Look at peer-reviewed research on corrections systems.  Look at peer-reviewed articles on behavioural strategies employed by the military.   Look at peer-reviewed work on classroom behaviour management.  Look up "punishment" on Google.  You will find an incredible amount of literature all agreeing on one thing:  punishment doesn't work.  Why, then, is punishment still continued to be used as a go-to in so many schools?  We have spent millions of dollars training school personnel in positive behaviour support.  We have reams of research to show them that punishment isn't going to create a classroom of respect and positive behaviour.  Yet still, even from a school having a wonderfully positive and inclusive culture, I received a letter from one of my daughter's teachers explaining a new behaviour policy as follows:  every student starts with three checkmarks in a binder, that the teacher indicated,  "I will keep for myself".  For actions that go against classroom expectations, the teacher will remove one checkmark.  If a student loses 2 or more checkmarks during class, they lose their recess time to stay in class and must complete a reflection essay.  There is a reinforcement built in - only the students who have not lost more than 4 checkmarks across 4 weeks will get a pizza party.  I pause here, having difficulty knowing where to begin. 

Here are some points to ponder:

Starting at the top (three check marks) with the  focus on failure to lose checkmarks is ineffective. 
No one is perfect, but we all strive to improve.   If you start at 3/3 checkmarks, there is nothing to improve. 
Once you lose that first check mark, why would a student put in any  further effort when it will not  be reinforced?  I wonder why the checkmark binder is  kept for the teacher only.  Shouldn't we be teaching students to self-monitor their own behaviour?  (This is a fifth grade  classroom.)

 If the consequence of losing recess comes after 2 check  marks, why are there 3 in the binder?  What use does the third serve?   Something to consider.

On the topic of losing recess, there is a wealth of research in this area.   I will post some in the resources section which you can click on above.  They discuss the importance of recess for physical exercise, for social development, and for self-regulation.  Children who don't have a chance to get their energy out, relax for a short time, and reset
for the next portion of the day are less likely to be at the top of their game for the next class, not to mention the health and social benefits to this time of day.  Too often we hear from teachers that children's behaviour and social skills are lacking, yet during this opportune time to teach them appropriate behavioural and social skills,  teachers are inside having their own breaks.   This is a reality, as everyone needs a break during the day, perhaps none so more as teachers.  However, keeping students in from recess doesn't allow for this, and  prevents the students from self-regulating, which may have been what caused the behaviour to occur in the first place.  Further, having to write an essay on it may also increase frustration,  exacerbating the problem, not helping to solve it.

 Reinforcing those who failed to lose more than 4 checkmarks  across a 4 week period...well, the idea of finding something to reinforce is  good.  Reinforcing failure to lose checkmarks is a little off the mark.  Excluding those who didn't fail to lose more than 4 checkmarks is reinforcing those who weren't targets for behavioural change to begin with, and encourages competition, not working together to help each other  stay on track.  (did you notice all
the confusing double negatives that reinforcing failure to lose brought to that sentence!?).   

Now, for something constructive...

I don't know this teacher, and am sure he is well-meaning. He certainly works within a school which has a wonderful educational philosophy as a whole,is very inclusive, and makes students feel a sense of belonging - I've often said that it's very much a family atmosphere, which I love.I would love to see the following happen, and plan to discuss these ideas with the principal / teacher.  I just have thoughts on how this classroom could be more effective for both the teacher and the students.

Criteria should be individualized - those who typically  have difficulty following expectations across one class should be rewarded for  desired behaviour  across 2 classes initially, then later for 3, then for a week, then 2 weeks, and so
on.  Setting them up to go from  disruptions in every class straight to perfect behaviour across a month is setting them up for failure, which doesn't help anyone. 

 
A teacher's record of how many checkmarks have been lost is teacher-focused and based on losing privileges for NOT following  expectations.  That could be switched around, so it is student-focused and based on reinforcing successful  following of expectations.  This  teacher could give each child a card/page with 5 boxes on it for each class time (one box for each of the specified classroom expectations). During, or at the end of each class, students could fill out their own chart indicating whether or not they met classroom expectations, and even have a space where they could indicate how their behaviour affected others if they did not meet expectations.  This could be verified by the teacher, so the monitoring would be a collaborative effort between student and teacher, and specific examples could be jotted onto the chart for the student to monitor across a week. This would give students some control over their own behavioural choices, lets them keep track of their own behaviours and their effects on others, and gives students specific success criteria to strive for other than protecting what they already have. 

