Jake enters Mr. Daniels’ 7th-grade class, but today, there’s a noticeable difference. As the class begins, the noise level rises with students talking to each other. Jake immediately starts to look uneasy, but instead of isolating himself, he takes a deep breath and signals to Mr. Daniels with a hand raised. Mr. Daniels, who’s familiar with Jake’s trauma history, gently walks over and quietly asks if Jake would like to use the sensory room for a short break. Jake nods, and Mr. Daniels gives him a pass. On his way out, the school counselor, Mrs. Lopez, sees Jake and offers him a calming tool, like a fidget spinner, and invites him to sit in a quiet space for a few minutes. In the counselor’s office, Jake talks briefly with Mrs. Lopez, who listens without judgment and helps him process his feelings. When Jake returns to class, he feels more grounded and is able to rejoin the group. Later in the week, the special education coordinator, Ms. Green, checks in with Jake to ensure he has strategies in place for handling loud noises or group work.
All of this support is part of the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) built into the school district. It includes multiple members of the team of educators, paraeducators and related service providers who work together in a data based way offering universal supports for all kids that mirror what kids like Jake need. They also offer targeted supports that are specialized for small groups of kids and where evidence based approaches are embedded naturally into Jake’s day. Finally, if Jake needs a specific behavior intervention plan, the team will take data on his baseline, determine antecedents, behavior and consequences, complete an Functional Behavioral Assessment and design a plan that reflects exactly what Jake needs. All the while the team takes note through data based observation and data tracking to ensure the measures they are taking are reflecting positively in Jake’s school function. Jake’s behavior at school is not always a choice and is often a natural response to a classroom management plan that makes him feel increasingly anxious and singled out.
Components of a Multi-Tiered System of Support include:
Tier 1: (ALL) Universally Designed Supports: embedded into the classroom good for one student but present for all.
Tier 2: (SOME) Targeted Supports: small group, evidence-based approaches embedded into the day to day sequence of the class or completed in a pull out format for a small group of students.
Tier 3: (A FEW)Â Individualized Supports: specially designed instruction with a functional behavioral analysis and follow up behavior intervention plan in place to support students who need individualized programming that matches their unique needs.
Other components that might be present in a school setting:
- variety of integrated screening and assessment approaches that catch kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks
- decision-making processes and flo-charts with next steps in the process based on data retrieved from professionals on the team
- coaching for teachers and paraeducators on specialized classroom practices (trauma informed, positive behavior intervention, academic, social emotional, or gifted)
The alternative to this story is that Jake receives some kind of exclusionary discipline consequence like an in-school suspension for his outburst. This will likely not teach Jake discipline. A day of out-of-school suspension will damage any trust developed between the school and Jake and his family, and could have the potential to traumatize Jake further. Shaming Jake and sending him back to class to recover whatever instruction and social standing he has lost is not going to help him, either. With supports in place, Jake can begin to feel more safe and confident in managing his responses, knowing he has trusted adults to help him cope with overwhelming situations.
(This description was adapted from Kirk Eggleston et al.’s chapter on trauma informed approaches to student discipline.
Eggleston, Kirk, et al. Developing Trauma-Responsive Approaches to Student Discipline : A Guide to Trauma-Informed Practice in PreK-12 Schools, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uc/detail.action?docID=6509541.