All behavior is COMMUNICATION

Whether a child is flapping his arms to say he is excited or throwing a toy to say he is over-stimulated and needs a break—he is communicating! So how do we shape his communication to be more appropriate? Especially when the student has limited verbal language or is non-verbal?

We must model a form of communication that the student can access.

Remember: even verbal children have moments of frustration, excitement, or overstimulation when they can’t find the words to communicate and revert to inappropriate behaviors. This is the reason some students become extremely physical when upset. Acting out is the only form of communication they can access in that moment.