Perhaps
THIS is where reinforcement could be built in - if a pizza party is chosen by the class as a good reward (that will be reinforcing for EVERYONE), then the pizza party can be earned once EVERY student achieves a certain number of check marks. Setting up this kind of situation is more likely to lead to students supporting and reminding each other so that collectively, they can earn a pizza  party.    Often, pairs or small groups of students will be a source of unwanted behaviour.  One starts, the others laugh, and the students technically reinforce each other for making poor behavioural choices.  We CAN flip this around, so that the reinforcement depends on student’s encouraging each other to make GOOD behavioural choices in order to meet a collective goal.  Can you see how this philosophy applies to creating a positive, bully-free school? Well, that's a whole other post!) In any case, for this to effectively work, the party must be motivating enough for every student, and the criteria must be  set so that students are reinforced often enough for it to matter. 
For students who are unable to maintain classroom expectations for one day, trying to do so across a month will not be effective.  A smaller reinforcer for a more approachable goal might make that student more likely to attend to his own behavioural choices. Further, perfect  behaviour over an entire month is unrealistic;  across a one-hour class makes more sense if perfection is the goal.  Improvement across a week or month is  easily achieved.

 Start with where the students are successful.  Are they on-task for the first 5 minutes?  Reinforce them after 5 minutes with something meaningful to them (this doesn't need to be tangible - it might simply  be that if they are on task for 5 minutes, the class earns a one-minute silly-time break).  Are they most  successful during a specific type of activity? Do more of that activity, and reinforce them throughout.  You can then start building in increases to expectations.  In doing so, you will always have success, in gradually increasing increments.

 Differentiate behavioural strategies. Some students need more behavioural support.  Some need more extrinsic reinforcement, where others are reinforced intrinsically (their own successes are reinforcing).  Just as we adapt teaching style to meet the needs of each student, so  should we with behavioural strategies.  Success for one student may be increasing from 18 - 20 checkmarks earned across a month. Another student may increase from 3/5 checkmarks per day on average to 4/5 checkmarks per day on average across a week.    

When there are behavioural concerns, SOMETHING is reinforcing that behaviour.  If you don't look at the cause of the behaviour (it may be more stimulating to make jokes than attend to a boring lecture, or a peer's laughter may be reinforcing), then you won't find a good solution.  Students should not be taught to behave according to expectations in order to earn recess.  Why, then, should this be taken away if they don't behave according to expectations.  
 
Find what is reinforcing them for this behaviour, and use THAT to reinforce what you want to see. If they are reinforced by their friends laughing during a boring time of class, make that time more interesting, and
give them time to make their friends laugh at an appropriate time. Build laughter into lessons so YOU are in control of when that reinforcement gets delivered, not the students.

That said, this is a wonderful school.  I was, in fact, surprised to see a formal letter going home to all parents of students in this class explaining this behavioural strategy.  It's my intention to offer some  suggestions to the teacher if he is looking for some behavioural strategies that  I've seen work wonderfully.  It's not my intention to complain about this teacher at all - it's just something that I've seen in a few classrooms lately that's got me thinking.  This is a teacher that my daughter quite likes, and one of her favourite subject areas.  This teacher has
given her many new ideas and skills that are so valuable, and I've seen the successes he has had with her. 
This is a wonderful school, which has given my daughter a place te be herself, to see successes and to problem solve with so much support around her.  I look forward to connecting with them on this idea.  In the meantime, I hope to get the message out there that as a society, I'd love to see us focus on success - starting where we are already successful, and gradually making improvements.


Albert Einstein once said that “If people are good only because they fear punishment... then we are a sorry lot indeed.”  

How true.

The puzzle piece is often one used to
  represent individuals with autism spectrum disorders. 
I’m not sure where it originated, but it seems to be commonly known that
its existence is based on the thought that those with autism are puzzling, and
that we need to find the missing pieces to solve some sort of problem.  I disagree with this mindset, and have spoken with many individuals on the spectrum who emphatically feel the same way.  
Could it have come from the largest autism science and advocacy organization, founded by those who had the funding available to start up a $25,000,000 organization “dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism”?  Personally, I think the medical view that if we put enough money into it, we can find the missing piece - a cure - is a negative view.  Autism is a neurological disorder which I don’t see as a PROBLEM to be  solved.  It’s simply a means to describe a collection of attributes which relate to differences in processing, not to problems or missing pieces in society.  Those with autism have contributed VASTLY to our world, from computer-based resources to livestock handling to some of the best art and engineering our world has to offer, among many other contributions in every area imaginable.  For some, their contributions may well be a direct result of their autism - common strengths include exceptional visual processing abilities, ability to
focus on a task or subject area without distraction or boredom, and strong rote memory abilities, among many others, depending on the  individual.

 Focusing on a cure supports the viewpoint that we need to ‘fix’ those with autism, and gives individuals, caregivers, and those who support them false hope that autism is a medical problem to be solved.  Autism is neurological, and autism is life-long. An individual on the autism spectrum may not always meet criteria for  diagnosis their entire life, because fantastic services are available to help individuals on the spectrum use their strengths to support their
challenges.  Is this a cure?  No, it’s good teaching.  Is there a cure for learning disabilities or other similar neurological  disorders? No, but if we live in an  inclusive world, we know that every child learns differently, and through good teaching, can learn to use their own strengths to support their own challenges, regardless of who they are and what diagnosis they do or don’t have. 
Further, our current diagnostic process is behavioural.  We diagnose autism based on the behaviours that we see. 
If we are able to change behaviours, we are able to change a diagnosis, but autism is a neurological disorder, not a behavioural one. Have we changed neurology when we change behaviour? SHOULD we aim to change the neurology of those on the spectrum?  These are certainly challenging and unanswered questions.

