Managing Wandering and Eloping for Students with Autism & Low-Incidence Disabilities

Eloping can be a common classroom behavior that causes a great deal of alarm due to safety concerns and how challenging it is to manage. In today's Around Town Round Up we are sharing intervention ideas, safety supports, and resources to help manage wandering and eloping behaviors for students with autism and low-incidence disabilities.

Interventions

As with any interfering behavior, it is important to determine the function so that function-based interventions can be implemented. Use a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) or Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) to determine the specific reason why the student is eloping since it can meet a variety of wants or needs. There are four main functions of behavior: Sensory, Escape, Attention, and Tangible. Additionally, behavior is often used as a way to communicate so Communication can be considered another function of behavior especially when eloping is used to meet a variety of needs. Below we will describe what eloping may look like for each behavior function as well as strategies to try. 

Function: Sensory

Looks Like:

• Student enjoys running
• Student is in constant motion
• Student seeks vestibular input  

Sensory Interventions for Eloping:

• consult with OT
• proactively schedule vestibular input (i.e. swinging, delivery job)
• use alternative seating to provide vestibular input (i.e. Zuma rocker, rocking chair, therapy ball)

Function: Escape

Looks Like:

• Student runs as soon as work is presented
• Student runs when the environment is overstimulating

Escape Interventions for Eloping: 

• incorporate special interests
• reduce task demands
• use forced choices
• develop reinforcement system
• use visual supports to communicate work expectations (i.e. visual contract, structured work system, To Do list, visual countdown)

Function: Attention

Looks Like: 

• Student appears to find enjoyment in being chased
• Student turns and looks for adults before running

Attention Interventions for Eloping: 

• refrain from emotional response
• do not chase student because this can create a game

Function: Tangible

Looks Like: 

• Student runs to another area of the classroom or school to attempt to gain access to a preferred item

Tangible Interventions for Eloping: 

• develop reinforcement system to allow student to earn time to run
• use visual supports or social stories to remind student when they can run (i.e. P.E., outdoor recess)

Function: Communication

Looks Like:   

• Student runs to communicate a variety of functions

Communication Interventions for Eloping:   

• consult with SLP
• provide direct instruction of replacement communication modes
• provide visual cue and/or AAC to facilitate replacement communication

Best Blog Posts for Academic Tasks & Taskboxes

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Academic Tasks & Taskboxes!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Focus Walls

• Supporting Content Instruction

• Back to School Themed Taskboxes

• Animal Themed Taskboxes

• Seasonal Taskboxes

• Phonics

• Reading

• Systematically Teaching Functional Sight Words

• Writing

• Predictable Chart Writing

• Literacy Tasks

• Math

• Math Tasks

• More Math Tasks

• Structured Work Math Tasks

• One-to-One Correspondence Tasks at Home

Don't miss our next post on taskboxes and functional tasks that can be used in your classroom structured work systems!

Best Blog Posts for Structured Work Systems

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for one of our favorite student supports... Structured Work Systems!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Structured Work and Teaching

• Structured Work System Myths and Mistakes

• More Structured Work Systems

• Even More Structured Work Systems

• Individualized Structured Work Systems

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for ideas for taskboxes, academic tasks, and functional tasks that can be used in your classroom structured work systems!

Best Blog Posts for Classroom Organization

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of our Best Organization Station Blog Posts for Classroom Organization. 

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Lesson Materials

• More Lesson Materials

• Materials Organization

• Student Materials

• More Student Materials

• Visuals Organization

• Picture Icon Organization

• Data Collection

• MORE Data Collection

• MORE Data Collection 2

• Data Collection Reminders

• Home-School Communication

• More Home-School Communication

Best Blog Posts for Reinforcement & Managing Behavior

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Around Town Round Up Blog Posts for Reinforcement and Managing Behavior.

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Immediate Reinforcement Options

• Steps to Implementing Positive Reinforcement in the Classroom

• Reinforcement for Task Completion

• Schedule-Based Reinforcement Plans

• Tips for Incorporating Reinforcement

• Behavior Management Systems

• Classroom Behavior Systems

• Token Economies

• Using Visuals to Troubleshoot the Top 10 Common Classroom Concerns

• Using Equipment to Minimize Unsafe Behaviors

• Tips for Managing Behaviors in a Technology-Rich Classroom

Managing Wandering and Eloping for Students with Autism & Low-Incidence Disabilities

• Priming for Changes

• Priming for Expectations

• Forced Choices
• Incorporating Interests
• Incorporating Interests Tasks
• Incorporating Interests to Increase Student Engagement
• Using Visual Supports to Communicate Expectations in the Environment

Best Blog Posts for Classroom Set Up

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Classroom Set-Up. 

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Classroom Layout

• Classroom Layout 2

• Using Physical Boundaries in Your Classroom Layout

• Cubbies

• Play and Leisure

• More Play and Leisure

• Classroom Calming Sensory Space

• Calming Corner

• More Calming Sensory Spaces

• Even More Calming Sensory Spaces

• Home Base

• Calming Classroom Environment

• Reduce Student Overwhelm with a Calming Classroom Environment

• Reducing Visual Clutter

• Reducing Auditory & Visual Clutter

• Paraprofessionals

• Schedules for Classroom Staff

• Communicating with Paraprofessionals

• Delegating Responsibilities to Paraprofessionals

• Visual Supports for Staff

• Preferential Seating

• Adaptive Seating

• Top 3 Tips for Adaptive Seating