The rage cycle

[puffin]

Does anyone remember there was a long posting on this topic a couple of years ago?

 

Did anyone save a copy? - if so PLEASE PLEASE and PRETTY PLEASE could you post a copy

 

It was wonderful to give to teachers - and I really need to fin it after AS daughter had a meltdown yesterday - however the link I used was too old - so it must pre-date the new website address - or perhaps it has been moved somewhere

 

Does anyone know what I am talking about?

[jb1964]

Hi Puffin,

 

Sorry I can't help I'm a relatively newbie - but I'm very interested if someone else can post the link.

 

Thanks,

Jb

[nellie]

Puffin,

 

I think this old topic has been deleted.

 

I had this copy in my files.

 

RAGE CYCLE

 

Many students with Asperger Syndrome view school as a stressful environment, presenting several stressors that are ongoing and of great magnitude. Stressors include difficulty predicting events because of changing schedules, tuning in to and understanding teacher directions, and interacting with peers. Students with this exceptionality rarely indicate in any meaningful way that they are under stress or experiencing difficulty coping. In fact, they may not always know that they are near a stage of crisis. Quite often they just ?tune out? or daydream or state in a monotone voice a seemingly benign phrase, such as 'I don't know what to do.' Since no emotion is conveyed, these behaviours often go unnoticed by teachers. Then at a later point in time, the student engages, seemingly with out provocation, in a verbally or physically aggressive event, often called a rage attack, meltdown or neurological storm. The student may begin to scream or kick over a desk. There seems to be no predictability to this behav ior; it just occurs.

 

Other students with Asperger Syndrome do not display these types of behaviours in school. Sometimes teachers report that the student with Asperger Syndrome is doing fine or managing in school in spite of academic and social problems. However, parents report that when their children arrive home, they often lose control. That is, the child experiences the rage attack, meltdown or neurological storm at home. It seems as if these students have used all of their self-control to manage at school, and once they get to a safe environment, they let go of some of the pressure that is bottled up within them. Thus, rage attacks can occur either at home or school.

Although it may seem that way, rage attacks do not occur without warn ing. Rather, students with Asperger Syndrome exhibit a pattern of behaviours that are precursors to a behavioural outburst. Sometimes these behaviours are subtle. In fact, those who do not know the student often report that a rage attack comes out of nowhere. One teacher reported, 'Susan was just sitting at her desk quietly. The next thing I know, she had a meltdown. She totally lost control, overturned her desk and began flailing her arms. I had no warn ing.' Without a clear understanding of rage and the cycle in which it occurs, it may indeed appear as if rage occurs without warning. This chapter explains the rage cycle and functional analysis, a means of determining why behaviours occur.

 

The Rage Cycle

 

Rage occurs for a reason? underlying causes or antecedents serve as triggers. Intervention at early stages often prevents rage attacks. Rage attacks typically run through a course of three stages. These stages can be of variable length, with one stage lasting hours and another only minutes. These stages are (a) the rumbling stage ( the rage stage, and � the recovery stage (adapted from Albert, 1989; Beck, 1985).

 

The Rumbling Stage

 

During the rumbling stage, students with Asperger Syndrome exhibit spe cific behavioural changes that may not appear to be directly related to a rage attack. Students may bite their nails or lips, lower their voices, tense their muscles, tap their foot, grimace, or otherwise indicate general discontent. Students may also complain of not feeling well. It is easy at this stage to ignore these seemingly minor behaviours; yet, these behaviours often indicate an impending crisis. Students may also engage in behaviours that are more pronounced, including withdrawing from others, either emotionally or physically, or lashing out at or threatening the teacher or other students, either verbally or physically. The student may challenge the classroom structure or authority by attempting to engage in a power struggle.

 

During this stage, it is imperative that the teacher intervene with the stu dent without becoming part of a struggle. Teacher interventions during this stage often fall under the realm of surface behaviour management (Long, Morse & Newman, 1976). That is, teachers can use a variety of strategies such as antiseptic bouncing, proximity control, signal interference or touch control to stop future behaviour problems. Each of these strategies will he briefly discussed below.

