SCHOOLS Issue #000 | October 2008

BSP Student Questionnaire

The Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) Student Questionnaire aims to assist in the development of strategies to include in BSPs.

What is the BSP Student Questionnaire?

The BSP Student Questionnaire provides question prompts to assist school professionals and others to identify relevant student behaviours and to develop strategies to include in BSPs.

How should it be used?

Work through the prompts in the following five key areas to assist in identifying factors that may be impacting on the student’s behaviour. It is important to identify the underlying cause or causes that are impacting on the student so that it is not just the presenting behaviours that are being addressed.

List inappropriate or problem behaviours, where these usually occur and strategies that are likely to assist. For further ideas on strategy development visit the DEECD website and the free resources section of the Psych4Schools website.

‘Refer also to the BSP Guidelines and the BSP.

1. Background

Significant life events. List events that may be impacting on the student’s behaviour such as bullying, death of a family member, parent relationship breakdown, transience, trauma suffered by the student, and whether this has been stopped, treated or continues?

Home. Does the student live between two homes? Are there blended family issues? Is there conflict with a sibling, inconsistent or harsh parenting, poor problem solving, or is the student often in trouble at home? What might be one thing that can reduce ‘pressure’ or conflict on the student at home or increase connectedness to others?

Formal assessments. Has the student been assessed by a Speech Pathologist, Psychologist, Paediatrician, Occupational Therapist or other specialist? What key issues and recommendations are in reports? Are they still valid? Are they being implemented? Are other assessments required?

Disability or disorder? Are appropriate interventions and modifications being implemented in the classroom and across the school? What is working and not working?

External agency involvement? What support are they providing? Do they need to contribute or be consulted to develop the BSP?

Previous schools. Record past academic results, social and emotional issues?

Previous suspension, or expulsion? What impact did this have on the student? Are there alternatives to suspension or expulsion? Students are required at school until age 17 years.

2. Academic performance

Current academic performance. Do all teachers understand the student’s attainment levels, learning style and ability? What one thing might help this student to better achieve?

Learning difficulties? What does the student find ‘boring’ or frustrating? What provisions are in place?

List the student’s passions, strengths and interests. How can these be utilised to assist the student’s learning and wellbeing?

In what curriculum areas and extra-curricula activity is the student experiencing success? If none, what might be good for this student to try?

Attendance. Is school refusal, truancy, condoned absenteeism (where students and parents collude to miss school), or school transience an issue? Is the student often late to school? What can be done to stop or reduce this behaviour?

Does the student have a clear understanding of school, playground and classroom rules and teacher expectations? Do not assume they do. Carefully assess this across all classroom settings and break times.

3. Current social and emotional wellbeing

General wellbeing. Is the student getting enough sleep, eating a well balanced diet, hungry or ill, exercising regularly, over weight, constantly bothered by hair lice, minor medical conditions, or showing any possible neglect or abuse? Should the school nurse or the Department of Human Services (DHS) be involved?

Mental health issues? Anxiety or worry? Depression, sadness or extreme anger? Is the student okay one day but not the next? Has the student seen a GP or Psychologist? What are the issues? What can be done at school to assist?

Managing feelings. Is the student angry/worried/upset or displaying inappropriate behaviour, out of proportion to the situation? Are regular emotional, angry or violent outbursts an issue? Have calming strategies or an emotional regulation program been implemented?

How might the student see him or herself? What is one thing that might help?

Is the student teased? What about? Are those who tease given appropriate consequences? Does the student know that offenders are followed up? What strategies can help the student cope, build resilience, and not over-react?

Does the student have one or more ‘positive’ friendships? Who does the student gravitate towards? Who might be an appropriate ‘like-minded’ friend? Is the student involved in a dysfunctional peer group? What actions might help?

How does the student relate to new or vulnerable students? Are interactions positive? If not, what needs to be done?

Significant adult and child relationships. Who is the student most connected to at school and home? Does the child get adequate time 1 to 1 with these people? Would short, regular times with a teacher several times a week help? Note: 1:1 pro-social activity with a parent or carer is very likely to help build resilience.

Is the student getting ‘mixed messages’ as a result of interactions with peers, parents or significant others? What are the inconsistent messages? Who can stop or minimize this?

Is the student engaging with MA15+ violent video games and films that are not recommended for their age? Who can stop or reduce this?

List any other issues or concerns and ideas for change.

4. Current interventions

List the student’s challenging behaviours or behaviours that need support.

Warning signs or frustration clues? Does the student act in a predictable way prior to problem behaviours occurring?

What triggers prompt challenging behaviour? Does the student react to specific things - tests, other students’ comments, loud noise, bright lights? What does the student find difficult or frustrating?

What works? List successful strategies for this and previous years? Note: Not all strategies that worked last year will work this year. What doesn’t work?

Access to down time. Is the student allowed several short down times each day?

Current Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Is one in place? Is it effective? What ILP strategies can support this plan?

5. Teaching and non-teaching staff

Are staff informed? If the student has (or is suspected of having) an illness, disability or disorder, how well is this understood by staff? Do staff realise that most disorders (independent of IQ) cause delays to academic and social competency? What can be done to improve understandings?

Consistency between staff. Do areas of inconsistency between staff contribute to the student’s behaviour? Do all teachers make accommodations or allowances?

Are staff behaviours contributing to issues? For example, do teachers remain calm, confident and consistent in their reactions and actions with the student?

School values and rules. Do classroom values help instil a clear set of guiding principles. Which values and rules need further work? See http://www.valueseducation.edu.au/values/

Do staff follow a no-tolerance bullying policy to stop social rejection, teasing, bullying (including cyber-bullying), harassment or discrimination? Is it rigorously enforced? Ensure processes to identify instances of bullying. Have a rule that bystanders report all bullying and other unacceptable behaviour. Do parents who learn of bullying know to report it to the school?

Emotional regulation and calming. Do key staff help the student take responsibility for managing emotions and physical reactions? Being able to view situations and what others say and do, in an objective way, while keeping things in perspective, are skills psychologists, other school professionals and teachers can teach to students.

Is a ‘student at risk program’ in place to link an additional teacher to this student?

Does a mandatory report need to be made to DHS, or police? Follow DEECD protocols and procedures, if you form a belief of significant harm or abuse, or the student is accessing or believed to be accessing illegal substances or committing crimes. Consult your school principal or assistant principal as required.