[senco-forum] SEBD long help please

Hi Lynn
  You could do for Mark's advice for this I think as he deals with older SEBD's and I only work with early years but I'll do my best.

The answer in many cases (especially if severe) is to place a TA with him.  However, this will not work for some times either because you can't afford to have one with him 24/7 ( and we are in the real world here so no moralistic preaching from anyone else please) or your Authority will not award a statement or does not do so so you have to cater for him on a depleted School Action Plus level.

  OK - with / without a TA
  The difficulty with the 3 teachers is consistency.  Use the TA to keep the consistency the same.  With these children I have set up individual work stations in the classrooms, facing the wall.  This cuts down on stimulation and helps him avoid those children who also like to wind him up.  the same is used with ASD children to help them concentrate.  Ensure he has a visual timetable.  Work out what rewards he can have.  Break his timetable down into short slots of working with mini rewards inbetween followed with a larger reward at the end.  A mini reward could be a stamp on the card .. a certain amount of stamps means that he can play a favourite game / kick a footie for a certain number of minutes etc.
  Look at how his work is laid out.  Is it clearly indicated where he needs to start work (green dot) and where to end (red dot) so that he is not just faced with a blank page in a book.  Are worksheets cluttered and busy or easily laid out so that he can see them clearly.  Alot of these techniques are used again with ASD children.  SEBD kids are just as emotionally full as ASD so may of the same techniques apply.
  At playtimes he could go into the Nursery and play with the younger children, fostering his skills of nurturing.  At lunchtimes could a club be set up such as Dungeons & Dragons etc (this has been highlighted on here before but with newer games .. sorry.  Others will let you know about this on the forum if you ask)

  Definitely with a TA .. A seperate PSED curriculum is good but he needs specific anger management strategies.  Ensure all staff receive restraint training from the LEA (Your LEA SEN Advisor will know who runs it)  Also designate an area in the school that he can go to to calm down if he gets cross.  At first he will have to be escorted here using a 2 armed escort (2 people) until he gets the idea.  We often advise that the area (often a room) contains a large bean bag to jump on or a kick bag to punch or small cushions to throw.  It needs to have something so that he can get rid of the adrenalin.  Stay in there with him or watch through the window until he has calmed down.  Once he seems calm turn a sand timer over (5 minutes in this case)  many of my children like to pretend they are calm then walk back into the classroom and let rip again!  The 5 minute timer tends to sort this out.  If he starts to shout then just pick the timer up and start it again when he's calm.
  When looking at anger management I often ask the children where the anger starts and where does it finish.  I then let them know that being angry like that is "not allowed" and they will miss out if they carry on like that.  (I arrange a good demonstration of "missing out" later on in the day to reinforce this issue!)  I give them several solutions that they can try ... 
  hook up and count to 10
  5 deep breaths
  hands in pockets / backwards from 10
  piece of paper .. scribble on it with a pencil
  head down / blockout others for 5 minutes of a sandtimer
  When they have chosen their strategy we then use it in the cool down room after the 5 minute timer has run out.  We would say "I saw you were cross.  What could you do next time?"  Child answer.  Adult to then ask "How could I help?"
  Gradually (in most cases it takes 6 - 12 months) the child uses the room less and the strategy in the classroom more.  They are praised every time for "staying calm."  
  Additional to all of this is the fact that, once he returns to his classroom he must make good what he has thrown / swiped and then finish his work before playtime / lunchtime.  You need a back up strategy for this as the teacher will need to set up for next lesson / have a break.  Is there anywhere he could go to finish his work? (outside Head's office etc)
  Children who are emotionally full at home do like the routine of school.  Give him time in the mornings to do some relaxation exercises (Brain Gym or Higashi if that is done in your area)  Your behaviour service may have someone available to do meditation with him / teach him ways to block out the stress.
  Ensure you use your behaviour service for some one to one work with him looking at relaxation / anger management.  Often I have to point out that I'm not an extra body to sit with a group but that I've come to do the next step in his anger management program.
  Additional to all of this is the home life.  I am aware from what you said that there are further pressures at home.  Research on good mental health has shown that getting him into clubs in the community will lessen the amount of stress at home as he is not there as much.  Talk with Children's services about him going to an out of School club / football club / gym club after school.  I often recommend Martial Arts to my familiy's as the ethos is one of control which is what he needs.  All of these use up energy which depletes adrenalin stores, thus resulting in a feel good (endorphin) factor from the sport and not from a loss of temper.  (It is the feeling of the endorphins that he is after at the end of the day not the actual point that he has made everyone cross)  Wayne Rooney is a prime example of this (now gets his kicks out of running up and down a field rather than losing his temper at school and causing a riot)
  Sorry, burbled on
  Hope some of this helps
  E-mail me for any of this step by step & I'll try to explain it more clearly.  Mark (webmaster at aylesburyvale) will be much better than me at giving other ideas and he does work with older kids so it should be more helpful but this is what I'd try.  remember to stick to one strategy however and apply it consistently.  Jumping between strategies because there is no short term fix is worse than not doing anything at all.
  Good luck
  Thinking of you
  Mags

  PS For the times you've not got a TA ensure that tasks are individual not co-operative.  He will find this easier.  Also do not let him go in a group anywhere (out the door / into the playground / down the corridor at lesson change)  Keep him with a teacher completing a job then move when the school is calmer.  he will get less wound up this way.  Complete an audit of when he does kick off.  Instead of it feeling like it is all the time you may find it is at certain times of day / certain lessons.  Look at when he doesn't kick off .. why is this so?  it may give you a hint as to what reward systems would work well for him (eg One of my boys never kicks off in DT as he likes making things.  His reward is currently one piece of a robot at a time which he is split pinning together)
  Sorry this is so much stuff.  Time for a coffee!