Behavior-Based Model

The Behavior-Based Model at The Shirley Aninias School equips teachers with the resources to manage and reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom. This approach provides students with a toolbox of strategies to carry over into less-restrictive educational settings. Along with individualized behavior interventions, we implement a range of behavior-based strategies:

• School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework.
• Applied Behavior Analysis to Schooling.
• Natural Environment Teaching (NET).
• Group contingencies/reinforcement that supports class-wide positive behavior.
• Emphasizing the use of positive behavior-specific praise instead of negative general vocal statements.
  • Providing praise for the behaviors you want to see increase “thanks for keeping your hands to yourself”,  instead of “don’t do that.”
• Flexibility in scheduling/academic periods. 
  • If a child appropriately expresses they don’t want to do something, offering an option to do it later when they are available to learn.
  • This can help reduce negative behaviors that often function to escape a task.
• Teaching coping strategies through social stories, contrived teaching scenarios and in the moment de-escalation scenarios.