Behavior Management

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Behavior management in your speech sessions is a MUST for your students' learning!  I was so honored to be invited to present at the SLP Summit this past January, sharing 5 steps to keeping your sanity for behavior management!  In case you missed it, I'm sharing the video of my presentation here.  I hope you find it useful 🙂

Step 1.  Be Consistent

• Establish your expectations and rules
• Use school wide rules
• Make sure you teach the vocabulary
• Routine specific rules (i.e. what do we do during read aloud vs. independent work)
• Be consistent with following these rules
• Have routines

Step 2:   Be Predictable

• Have a system for rewards/consequences
• Students should know what will happen with their choices, good or bad
• Consider your student's needs and the setting when deciding on a behavior management system
• Rewards don't have to be tangible!  Have students create ideas for rewards
• Use visuals (timers, schedules, etc)

Step 3:  Be Creative

• Use the student's interest in their behavior system
• Use engaging therapy activities to peek interest
• Check out what other SLPs are doing on social media (Pinterest, Instagram, etc)
• Consider outside factors that may impact behavior
• Reach out to your friends…other SLPs, teachers, parents, psychologists, OTs, and behavior specialists can be very helpful

Step 4:  Be Flexible

• Pick your battles
• Consider seating options, built in sharing time, free choices, etc

Step 5:  Be Forgiving

• No one is perfect.  Ever.
• Each day is a new day…start with a clean slate

Some of My Favorite Behavior Tools

Clip Charts

• Super Hero Chart Freebie
• Nicole Allison's Clip Chart

Behavior Contracts

• Contract Freebie
• Check Pinterest for tons of ideas

Brag Tags

• Brag Tags Packet
• Goal Tags
• TPT resources

Reinforcement Charts

• Penny Board Freebie
• The Dabbling Speechie AAC Starter Kit (tons of visuals!)

Punch Cards

• Behavior punch cards with rewards

Other Token Systems

• Speech Bucks by The Speech Chicks
• Sticker Charts 
• Speechopoly by Sublime Speech

Visuals

• Learning Targets by The Speech Room News
• Listening Visuals

Timers

• Time Timer
• Countdown App