 I see a problem when people use the phrases “suffer from” or  “struggle with” autism.  Having  autism doesn’t have to mean suffering or struggling.   I know individuals who have difficulty, and I know many who are simply living with autism, and enjoying who they are.  Temple Grandin, a well-known figure in the autism world whose success surpasses that which most of us seek, indicates that if given the chance to go back and NOT have autism, she would not, as autism is a part of who she is.  
 
Yet organizations continue to use the puzzle piece as a symbol of  autism;  as one large organization says it, the puzzle piece represents that they are “...bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals.”  This organization “aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns
and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is our firm  belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.”

 I wish we could find another symbol.  Unfortunately, I don’t have $25,000,000 behind me in order to make this a
reality.  What I can do is urge those who consider a puzzle piece to be a symbol of autism to just think about
it differently.  
  What about thinking about a puzzle piece representing each of  us, and the whole puzzle is the whole world.  We are each one piece, and when put  together, form society.  We are all interconnected, and the world is incomplete without any one  piece.

When using the puzzle piece, consider that one sole piece isn’t really representative of anything –represent autism with several pieces in several colours, all connected, with no missing pieces.  In terms of autism, I like the ribbon with the connected pieces. To me, it means that if we all link  together, we can support each other and create a spectrum of possibilities, but without any one of us, the puzzle is incomplete.  Together, we form a mosaic that is our
colourful and beautiful world.

Casey Burgess is the Director of Full Spectrum Learning, providing educational, behavioural, cognitive, and social support to individuals with ASD and learning differences in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.  www.fullspectrumlearning.ca   

The holiday season can be stressful for parents, with last minute shopping trips, hosting and attending parties and family gatherings, and travel preparations.  Imagine the stress on children with autism spectrum disorders who thrive on routine and predictability!  Imagine the sensory, processing, and executive functioning required as well as the high social demand.  While children with these challenges thrive in structured environments, not only do they deal with changes, but those who best support them are in a midst of UNstructure. 

Children with sensory challenges may be overwhelmed by the increased lights, sights, sounds and smells during the holidays, a stress which can impact everyone in the family. While we can't always gear an entire family to the needs of one child (nor should we), we can add in supports to help.

We can use visuals (lists or pictures in a photo album) to prepare children for upcoming events, so their environment is more predictable.  Let them know about family visits and upcoming parties (at your house orr elsewhere) through a simple weekly calendar.  For children that can tell time, include this information.  For those who can't, you may be able to draw what the clock will look like, so when the clocks match, it's time to go.  Plan extra time for each event as running over can cause problems for children with less flexibility.  

Preparing family

Letting family members (including siblings) know how to help can be a great support.  Reminders for siblings of their brother/sister's needs (sensory, communication, etc) can help.  Explanations of both how to help proactively and what to avoid can be huge in preventing overload.  Provide lots of attention and reinforcement for supportive siblings and family members.

Wherever you plan to be, see if you can arrange a relaxing area where your child can escape the enviromnent if needed and let your child use it - perhaps even bringing a bag of familiar toys and relaxation activities (and your relaxation visuals) can help bridge this transition.   


Holiday shopping
Holiday shopping is stressful for most - tack on sensory processing difficulties and we are talking anxiety levels that may surprise you.  Stores are noisy, people are brushing against each other, there are phenomenal amount of extraneous decorations and advertisements, and an unknown man in a red suit ringing a bell and talking to you, and this is against every rule you have been taught!
Go armed with organization.  Tell your child where you will go and for what, and for how long - USE A VISUAL to share this.  Make a list of what you will get, go directly there (ask your child for help finding the item), and don't browse.  Save browsing for child-less times like lunch hour.  Take less busy routes through malls, even if it means more walking from the car.  Give lots and lots and LOTS of reinforcement right from the beginning for following along and for taking deep calming breaths every 5 or 10 minutes.  Bring along a fidget toy to play with if there is waiting time in lineups.  Allow your child to listen to headphones while you shop to drown out all the noises.

Social
Create stories / scripts of what the expectations are for your child during the holidays.  Consider the hidden curriculum, or the unwritten rules of the holidays.  For example, write a story about the Christmas Eve preparations and why we do that, about how to appropriately greet guests or hosts, or about how to politely say thank-you for each gift opened even if you already have one or even if you don't like it so that the person giving the gift will be happy (it's ok to tell Mom or Dad after you have gone home).  You get the picture - consider all those little social nuances that are part of the holidays.

Remember - Don't expect perfection.  There is no such thing as a perfect holiday.  Simply strive to be flexible and make the best of each situation.  Remember to enjoy yourself, your family, and your children over the holidays.  That's what matters!

Please visit http://www.fullspectrumlearning.ca/visuals-bank.html for some visuals you can print - adapt them to meet your needs.  Use the drop down menu to select areas of focus.


What are some of the things you have found helpful as a parent or supporter during the holidays?