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By: Mark Hamel
Behavior Intervention Specialist
Amarillo Independent School District
Amarillo, Texas
It has been my experience over the past three years that if
any method, technique, or process is going to be “used” or implemented with
students in special education, the responsible thinking process should certainly
lead the list. For 12 years prior to meeting and working with Ed Ford, I tried
many behavior modification techniques, reinforcement methods, etc. All of the
techniques and theories that I was taught and trained in at the college level
only left me frustrated and feeling incompetent when wor king
with special needs children. Basically, I was taught how to control students,
while we all know that that is impossible and has a high failure rate.
As a Behavior Intervention Specialist with the Amarillo
Independent School District, I work almost exclusively with students in special
education, including children diagnosed with emotional disturbance, conduct
disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit disorder, attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, mental retardation, fetal
alcohol syndrome, autism, bipolar disorder, and other labels that psychologists
use.
After becoming familiar with RTP and PCT and learning from Ed
and others associated with the process, I felt compelled and confident enough to
implement RTP with some of the students and teachers I work with on a regular
basis. Even though I had read Ed’s books and watched him in action, I still
needed to go back to Amarillo and struggle with this process and what I had
learned on my own.
I quickly learned that a person doesn’t become an expert on
RTP and PCT simply by reading (and re-reading) books. As
a teacher, specialist, or administrator, one must "get in the
trenches" daily, as Ed terms it, and learn from experiences with each
individual student. After three years in those trenches, I have learned a great
deal-but there is still much to learn. Each day, students teach me a little more
about human behavior and the perceptions we all carry around with us.
What follows is a short history of my three-year experience
working with students daily, as well as working and teaching the teachers how to
implement RTP. It is important to be trained by a certified trainer. School
staff members should feel confident in the trainer’s ability to teach the
proper methods and techniques involved in working with living control systems.
Prior to bringing RTP into the Amarillo schools, I thought
that it would be important for me to find a first-year teacher who would be
willing and open to this “new” process. Al-though a first-year teacher was
not essential, I felt that my chances and the teacher’s chances would be
greatly en-hanced if someone right out of school would give this process an
opportunity in the classroom.
It just so happened that I found such a teacher who was
willing and eager to learn. Tammy Mason, a first-year teach-er at one of our
elementary schools, was enthusiastic about RTP. She read and re-read all of the
materials I could provide her about RTP and PCT. Her ability to work with
students, while maintaining mutual respect, is truly remark- able.
She is truly dedicated
to her students and strives daily to teach them to think for themselves and to
become responsible, respectful students. But most of all, the students she has
worked with since 1995 respect her and love to be in her classroom. She has no
equal when teaching students to think and solve problems. Tammy is also known
for passionately defending RTP, which shows how dedicated she is to this process
and its potential. She is a very dedicated teacher, and I’m glad I chose her to
be the first RTP teacher in Amarillo.
Paula Bowers, Tammy’s assistant in the classroom, is also
enthusiastic and willing to learn. Tammy has taught her well, and they both work
very well together as a team. Paula uses the process well, and students treat
her with respect, as they do Tammy.
Tammy’s classroom is a self-contained classroom known as a
BAC (behavior adjustment class) unit. In her classroom are about eight
individual cubicles and a padded time-out booth with an observation window. In
Tammy’s unit are third, fourth, and fifth grade students, mostly male, with
diagnoses
of the kinds mentioned above. The unit is housed within the elementary school
and usually has six to eight students.
Tammy was introduced to and trained in RTP starting in
mid-October of 1995. This follow-up training continues today on a weekly basis.
Back in 1995, we started by looking at some of her data prior to implementing
RTP. She kept data on the number of physical restraints and the number of
time-outs. Physical restraints were defined as actually having to hold a student
in an approved restraining hold until the student regained control of his
behavior, whether the student was standing or taken to the ground during the
restraint. Time-out was defined as escorting a student to the time-out booth
when the student became disruptive to the class, teacher, or learning
environment.
>From August 15 to October 15, 1995, Tammy had recorded 40
physical restraints and 40 time-outs. After learning RTP and implementing the
process, the number of time-outs and physical restraints decreased dramatically.
