Beyond Behavior Charts: Reframing and Rethinking Behavior Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens

How can we challenge traditional behavior management practices and begin understanding behavior as a communication form, particularly for neurodivergent students? This session addresses the unwanted effects of conventional systems like behavior charts, which often perpetuate shame, bias, and inequity, and explore alternative strategies that emphasize compassion, curiosity, and proactive support. Participants will be able to: 1. Identify how behaviors in neurodivergent students often communicate underlying needs rather than indicating willful non-compliance, using a communication-based rather than compliance-based framework. 2. Examine the various factors that impact neurodivergent student behavior, including sensory environment, routine structures, processing speed, executive functioning, and anxiety. 3. Guide students through self-monitoring, self-evaluating, and self-regulating process to develop their own behavior management skills.