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From Behaviour to Communication: Understanding Distress and Designing for Access in Inclusive Classrooms
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By Rute Mendes / Coordinator of Student Services SJASD
Tracey Eagle / Coordinator of Student Services SJASD
Today's Learning Map
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Language Matters
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Causes for Distressed Behaviour
3
Managing Vs Changing Behaviour
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Supporting Students with ASD in School: Strategies for Success
5
Wrap-Up: Tomorrow's 10% Plan
Language Matters!
  • How does it make you feel when you hear challenging behaviour?
  • What about if we were to say distressed behaviour?
  • What would you be willing to do to help someone displaying challenging behaviour?
  • …What if the phrase was changed to someone displaying distressed behaviour?
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Let's shift our perspective from talking about challenging behaviour....
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..... To talking about behaviour that challenges us.
Tolerating Behaviours that Challenge Us
What are some of the factors that influence our ability to tolerate behaviours that challenge us?
  • Relationship
  • Past experience
  • Understanding the function of the behaviour
  • Our skill level
  • Our knowledge of the individual
  • Setting/situation
  • Frequency
  • Intensity
  • Duration
  • Our personal well-being (physical & emotional)
  • Location
  • Other people's presence
Causes for Distressed Behaviour
  • Relationship/caregiver regulation
  • Demands/requests
  • Under-stimulation
  • Over-stimulation
  • Choices (too many, too few)
  • Changes in routine
  • Lack of predictability
  • Cyclical behaviours
  • Communication/confusion
  • Environmental factors
  • Medical
  • Feeling unwell
  • Medication
  • Emotional difficulties
  • Mental health challenges
  • Basic needs not being met
Causes of Behaviour
1
1
My Attitude
affects
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2
My Behaviour
affects
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3
Your Attitude
affects
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4
Your Behaviour
affects
Betari Box
Strategies for Supporting Distressed Behaviours
Don't add fuel to the fire!
  • Appear calm - model a calm state
  • Use Fewer Words - Communicate gently, with clear simple requests (first, then)
  • Use Visuals - pictures or gestures can help them understand
  • Listen
  • Eye Contact (limit, or be at level)
  • Reduce noise
  • Give distance – personal space
  • Distraction (try redirection e.g. lets go read a book)
  • Remove others (classroom clears, or removing from area)
Use a Strenght-Based, Trauma-Informed Lens
Trauma can impair self-regulation, impulse control, and emotional processing
  • Assume behaviour is communication
  • Ask, "What happened to this student?" rather than "What's wrong with them?"
  • Identify and reinforce student strengths (interests, relationships, competencies)
  • Recognize the impact of trauma and stress
Prioritize Relationships and Connections
Regulation happens through co-regulation before self-regulation develops.
  • Develop trusting, respectful relationships with students
  • Use daily check-ins or brief connection moments
  • Separate the behaviour from the student
Respond to Behaviour with Restorative Practices
  • Focus on repair, learning, and accountability - not punishment
  • Use restorative conversations after regulation is restored.
  • Teach responsibility while maintaining dignity and belonging.
The Lid Flip
by Dan Siegel
Management vs Change
Behaviour Change (long term) requires a change in the intensity, frequency and severity of the behaviour, with the change being maintained across situations and times. Behaviour change takes time...
Behaviour Management (short term) strategies can contain a behaviour and reduce the risk of the harm to others. This is done without attempting to change the behaviour. Behaviour management is about keeping people safe.
  • "Managing" and "changing" behaviours are often different goals that are not necessarily in conflict with each other.
  • Start with managing the behaviour, when they are regulated, work on replacing the behaviour.
  • Remember the purpose of the behaviour – why are you needing to change it?
  • Clinically proven: 4 positive to 1 negative feedback
  • Rather than "black and white" thinkers, we need to learn to live in the grey areas in between.
  • Punishment/Consequence – often to fulfill adult needs.
Misconceptions of Managing Behaviour
"It's giving in" "They're getting away with it" "They're doing it on purpose"
Things to consider:
  • Are we giving in if it's part of the plan?
  • Are we pouring fuel on the fire?
  • Remember to stay curious, what is the purpose of the behaviour?
  • What pressures are staff/families facing to change the behaviour?
  • Often neurodiverse individuals struggle with understanding the connection between cause and effect and often they are already in Fight, Flight or Freeze, and they will not be able to remember this information for next time.
Would it be considered "giving in" if we provided a distraction to someone that was distressed versus being 'challenging'?
Know the Goal, Follow the Plan
Understanding Appropriate Educational Programming
"AEP for most students is the provincial curriculum. Some students may require additional supports to access the curriculum, and a smaller number of students may require highly individualized learning outcomes in addition to or instead of the provincial curriculum."
Government of Manitoba (2024)
Your role on the team
Core Team = Student + Parent(s)/Guardian(s) + Teacher(s)
Leves of Support
As needs grow, the In‑School Team (principal, resource teacher, counsellor, EA) and School Support Team (clinicians like SLP/OT/PT/psychology, social work, community partners) collaborate.
A Case Manager coordinates meetings, minutes, and follow‑up.
Voice & Choice Checklist
  • Ask who will be at the meeting and the purpose
  • Bring a support person if you wish
  • Share your child's interests, strengths, culture, and goals
  • Bring examples: work samples, strategies that help at home
  • Ask how progress will be measured and how you'll receive updates
  • Confirm who to contact between meetings (case manager)
Positive Behaviour Support Plan
When a person is drowning, it's not the best time to teach them to swim...

