● Set clear expectations

● Practice appropriate behaviors

when your child is calm

● Reinforce when your child

engages in appropriate behavior

● Provide choice

Nurtured Heart Approach

-Created by Howard Glasser in 1992

-Philosophy for creating healthy relationships with people in your life.

-NHA is being successfully implemented through families, classrooms, foster care, health care professionals, social workers and criminal justice organizations that are seeking successful, early intervention techniques.

An Overview of how NHA works

-Consists of strategies to further develop children’s self-regulation -Helps transform children’s perception -Children learn they will receive endless amounts of praise, energy, recognition and reward through positive behavior -This allows children to build a positive portfolio of themselves

Intense children needs intense positivity!

-Intensity has negative associations- Intensity is a powerful quality that, if developed correctly, can propel children onto amazing achievements-When a child learns to feel great about their intensity, the incidents of challenging

behavior dissolve.

The 3 prongs of NHA

A powerful way to transform children...need all 3 prongs to be successful!

First Prong: ABSOLUTELY NO!

-I will NOT energize negativity -I refuse to give my time, energy and attention to negative behavior-I will not accidentally foster failure nor will I reward problems by responding to them in animated ways. I will save my time and energy for searching for success.

Second Prong: ABSOLUTELY YES!

- I will give my energy to things going right!

- I will relentlessly pull my child into new patterns of success!

- I will constantly recognize the success and achievement that children are displaying no matter how small and present them with clear undeniable evidence of their value and how great they are!

Third Prong: ABSOLUTELY CLEAR!

-I will be CLEAR with what the rules are and what to do if they have been broken-Clear and consistent consequences for children when a rule has been broken. -“Here are the rules, and here’s what happens when you break a

rule.”

More details of the approach include

-Recognizing/Noticing our kids for who they are-Using emotionally nutritious language when “noticing” our children (ABSOLUTELY YES)-Reset ourselves (and our kids) with the word, “Reset” -Being clear with what our rules actually are

How to Recognize our kids?

4 different ways!

Active Recognition“Kodak Moments”

-Observation of what you see-Verbal snapshot“I see that you” “I hear you”

Active Recognition Examples

-Johnny, I see you have your book out and you opened to the page given in the instructions. -Sally, I noticed that you just took off your shoes as soon as you walked in the door. -Chad, I hear that you are using a quiet voice, even though there is lots of noise happening around you. -Wow, Camilla, look at you! I could see, from across the room, that you just picked up the papers that fell on the floor, even though you seem to be a little upset and even though no one told you to help

Experiential Recognition

-An observation of both the facts that you see and also what that says about the person’s greatness. -This technique sends messages of worth and re-writes the child’s portfolio of who they are, based on first-hand experiences of character-focused success.-Active recognition + character quality

“Experiential Recognition” language….

“I see you (behavior)… and what that shows is that you are (quality).” “I notice…”, “I want to energize you for…”, “and that is evidence that you are…” “I appreciate that you…”, “I want to honor that you…”, “which proves that you are…” “I want to celebrate that you…” “and you are showing your….”

“Experiential Recognition” Examples

Sarah, I noticed that you just looked irritated by that word problem, and yet you kept on working on it to completion, which shows that you are persevering and a diligent student. Josh, I see that you put both your lunch money form and your daily planner on the table for my signature. You are setting both of us up to be successful in getting out of the house tomorrow morning, when we don’t have to scramble to get those things done. Way to show your responsibility and organization! Claire, you just handled telling me something challenging that happened at school with honesty and maturity. I want to honor you for handling the situation with such integrity.

Proactive Recognition

-Notice your child when the rules have NOT been broken!- A deliberate statement to identify the success in what isn’t happening in a situation, but could be. -This type of recognition is filled with empowerment, as the child is fully given credit for the positive choices they made, even if they hadn’t been deliberate in the decision. -Rules are taught in this manner, through a very first-hand experience of success. -Sends messages of power and control, for both the current moment and to be used in the future.

Proactive RecognitionLanguage….

“I see you not (behavior), even though you could be, and what that shows is that you are (quality).” “You totally could have ______, and instead you ______ and that proves that you are ______.” “You seem to be feeling (emotion) and you are still not ______. That shows how ______ you are.” “I’m impressed that you ______ instead of ______. That really takes ______ to make that kind of choice!”

Proactive Recognition Examples….

-Catherine, I just noticed that Sam walked past and bumped into you and you didn’t get angry or shove him, but instead just stepped away. What a powerful way to handle the way you get to decide your own choices. That takes a lot of self-control and you have it! -Jane, look at the focus that you are using on this project right now. You aren’t rushing or scribbling, but instead are taking your time and showing off your amazing artistry.

Creative Recognition “Hijacking success”

-A method of creating success that may not otherwise exist. -Starts with a clear and doable request or an action in progress and then celebrates movement in the right direction, regardless of intention or quantity of movement. -Creative recognitions “hijack” children into success-Find ANYTHING your child can be successful in- show them what success feels like!

Creative Recognition “Hijacking success”Language…..

“I need you to…” “I want you to…” “Go ahead and…” “It’s time to…” “I see you getting ready to ______.” “I see that you ______, and now I need you to ______.”“I was going to ask you to ______, and you already did it! That shows

how you are ______.”

Creative Recognition “Hijacking success”Examples……...

Jason, I need you to come here. (pause for action) I want to honor you for looking up at me when you heard my words. I appreciate that you are moving in this direction and showing your respectfulness.

Maya, it’s time to finish the snack that you are eating so we can go. (pause) Look, you kept chewing which shows that you are doing exactly what I asked. I appreciate how you are a team player in getting us out the door.

These techniques can be powerful!

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/103160647692170106/?autologin=true

CPI and Nurtured Heart Overlaps

● Not engaging in the negative behavior ● Building relationships● Setting clear rules, routines, expectations, and

consequences ● Set limits and be consistent and clear with all of the above

References

Transforming the Difficult Child by Howard Glasser

Additional Resourceshttps://www.crisisprevention.com/

https://www.crisisprevention.com/CPI/media/Media/download/PDF_SPVI.pdf

https://www.thepathway2success.com/50-de-escalation-strategies/

https://www.bradleyhospital.org/tantrums-meltdowns-and-kids-acting-out-what-do

https://hes-extraordinary.com/de-escalation-techniques