Scene 4: Parent/Teacher Conference Kirsten, Ashley Garrison, and Heather Osborne

Good Morning Ms. Garrison. Thank you for being able to meet with us this morning. Kirsten

Mrs. U, thank you for calling me, I have had some concerns about Robert myself. Ashley

Of course Ms. Garrison, let’s start with your concerns and then we will go from there. Kirsten

Robert has become more withdrawn and when I ask him to do things around the house he says “No.” Then he storms off to his room. Ashley

Robert has shown similar behaviors in class and we wanted to talk to you about some things we wanted to do to work on Robert’s behavior in class and hopefully help at home. Kirsten

We have discussed some of Robert’s behaviors in the past. And we are all aware that he does not like school and does not have many friends. Mr. Smith has been trying to find some ways to help him be more confident and enjoy school. Kirsten

In class on Wednesday Robert became agitated while completing a math worksheet. When Mr. Smith tried to assist and redirect him he yelled out, “I don’t want to do this work and you can’t me.” After Mr. Smith tried to redirect him again. Robert then tore his paper in half. The class laughed at him. Mr. Smith took away his recess as a consequence and Robert laughed at him. Kirsten

I have noticed similar outbursts at home when he is frustrated. Ashley

To begin addressing the behaviors Robert is showing we need to take some steps to understand the entire situation. Mr. Smith, Mrs. Osborne, and I will work with Robert and yourself to find a solution. Kirsten

We would like to begin a Behavior Intervention Plan. To do this we will begin by having the Mrs. Osborne take anecdotal notes on how Robert behaves in class. We will document when he has outbursts, what the outburst was about, what events led up to the outburst, and what the consequences were.

How will you collect the anecdotal notes? And what will you do with the information? Ashley

Throughout the day I will observe Robert during his regular routine. I will look for periods of the day that he has difficulty and presents outbursts. We will use the data to find out what the cause for the behavior is. Heather

After we collect the data on his behavior we will begin to implement solutions. The first solution we would like to try is having Robert work more closely with Mrs. Osborne, especially during math. Kirsten

While I work with Robert I will also keep anecdotal notes to see how he responds to the interaction. Heather

Robert also has shown interest in wanting to have the approval of his peers. We will ask one of his classmates he seems to get a long with appropriately to work with him at times and take anecdotal notes on his behavior as well. Kirsten

Do you think this Behavior Intervention Plan will help? Ashley

This is a trial and error process that make take several weeks to find a solution that works. We will keep you informed as the progress takes place. Kirsten

We would also like to complete a short interview with Robert to see if he can help us pinpoint what frustrates him. With this information we will begin to teach Robert some techniques to calm himself. At first Mrs. Osborne will direct the techniques and do them with him. As he gets more accustomed to them Mrs. Osborne will simply prompt the action and hopefully he will start doing them on his own. Kirsten

When Robert has settled down we will complete a reflection sheet to record why he became frustrated, what he did to calm down, and assess how well it worked. Heather

As we collect information I will contact you to share what is working in the classroom and to discuss how you can try it at home. If at any time you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask. Kirsten

After we have completed the data collection and found some techniques that will continue to work we may need to amend his IEP to include the behavior plan. To do this we contact you to set up an IEP meeting. Kirsten

Ms. Garrison, do you have any questions or concerns about the process? Kirsten

I do not believe so at this time. Thank you. Ashley

Again, thank you for coming. Here is a copy of what we discussed today. If you think of any questions please contact us. Kirsten