From October 16, 1995 to May 30, 1996 (the remainder of the school year), only
seven time-outs and seven physical re-straints had to be imposed on the students
in her unit. Tammy and Paula became much more relaxed than be-fore-better able
to teach, and better able to do more activities with their students.
The following are examples of students who have been in Tammy’s
class, and how they have become more successful with RTP. There have been many
success stories since beginning RTP. Other teachers in the school became very
interested; they too wanted to learn the techniques. Several BAC-unit students
are now being “mainstreamed” into resource classes and regular education
classes. Some of the reports have indicated that the students in the BAC unit
are many times “better behaved” than mainstream students.
RTP has given the students control of their world, and they now display
self-confidence and control in stressful situations.
With a reduction in behavior problems over a two- to
three-year period, academic achievement has been steadily rising. The grades of
the BAC-unit students have increased an average of 10 points in each subject,
and all of the ob-jectives of their Individual Education Plans have been met.
None of the other 12 BAC units in Amarillo can compare to Tammy’s unit in the
above-mentioned areas.
One fifth grade student, Parker, was very withdrawn and at
times verbally aggressive prior to implementing RTP. Numerous restraints were
used before Tammy became Parker’s teacher. Since then, Parker has made
improvements on the Brigance test from first grade levels in word recognition,
oral reading, reading comprehension, spell-ing, and math to third grade levels
in just one school year. During his third year in the BAC unit with RTP, he had
zero physical restraints and very few time-outs.
Hollyann, another fifth grader, focused much of her time on
trying to get others’ attention inappropriately. Most of the time she was
functioning on a third grade level; eventually she met her grade level
requirements within the school year. She learned how to receive attention
through her plan writing in more appropriate ways and was eventually released
from the BAC unit to attend regular classes on a full-time basis.
Brent, a third grader, was very physically aggressive and had
injured staff on occasion. He didn’t care whom he hurt or how he hurt them. He
displayed a lot of self-abusive be-haviors, such as biting, scratching and
hitting himself. He did not know how to control his anger and really had no
desire, according to staff, to learn how to control it. After using RTP with
Brent for four months, he now thinks through his aggressive episodes and chooses
to make responsible decisions. He displays confidence and
pride
in his actions, and only two or three restraints have taken place over the
four-month period. He is now able to go out of the BAC unit and read books to
first graders on a weekly basis.
To date (November 1997), Tammy has four students who are
making straight A’s, only two physical restraints, and no time-outs over a
three-month period. Her students are proud and very excited to be getting good
grades. Prior to RTP, they said that they didn’t care what grades they made,
or even if they passed at all.
Jeff, another fifth grader, was very hyperactive and angry.
He had spent three or more years in a BAC unit and had never been able to “make
it” in the regular classrooms without being disruptive or dangerous. After RTP,
he was able to be successful with other students in the regular classroom with
few or no disruptions.
Organizational skills, communication skills, and social
skills have all been dramatically improved for these students. They have
demonstrated self-discipline through plan writing, by completing assigned tasks
while keeping frustration levels low. Now the students in the BAC unit can
recognize when they are becoming frustrated and can self-correct by taking a “chill-out.”
When students feel that they are back under control, they return to the task at
hand. This skill prevents an escalation of behavior wh ich
could possibly lead to aggression and then a physical restraint. Instead of the
teacher having to control by physical restraint, the students are now able
themselves to bring that behavior under their own control.
School personnel, parents and grandparents have recognized
social skills and self-control that were not present before the implementation
of RTP. In the words of one BAC unit student, “RTP makes me a better person
and a successful role model.”
In addition to the good results with students in the BAC
unit, I have also seen dramatic improvements with some students who are in
regular classrooms, as well as with some students in resource and content
mastery classes.
One student, Steve, was a fourth grader with a diagnosis of
ADHD and emotional disturbance when he was referred to me for multiple
discipline problems. He frequently ar-gued with staff members and also
intimidated teachers and the principal. He refused to follow rules, refused to
do classwork, lied, and refused to take responsibility for his own actions.
I introduced RTP to
Steve one morning after training staff the previous two days. I showed him the
RTP cards and plan sheets, and I explained to him how the process would be
implemented. His response was “I don’t have to answer any questions, and I will
not write any plans.” My response was “You know what? You’re right. You don’t
have to do any of this. But if you want to be able to stay in the classroom, the
cafeteria, or out on the playground, you will be required to complete the plans.
