Welcome to Unlimited Parenting. This is a podcast
where we discuss what it's like being parents
of children with disabilities. You are listening
to part three of demystifying positive behavioral
interventions and supports. And today we are
diving into tier three of the PBIS framework.
So this is when students need the highest level
of individualized support. Before We dig in.
Let's take a quick look at where we've been.
And if you haven't listened to tiers one and
two yet, I suggest popping over and listening
to those first. So tier one, if you want to think
of PBIS as a triangle, tier one is the foundation.
It's the bottom piece of that triangle. All students
get tier one support. Schools teach behavioral
expectations akin to academics. through modeling,
practice, and positive reinforcement. Think of
this as school -wide strategies like behavioral
expectations posted in the hallway, token systems,
and keeping those consistent routines. So for
example, your agenda for the day. And tier two
is for kids who need a little more. Maybe these
are kids in small groups. receiving targeted
supports like check -in, check -out, social skills
groups, self -monitoring tools, or behavioral
contracts. Tier 2 helps students who are at risk
but not yet in need of intensive intervention,
which might lead you to ask, when would the team
consider moving them from Tier 2 to Tier 3? What
is the catalyst? for that escalation up the triangle.
That is of course going to be very individualized.
It may look like reviewing two very specific
sets of criteria. So is the student not responsive
to tier two goals? At that point, it may be time
to escalate to tier three and after a review
of office discipline referral data. So when we
get to tier three, we're really looking at student
behavior in frequency and intensity and self
-harm to themselves and others. So let's talk
more about top tier, tier three. When the students
need support that's completely customized to
their needs. Like I mentioned previously, after
tier two, a more complex reinforcement system
is frequently needed to support this individual
student. and reduce that frequency intensity
of problem behavior. So remember, like the triangle,
Tier 3 is up at the top. It is the smallest piece
of that triangle. So therefore, the smallest
number of students are being supported there.
And that roughly translates to between 1 % and
5 % of students. So out of a school, about 1
% to 5 % of students haven't responded to Tier
1 or Tier 2 strategies. and they get escalated
up to Tier 3. So what might students existing
within Tier 3, what might they struggle with?
So those are students who are struggling with
persistent or intense behavior challenges, intense
emotional regulation difficulties, potentially
trauma or mental health conditions, multiple
suspensions or discipline referrals. Oftentimes
at Tier 3, and I would say most always at Tier
3, these students have existing IEPs or 504 plans,
behavioral intervention plans that include active
and monitored behavioral goals. Tier 3 is individualized.
It's based on deep assessments of the student's
needs. It's collaborative. School teams work
with families and potentially other mental health
professionals. to build this plan. It's incredibly
dynamic. Strategies are adjusted regularly based
off of the student's progress. And it's supportive.
It's aimed at skill building, not punishment.
Evidence -based interventions are utilized to
teach skills, provide support necessary for students
to access their core instruction, and participate
with grade -level peers. You'll notice that as
a theme throughout all of our podcasts is just
how Students with disabilities were always general
education students first, and the goal is always
to put them in their least restrictive environment
with the most time with their general education
peers as applicable to them on an individual
basis. PBIS is no different from that. The goal
is always to have the student access core instruction
and participate with grade -level peers as much
as applicable for their situation. Now let's
move on to some of the most common Tier 3 strategies
that you might find in schools. Remember, strategies
are always going to work best when the student
has a hand in crafting them. As a teen, as a
parent, consider letting the student, the youth,
lead that meeting. Lead the brainstorming on
what potential reinforcers may be, when and where
appropriate. ask for their feedback frequently.
