Samantha Lewis was quoted in Special Ed Connection about steps school districts and their individualized education program (IEP) teams can take to develop crisis plans for students.

Schools can convene IEP meetings to discuss what behaviors a student is exhibiting that warrant a need for a crisis plan, as part of a student's behavioral intervention plan, Samantha told the publication. The plan should describe the student's behavior, including whether he or she is a harm to themselves or others. 

"Understand what the behavior is that you're trying to mitigate and handle within the school environment," Samantha said. If possible, students should be involved while the plan is being created so they can talk about what might help them in a crisis.

Schools can learn more about what may trigger certain behaviors by walking through a student's day, from the time they get off the bus to going home. Students may lash out if a certain person approaches them or if they feel overwhelmed in different situations, including in noisy, overcrowded spaces.

"It's so individualized to the student," Samantha said.

You can read the full article by clicking here: Develop Crisis Plans to Curb Dangerous Behavior Before Anyone Gets Hurt

Special Ed Connection is a go-to source for more than 2,500 school districts.