 

Antiseptic Bouncing

 

Antiseptic bouncing involves removing a student, in a nonpunitive fashion, from the environment in which she is experiencing difficulty. For example, Keisha is asked to take a note to the teacher across the hail. Jerome k asked to go to the art area to clean up supplies. Andy, who is asked to deliver the lunch count to the office, typically does not go directly from his chi room to the office. Rather, he stops by the water fountain, wanders by the class of a friend, stops to say hello to the custodian, and then gets to the office. The way back to the classroom is equally circuitous. During this time, the student has had an opportunity to regain a sense of calm. When he returns to the classroom, the problem has typically diminished in magnitude and the teacher is on hand for support if needed.

 

Proximity Control

 

Rather than calling attention to the behaviour, using this strategy the teacher moves near the student who is engaged in the target behaviour. Often something as simple as standing next to a student can be calming. This can be easily accomplished without interrupting the lesson. The teacher who circulates through the classroom during a lesson is using proximity control

 

Signal interference

 

When the student begins to exhibit a seemingly minor precursor behaviour, the teacher uses a nonverbal signal to let the student know that she is aware of the situation. For example, the teacher can place herself in a position where eye contact with the student can be achieved. Or a 'secret' signal between teacher and the student can be used as a warning to watch the problem behaviour. Many teachers snap their fingers, flick a light switch, or look away to indicate that inappropriate behaviour is occurring. Some of these techniques can be used to prevent problem behaviours from occurring.

 

Touch Control

 

Sometimes a touch can serve to stop behaviour. Gently touching the foot or leg of a student who is tapping his feet loudly may stop disruptive behaviour,

 

Defusing Tension Through Humour

 

This technique involves using a joke or humorous remark in a potentially tense or potentially eruptive moment. A joke can often prevent group contagion from occurring and salvage an interrupted lesson.

 

Care must be taken to ensure that the student understands the humour and does not perceive herself as the target of a joke.

 

Support from Routine

 

Displaying a chart or visual schedule of expectations and events can provide security to students. This technique can also be used as advance preparation for a change in routine. Informing students of schedule alterations can prevent anxiety and save the teacher and class from disruption. The student who is signalling frustration by tapping his foot may be directed to his schedule to make him aware that after he completes two more problems he gets to work on a topic of special interest with a peer.

 

Interest Boosting

 

Sometimes showing a personal interest in a student and her hobbies can assist a student in acting appropriately. This involves (a) making the student aware that you recognize her individual preferences or ( structuring lessons around a topic of interest. Interest boosting can often stop or prevent off task or acting-out behaviour.

 

The aforementioned strategies can be effective in stopping the rage cycle, They are invaluable in that they can help the student regain control without stopping class routine or calling undue attention to the student.

 

Other strategies exist that do not fall under the category of surface management but are similar in that they are therapeutic, nonpunitive, and designed to support student success. These include redirecting, home base, and acknowledging student difficulties.

 

Redirecting

 

Redirecting involves helping the student to focus on something other than the task at hand. One type of redirection that often works well when the source of the problem behaviour is a lack of understanding is telling the student that he and you can cartoon the situation in order to figure out what to do. Sometimes the student can 'pull it together' until cartooning (see Chapter 3) can be done at a later time; at other times, the student may need to cartoon immediately.

 

Home Base

 

Teachers can create a safe home base for students with Asperger Syndrome. This is a place where students can go when they feel a need to regain control. Resource rooms or counsellors' offices can be safe places. One student we know uses the custodian's office as his home base. When students feel the need to leave

the classroom, they can take assignments to the home base and work on them there in a less stressful environment. For some students it is helpful to schedule their days so that they begin at the home base and then have frequent stops in this same location. In this way, students have a teacher with whom they have a consistent and constant relationship as well as a place to retreat to when the need arises (Myles & Simpson, 1998).

 

Acknowledging Student Difficulties

 

When the student is in the middle of the rumbling stage, the teacher should state the rule to which the student should adhere universally and back it up through personalization and proximity. That is, the teacher should clearly state the rule along with the student's name, indicating 'everyone in the class follows the rule.' Although face-to-face contact is not recommended, close distance when communicating a rule and direct eye contact intensify the power of the message. Under no circumstances should the teacher engage in lengthy conversation about 'who is right' or 'who is in control' (Talentine. 1987). This will only encourage escalation of the target behaviour. For example, when working on a math problem the student begins to say, 'This is too hard.' The teacher, knowing the student can complete the problem, refocuses the student's attention by saying, 'Yes, the problem is difficult. Please do number one.' Often, just such an acknowledgment and a brief direction prevents the student from getting stuck in the rumbling stage.