Studies have shown that youth who are more involved
in generating their plans have higher outcomes
and greater success. The number one most common
tier three strategy would be a functional behavioral
assessment, often referred to by its acronym
FBA, or and a behavioral intervention plan referred
to its acronym of BIP or BIP. The purpose of
these is to identify the why behind behaviors
that are occurring and then what skills to teach
instead. So that might also be phrased as finding
that if all communication is behavior, what is
the ABCs, the antecedent, the behavior, the consequence,
what is causing this behavior? And then what
are the replacement skills that we can teach
that the student can access just as quickly as
they would access the skill that we're trying
to modify? And that becomes very key. You cannot
expect a student to do a replacement behavior
that's one or two, three steps more than the
behavior that you want to replace. Because when
a student is activated and they are outside of
their bodies, with their maladaptive behaviors,
they are not able cognitively, in some cases,
to access those three extra steps. So the replacement
behavior needs to be just as accessible as the
behavior that you want to replace. The structure
of an FBA would be that staff gathered data through
observation, interviews, and tracking. So I'll
share a little story about an FBA that was conducted
on my own son. So an FBA really delves into one
behavior in specific. And I won't bore you with
the whole seven, eight step process, but essentially
what it looked like with my son was they were
trying to figure out why he wouldn't play on
the playground with his peers anymore. And the
staff that kind of followed him around at recess,
at play, to try and figure out what was the antecedent
behind this behavior. After we had noticed that
Silas was not playing on the playground with
peers, which is an activity that he frequently
engaged in prior. And there was about three days
where he would not go anywhere near the playground.
And I and the team and I discussed and requested
that a functional behavioral assessment be conducted
because he was having these completely out of
the ordinary behaviors for him. And he just wouldn't
go near the playground. And so upon following
him and kind of assessing the behavior, the staff
realized that there was a beehive, a hornet's
nest near the playground. And Silas, my son,
just wasn't able to communicate what his fear
was. So he was using behavior to communicate
that. He wasn't able to access. those executive
functioning skills to be able to plan or communicate
or organize. He couldn't access any of that,
so he was just communicating purely through behavior.
But through the process of an FBA, we were able
to ascertain what was the antecedent, and then
the consequence was he wouldn't play on the playground.
So if we manipulate the antecedent, if we take
away the hornet's nest, You'll notice that through
that manipulation, and manipulation not in its
derogatory term, but through the changing of
the antecedent, right, that was able to change
his behavior. So just keep that in mind. That's
an example of what an FBA could potentially look
like. And for a behavioral intervention plan,
that is created with the information that is
gathered through a functional behavioral assessment.
It can be created through other ways, too. But
in this specific instance, it's being created
through the information gathered in that functional
behavioral assessment. It includes strategies
to prevent challenging behaviors, how to teach
new skills, how to respond consistently. And
if you go to, and this will be linked in the
description box, if you go to SESTA, our state's
technical assistance center for education, special
education, you will find. that they have plethora,
a myriad of resources on behavioral intervention
plans, on functional behavioral assessments,
on the competing behavior pathway. If it's related
to behavior, you name it, they've got it. And
they would be a wealth of resources you can see.
Examples of what an unfilled out behavioral intervention
plan could look like, what the process is for
conducting an FBA, may also have a parent resource
section where you can find resources that are
very well explained and easy to digest information.
Oftentimes, if you are the parent of a child
who is needing an FBA, who is needing a behavioral
intervention plan, you may not be in a place
where reading heavily academic or heavily jargon
or lots of abbreviations and acronyms. That may
not be a space that you find yourself in where
you can comprehend that information and SESTA
has done a fantastic job of taking these resources
and making that content parent friendly. Because
when you're in a crisis kind of situation like
that with your child, you're just also not really
able to access those parts of your brain. How
could you generalize this for at home? So just
like we did with tier one and tier two strategies,
we'll talk a little bit about what you could
do at home for those home to school connections.
So for this track patterns, ask what happened
before the behavior and ask what happened after.
This can help you and the school team align strategies.
And again, you'll remember this from the ABCs
of behavior, the antecedent, the behavior, and
the consequence. This is another way to engage
your child, if appropriate, and say, hey, what
happened right before that? And in this case,
it may even be more beneficial because the student,
the child, has been removed from the situation.