03:13

YouTube

Jumping Into the Chaos of Things - David Pitonyak

It might seem odd that a professional would ignore someone who is drowning. But as David Pitonyak explains, this happens all the time in our field. People who have disabilities and difficult behavior are often overboard and terrified, and we barely seem to notice. About the module: Jumping Into the Chaos by David Pitonyak David Pitonyak has a way of understanding and communicating the needs of people who have been labelled as having challenging behavior that is profoundly straightforward. This

Trauma, Fear and the Brain
Understanding Autism
Let’s begin with some introductory information about autism:
Autism is not new. In the past, it was known by different diagnoses, such as infantile psychosis, schizophrenia, or even attributed to maternal Deprivation.
Over time, we have learned much more about autism, and as our understanding has grown, so has the way we approach it. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects how individuals experience the world, communicate, and process information. Its characteristics vary widely from person to person, but in general, it is characterized by:
Communication Difficulties
Struggles with communication
Repetitive Behavior
Repeating actions or routines for comfort
Sensitivity to Change and Stimulation
Overwhelmed by unexpected changes or stimuli
Motor Difficulties
Challenges with coordination and physical tasks
Social Impediments
Difficulty understanding and building social relationships
Co-occuring conditions
A child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often has a co-occurring condition, with estimates ranging from 70% to 95%
Supporting Students with ASD: Strategies for Success
The content provided here is sourced from various reliable resources and is freely available to share as needed. Teachers and parents are encouraged to use this page with students and are responsible for appropriately delivering the content in a way that aligns with their needs.
Start with "WHY?"
Always seek to understand the purpose behind behaviors and educational strategies.
A Story of Jessy: Click the link to listen to the story shared by Dr. Barry Prizant in his book Uniquely Human.
When we Know Better, We do Better
Our understanding shapes how we address behaviour: Presume Competence!
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) vs. Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD)
Understanding our learners begins with knowing the difference between autism and intellectual disability. Although these conditions can overlap, they are not the same. Autism affects how a person communicates, relates, and experiences the world, while intellectual disability involves challenges with learning and everyday life skills. Nearly half of children with autism also have an intellectual disability, so recognizing both, and how they interact , helps educators create more inclusive, responsive learning environments.
ASD and Behaviour: What are they trying to communicate? Why?
"Behaviors" like saying "NO," running away, flopping on the floor, spitting, self-harming, and harming others are often labeled as "bad behavior." While no one wants a child to communicate through these actions, if our goal is to better understand and address the underlying reasons for these behaviors, we need to shift our perspective. Instead of simply labeling these actions as bad, it's crucial to recognize them as forms of communication that may indicate unmet needs or emotional distress.
The Power of Predictability and Purpose in Learning
Clear goals and consistent routines help students feel safe and ready to learn. When activities have purpose, students and educational assistants know what’s expected and why it matters. Predictable routines build trust, support emotional regulation, and reduce stress so students can focus on learning, connecting with others, and showing their progress toward their IEP goals.
Know the goal, Follow the Plan: ABC Regulation Plan
Let Data Tell the Story: Progress Monitoring vs. Perception
Use evidence-based data to guide interventions and decisions, not just subjective impressions.
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Share Goal Setting
Once IEP goals are established, share them with the entire school team to ensure alignment and support. Transitions are critical, and thoughtful recommendations can have a greater impact than expected.
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Track Progress
A challenging day for an autistic child doesn’t define them as “bad.” It’s essential to observe patterns, such as how often the behavior occurs, when it happens, and what triggers it, before making any assumptions or judgments.
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Adjust strategies based on feedback
Autistic individuals aren’t “fixable.” Instead, adjust the environment, adapt approaches, or ensure staff are properly trained. Use feedback to refine strategies and support their needs effectively.
Tracking Student Goals & Engagement
The IEP Tracking Calendar helps staff visually monitor:
  • Which goals are being targeted each day
  • The student’s Zones of Regulation (engagement and emotional state)
  • Patterns in behaviour, attendance, and participation over time
How it works:
✅ Record daily progress for each IEP goals (1–4)
✅ Use symbols to mark the student’s zone of regulation:
  • ! Green – calm & focused
  • ^ Blue – low energy/disengaged
  • º Yellow – anxious/frustrated
  • ● Red – escalated/dysregulated
Why it matters:
  • Makes patterns visible (e.g., recurring dysregulation on Mondays)
  • Promotes consistency and team communication
  • Supports data-informed decisions when adjusting plans or goals
The calendar below illustrates how student data is tracked over time.
Please use the link below to download the current school year’s calendar
Thank You!
What's one 10% change you can make tomorrow?
Write it down or scan the QR code to share: