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Thank-you Michele! I believe that if you are never given the opportunity to "fall down", how will you learn to get up. People in an institutional setting are given directions to follow for every act.

Just today, I got to the end of the hallway to find that the class of 6 kids did not follow me. I forgot to tell them to follow me to the art room. They were all standing in a line, waiting for direction.

I try to provide opportunities for independent thinking - sort of a stepping stone to the real world.

-=deb=-

  Michele wrote:

  Just FYI,
  There is another training called CPI - Crisis Prevention and Intervention that sounds very similar and is offered nationwide. I worked for 16 years in an agency supporting people with mental retardation, many with dual diagnosis of mental health/mental retardation &/or other disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders , etc. Quite a few adults came to us from institutions with a "severe reputation". However, with RESPECT and affirmation of the personal worth and dignity, their lives changed. Though we initially had to use CPI, often only at the truly effective prevention stages, these folks assimilated into the community and workplace and were a joy to be around. The main thing is (as Deb notes) you are only having control over a situation until the person can gain it him or herself. Many people with disabilities (or other label) have never had the opportunity to LEARN self-control like most children with effective parents provide. Sometimes we just need to give them that opportunity.
  Michele
    -----Original Message-----

    My TCI training involves many of the things teachers do all the time to diffuse a situation that puts students or staff in danger: verbal prompts, restating the direction, proximity control and touch control. We are trained to recognize the needs of the student and provide them with the means to regain self control. Sometimes these measures involve restraining a student as result of the loss of self control.

    Restraining a student, or a therapeutic intervention, might result from a student's attempt to strike a teacher, pull hair or harm another student. These techniques are reviewed and practiced in a full day session, annually. I have had to utilize these techniques with a handful of elementary students in the 5 years I have been teaching with students with behavioral and learning disorders. I can't imagine implementing these techniques with an 18 year old who wants to throw a "f^*^ing book at my head"...but I hear it can be done. I just don't want to go there to find out.

    To date, a quick wit and superior intelligence has helped to diffuse any potential situation. To the student who threatened to throw the book at my head - I countered quickly that art should never be injury related, especially when the potential injured party is doing the grading. Then I wag my big red head at them all and ask: "Do ya think no one will find out? I get a grin, a chuckle and even a wisecrack, but the student gets back on task and I re-explain things, working side-by-side, to the task completed. So far it has worked for me.

    Younger, elementary students have experienced a loss of self control. I had to isolate a student from the others and the result got my hair pulled. By interlocking my fingers from both hands, I came down on the child's fist with enough pressure to push the child's hand off my head. I had to secure the child from anymore threatening acts by utilizing a full prone (face down) intervention. This technique is taught to staff through TCI training.

    Other examples of training applications are offered in our annual review session. Other training techniques are known as SKIP training. Our crisis counselors are trained for that.

    As an art teacher, I do not experience the student management problems that some teachers have come to expect. I have a routine with which students are familiar. I do offer patience and time for a student to settle. That technique has made my curriculum no fail.

    I had an elementary child arrive in my room for art. He was clearly agitated as he called the project dumb and refused to participate. Since that was the case, he was not allowed to sit at the activity table. I offered a time away area. he was allowed to return when has able cooperate and participate. He moved from the time away area to the chalk board. The aide told him to get back to the time away area. I corrected her response and reminded both her and the student that he COULD return when HE felt he could. I told the aide that he was fine and that he was just finding his way. He ended up working side-by-side with me. That night I cried, I am crying now.

    This TCI training can have many interpretations depending on the hands that implement it. My students come to me with the name tag E.D. (emotionally disturbed) - so I don't act surprised when they act out through frustration. I try to read through their actions and verbal responses rather than go the route of a full prone intervention - even though I have the authority to do that.

    Naturally, the scenario can be bigger than what I can relay in a simple e-mail. If you, Betsy, have more specific questions, I will be happy to respond. For the others, please don't send hate mail. I'm just an art teacher, not a rocket scientist.

    -=deb=-

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