The emotions are de -escalated. They may be able
to provide you more feedback than they were.
in the moment with the staff when they were living
that situation. Another common tier three strategy
would be wraparound services. Purpose of this
is to create a holistic support system that spans
school, home, and community. This could include
meetings with school staff, mental health providers,
mental health providers if they are in the community,
mental health providers if they are at school,
and family members. shared plans and consistent
goals across multiple settings, and just to ensure
or provide resources like counseling, respite
care, family training. And how this generalizes
to home, don't hesitate to ask for support for
services if your child's needs go beyond school.
You are an equal member of this team with your
child. Is your child being supported by the YES
program or the YES system of care? Is that provider
in those meetings? Are you child and family teaming
in the community and bringing those individuals
also into the school for these wraparound meetings?
If you don't know what the YES system of care
is or if you don't know what the Youth Empowerment
Services program is and you'd like to learn more
about it, you're welcome to reach out to us here
at iPoll and we'd love to speak about it. Number
three, one -on -one support. professional or
behavioral aid, however this looks. The purpose
of this is to provide real -time support. So
you might have noticed that that functional behavioral
assessment seemed to happen later, after the
incident was occurring for a few days. A one
-to -one support is going to be there in the
moment to provide coaching and redirection during
school activities. So some examples of the support
they may provide is anticipate and prevent problem
behaviors. Prompting appropriate behaviors. Using
their proximity to the student to control and
provide nonverbal cues. Debrief after incidents
to reflect and reinforce those coping skills.
You know, hey, how could you have handled that
differently? You know, I know that we normally,
that that was really hard for you. It was really
hard for you to transition from art back into
the classroom. What are some of the skills that
we've learned that you could try next time to
help you make that move from the classrooms?
A tip for the home would be to ask the school
team what strategies their aid at school uses.
Is it visual prompts? Is it check -ins? Is it
movement breaks? Is it using proximity? And then
try using them at home. Number four. intensive
counseling or social emotional support. The purpose
of this is to build emotional regulation and
social skills. This could include daily or weekly
sessions with a counselor or a therapist, tools
like breathing exercises, calming spaces, or
just the development of more emotional vocabulary,
more language to express. Or it could look like
explicit teaching of skills like conflict resolution,
emotional regulation. requesting or manding or
tacting for breaks, and self -monitoring. And
this could happen multiple ways. Again, this
is very individualized. This could be throughout
the day in natural context or scheduled coaching
sessions. For a home tip, consider using visuals
like a feeling thermometer or apps like the Zones
of Regulation to help your child label and cope
with emotions. This is not a plug or an ad. I'm
not being sponsored. But the other day I was
on Etsy and I saw a pillow that was intended
for, I assume, a counselor's office or a therapist's
office. And it was a huge feelings wheel. And
you would start in the center and say, oh, I'm
mad. And then from the word mad, it would branch
out into four different options like frustrated,
irritated. And then you'd choose whichever one
you align with. And then it just keeps going.
so that you can get more and more detailed in
describing what you're mad really is. Number
five, last but not least, daily behavior reports
or journals. These strengthen the homeschool
connection and assist in providing regular feedback
so everyone's on the same page. Everyone knows
what happened at school. Everyone knows what
happened at home. No one's left wondering, oh
man, little Johnny looks like he didn't get enough
sleep last night. You're already going to know
that because you're going to have read the report
that said Johnny had a really rough night. He's
feeling kind of hungry, didn't get a lot of sleep.
So that they can anticipate and not place those
demands first thing in the morning. Kind of let
him ease in and warm up, give him that grace
that allows him to be his best self or her. What
does the parents role look like in tier three?