 

In another situation, the teacher might say, 'John, when it is difficult to Just finish work, we use the home base to help students stay on track. Please take your work to your home base.' He may then take an icon that says home base and place it on John's desk. In yet another scenario, the teacher might that state, 'You can play with the ball until the timer sounds, then it is Marvin's Table turn. In this class, we all take turns.' At this critical juncture, the teacher might want to reinforce his verbalizations with an icon. The teacher uses a calm, but firm voice and does not move in a manner that could seem threatening.

 

Just Walk and Don?t Talk

 

Sometimes an effective strategy is to walk with the student, if the student is not a 'runner.' Typically, the adult should walk with the student without talking, because during the rumbling stage, anything the adult says will be the wrong thing. The child is not thinking logically and will most likely react emotively to any adult statement, misinterpreting it or rephrasing it in such a way that its original intent is not recognizable.

 

On this walk, the child can say whatever she wishes without fear of discipline or logical argument. The adult should be calm, show as little reaction as possible, and never be confrontational.

 

When selecting a technique during the rumbling stage, it is important to know the student, as the wrong technique can escalate rather than deescalate a behaviour problem. For example, touch control for some students with Asperger Syndrome appears to drain off frustration. That is, by merely touching the student?s shoulder, the teacher can feel an immediate relaxation on the part of the student. But another student might be startled by a touch from the teacher because he (a) did not know the teacher was going to enter his space, ( misperceived touch as an aggression, or � perceived touch as discomforting or painful. In these cases, touch control would have the opposite effect of the one intended. Interventions at this stage do not require extensive teacher time, but it is wise to understand the events that precipitate the target behaviours so that teachers can (a) be ready to intervene early or ( teach students strategies to maintain behavioural control during these times. However, it is important to understand that interventions at this stage are merely band-aids. They do not teach students to recognize their own frustration or provide a means of handling it. Techniques to accomplish these goals will be discussed later on in the book.

 

Just as it is important to understand interventions that may diffuse a crisis, it is imperative that educators know which teacher behaviours are likely to escalate behaviour problems. Albert (1989) provides a list of behaviours that are almost certain to turn a potential crisis into a rage attack (see Table 2.1).

 

Rage Stage

 

If student behaviour is not diffused during the rumbling stage, a rage attack, meltdown or neurological storm may occur. At this point, the student is disinhibited and acts impulsively, emotionally, and sometimes explosively. These behaviours may include screaming, biting, hitting, kicking, destroying property or self-injury.

 

During this stage, another type of rage may also manifest itself, internal rage. The student may become so upset that she completely withdraws, unable to verbalize or act in a rational manner. Emphasis should be placed on student, peer, and teacher safety as well as protection of school, home, or personal property. The best way to cope with the rage attack is to get the child to a safe room. This may be the room in which the behaviour occurs, devoid of materials that can be destroyed and of other children who may unintentionally be harmed. The room is equipped with objects that help the child calm down and relax. The room is not viewed as a reward or disciplinary room, but is seen as a place where the student can regain self-control.

 

Rage attacks are not purposeful, and once the rage stage begins, it most often must run its course. Adams (1997) related a rage incident in a young boy, 'The first rage attack for one young man occurred while in a parking lot. A stranger swore at him and called him a 'stupid kid.' The boy started to shake a mailbox, and began to kick and scream. ... It was noted by the parent that during later attacks, the boy would sometimes say, 1 dont want to do this!' It appeared that he could not disengage from the emotion, once it had started' (p. 72).

 

Importance should be placed on helping the student regain control and preserving her dignity. Teachers should have developed plans for (a) obtain ing assistance from educators such as a crisis teacher or principal, ( remov ing other students from the area, or � providing therapeutic restraint, if necessary.

[puffin]

 

Yep - that's the one

 

thanks for the help

[smiley]

Thanks for that one Nellie

[PinkSapphireAngel]

I printed all that off and highlighted certain parts and gave it to the school SENCO, class teacher and head last year and all I got from them was "Well we don't see it in school and we cannot fix what we cannot see can we?"

[Zemanski]

If you want to read more, this book has the detail

 

Brenda Smith Myles - Children and Youth with Asperger Syndrome, strategies for success in inclusive settings

 

Z