If you don’t
want to, that’s fine. You then will be choosing to be restricted from those
areas." This state of affairs did not please Steve at all. I started
working with Steve at the beginning of the 1996-97 school year. During the
school year, he wrote and revised close to 30 plans. He chose to be sent home
only twice during the year because of disruptions in the RTC room. He spent a
great deal of time in the restricted area out on the playground, because he
refused to follow the rules outside. On the last day of the 1996-97 school year,
he was still in the restricted area on the playground. We saw Steve make some
drastic improvements, and most of his plans were written at the beginning of the
school year, with some toward the end of May. Some months, he would only write
two or fewer plans. So we did see improvements in his willingness to follow
rules.
However, Steve voiced his displeasure at having to write
plans, and he told staff and myself on numerous occasions that he would be going
to a different elementary school next year, where he wouldn’t have to “write
those stupid plans anymore.” Prior to the 1997 -98
school year, Steve’s mother informed us that she would be transferring Steve
to another school in Amarillo because of housing difficulties. Prior to the
1997-98 school year, Steve’s mother gave permission for the new school to
continue to implement RTP. She did this without informing Steve. Prior to the
beginning of school, I trained the staff at Steve’s new school. They were
supportive and more than willing to continue doing what had worked in the past.
On the first day at his new school, at 8:05 a.m., Steve was
called into the principal’s office. To his surprise, the principal and I met
him and explained to him that nothing had changed as far as discipline: he would
still be on RTP. Steve gave me a look that could have melted steel. The only
comment that he made to me was “Do I still have to write those plans?” My
response was “What do you think?” He replied back, “Not if I don’t break
the rules.” He has not had to write any plans for four months now,
and staff report no problems with his behavior. He did, however, have to start
out in the restricted area at his new school, since he finished in the
restricted area at his old school. At last report, the principal informed me
that Steve liked it in the restricted area as long as a friend could play with
him there.
Andy, a fifth grader, had a diagnosis of ADHD and emotional
disturbance. He had a history of throwing desks, books, and any other objects
that he could get his hands on. He threw the objects toward teachers and
students. He was also verbally aggressive and had a history of excessive
fighting with others on campus.
The staff met with Andy and his mother to outline RTP and
what would take place if his disruptive behaviors continued. Andy wrote and
revised many plans during the 1995-96 school year, and he was sent home on
numerous occasions for disruptions in the RTC. His mother was al-ways supportive
with the staff and followed the plan at home as well. After approximately three
months, we began to see wonderful results with Andy. He was placed on earn-all
immediately after our meeting, but within those three months, he had earned back
all of his classes and was no longer choosing to be disruptive or aggressive.
After implementing RTP, he was in only one fight between November and the end of
May. That fight took place off-campus.
The amazing thing about Andy’s situation was that the
following year, after being so successful at the elementary level, he went to
the toughest middle school in Amarillo. That school refused to implement RTP or
any ideas associated with it. At the middle school, he had only four office
referrals the entire year! He no longer got into fights and was taking
responsibility for his actions, even though staff were not using RTP. What an
encouragement to know that, yes, RTP does work with tough kids even
when
there is no follow-through from the staff.
The final example comes from a seventh grader, Robert, who
had a diagnosis of emotional disturbance and frequently interrupted classes by
making noises, intimidating teachers, and basically not doing what was asked of
him. In many cases, he would do the exact opposite of what staff instructed him
to do. With RTP, Robert got the message very clearly that no more disruptions
were allowed. Within two weeks, his behavior problems had decreased markedly,
and the staff embraced RTP and tried it with other difficult students. I no
longer received follow-up calls on his behavior.
The successes that have occurred in our classrooms give a
true picture of what happens when we treat students with respect and
consideration. When we treat them as individual living control systems, we truly
find out what working with students is supposed to be like. Thanks to Ed, who
taught me this process, to Tom Bourbon, who stayed up late helping me understand
PCT, and to Tammy Mason, who believes in the process, her students, me, and
especially Ed Ford. And thanks to all who truly believe that teaching children
doesn’t have to be a battle every day-if RTP and PCT are used.
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