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What to Do (and Not Do) When Student Behavior Escalates

Hey there, and welcome back to the Special Education for Beginners podcast! This is the third episode in our September series all about behavior—because if you’ve worked in special education for more than a week, you know behavior is part of the job. But how we respond makes all the difference.

In this episode, I walk you through what to do (and what not to do) when a student is escalating. Whether it’s shouting, shutting down, crying, pacing, or full-blown meltdowns—you’ll leave this episode with clear, actionable strategies to stay calm, respond wisely, and preserve your relationship with the student.

Gain control of yourself so the student can borrow your calm until they find their own.

🔥 In this episode, you'll learn:

What escalation really looks like (and why it’s not always loud)
5 things NOT to do during a behavior spike (that we often do anyway!)
7 regulation-based strategies that help bring students back down
Why your calm matters more than the perfect response
The importance of teaching regulation before you need it
And why behavior is always communication

💡 Don’t forget: Even the best strategies fail if we don’t model and teach them during calm moments.

🎧 Mentioned in This Episode:

✅ Episode 226 – 7 Proactive Strategies to Prevent Behaviors Before They Start
✅ Episode 227 – How the Brain Impacts Behavior with Guest Sam Parmalee

🛠️ Featured Resource:
Sometimes students don’t know how to express how they’re feeling—or even what they’re feeling. This Manage My Mood tool helps students reflect on their strengths, triggers, and emotions, while giving you insight to support them proactively. The resource includes:

Strengths & triggers checklist
Reflection forms
Graphing tools
Blank & colored Feelings Thermometers

🚨 Limited Time Offer: This product is 50% off right now! Grab it while it’s marked down!

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