Right Response Training

Yesterday, I attended a training provided by one of the school districts I work in. Right Response is the method of interacting with special needs children, or students in general, in the classroom. The especially applies to special needs children who escalate very easily or quickly to an agitated emotional state.

"Right Response is proactive, holistic, and immediately effective.

The three guiding principles of this philosophy are:

- The intervention must meet the needs of our client.
- We must constantly reflect respect on the client.
- The safety of everyone in the environment is our highest priority."

The training provides information on prevention of, de-escalation of, and 'postvention' of stressful outbursts.

Yesterday, we were instructed in physical safety and taught how to perform release moves. Here is a list of our 'moves':
- basic position (standing tall, well balanced with hands up, palms facing forward, keeping your fingers and thumbs together, elbows in at the side) which you may often say "Safe Hands" to the agressive student
- pivot step
- back pedal
- lateral step
- avoidance
- repelling (blows with hands)
- protection (head neck, torso, groin)
- releases from pinches, grabs, scratches, bites, hair pulls, fill body grabs, and chokes

And one of the most important things to remember regarding using your hands to avoid aggressive behavior is being careful not to use the students joints to deflect or repel their attacks. So much work to avoid a lawsuit!

In the process of learning how to release myself from the half-nelson choke hold, I strained my neck. I think I may be scaring the students today in library because I keep grimacing when I turn to look at them!

I'm glad, none the less, that I've had the opportunity to practice these. Good self defense moves without injuring a student.

I mentioned 'postvention' above. This deals a lot of with recuperating from an attack. They remind teachers and other adults to take some 'me' time afterward. I think a lot of people in care giving positions forget to do that. You've got to take care of yourself to care for others; even if that 'me' is getting on your knees and finding comfort in the Lord, something must be done! Sometimes it's hard to remember that, "people's needs are met by people whose needs are met."

Oh, boy, I could go into a lot with this training session!

We discussed cognitive distortions and a balanced wellness wheel. The wellness wheel includes physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and occupational wellness.

What do I need to get into balance? How to do it? That, my dears, will be the next blog. :-)

Now it's time to read to 2nd graders.