I want to remind you again, I know I've said
it before, but you're not just the parent, you're
the partner. You're a leader in your child's
success. And here are some tips to make Tier
3 work for you, the IEP team, the 504 team, the
wraparound team, and your child. Number one,
be at the table. Presence is important. Attend
the FBA, the Functional Behavioral Assessment,
the BIP, the Behavioral Intervention Plan, the
IEP, the Individualized Education Plan. Attend
those meetings. 504s. Share what works at home.
Ask what's working at school. Ask for updates
and what's changed. Ask for training. It's okay.
It's encouraged to ask for coaching and how to
use behavior tools. Stay connected. Use that
communication notebook and email. Use ClassDojo,
ParentSquare, anything like that. Ask for updates.
Send updates throughout the day. Send an update
in the morning. And lastly, advocate. If something
isn't working, speak up. This is a team effort.
What about generalizing Tier 3 supports to home
and community? Tier 3 will only work if students
can use these new skills beyond the classroom.
Here's how to help your child carry these supports
into everyday life. Implement visual schedules.
Just like at school, a morning or evening routine
with pictures or checklists can reduce anxiety
and improve independence. I love and stand by
a good checklist. They help me feel more grounded
so I can only imagine what that could feel like
for a child too. Continue to reinforce replacement
behaviors. If the school is helping to teach
your child to ask for a break, using a specific
way, maybe using a card or... flipping a token
over or whatever the case may be. Practice that
at home too. Create a calm down corner. Include
familiar tools like a fidget, a weighted blanket,
emotional charts, or that emotional pillow from
Etsy. Again, not sponsored. Finally, use a daily
rating sheet. Let your child reflect with you
on their day. What worked? What was hard? A little
pro tip, encourage your child to select how they
felt and then you select what you thought and
then provide reflections. Remember, letting the
child advocate for themselves first promotes
that sense of resilience and allows us to access
those greater outcomes. What about in the community?
Prep your child ahead of time. Lean into social
stories or role play before going to new places.
or even established places that maybe don't work
out so well. For example, what about the dentist?
Do you have a social story for going to the dentist
or maybe some specific sensory tools that you
can lean heavily into for the dentist? Is there
any kind of reward for the post -dental day?
Lean into first -then language. That could look
like, first we go to the store, then you have
iPad time. Or you could do yes -then. Yes, we're
going to the store. Then you get to have iPad
time. Identify safe exits or helpers. If you're
in public, let your child know where they can
go or who they can ask for help in public places
if appropriate and if they are able to. So for
example, I tell my children, if you're out in
public and for whatever reason we get separated,
knock on wood. I always tell them to look for
a mom with kids. So that could be something that
you could lean into. And always partner with
after school providers, coaches, daycare staff.
Share strategies that work because consistency
is key. Here's a pro tip. Make it your goal to
use the same language across all settings. So
if your school says, ready, set, respectful.
Try using those phrases at home. Try and have
after -school providers use those phrases. Grandma
and grandpa are using those phrases. Anyone who
has routine, consistent access using the same
phrases. As we wrap up, I just want to emphasize
that Tier 3 isn't about control. It's about understanding
and meeting the child where they are. With individualized
plans, Strong homeschool partnerships, community
partnerships, and consistency across all settings.
Kids can learn the tools they need to thrive
and be successful. Thank you so much if you've
stuck through us throughout this entire PBIS
series. Tier 1, a strong foundation for all,
the bottom of the pyramid. Tier 2, targeted support
for some, the middle of that pyramid. And Tier
3. intensive, individualized supports for a few.
Remember, if you take nothing from any of this,
it's that all behavior is communication. Thank
you so much everyone out there for listening
in and know that if you are in Idaho or planning
on moving to Idaho, and have questions on systems
or services for children with disabilities, please
consider reaching out to us on our website at
ipulidaho, that's I -P -U -L, idaho .org, or
by calling us at 208 -342 -5884. Be sure to tune
in next time. Until then, this has been Unlimited
Parenting. Thanks for listening!