Almost everyone in disability ministry, at some point, has had the thought “What about behavior? How do we keep everyone in our ministry safe?" This is a good and appropriate question, although sometimes an awkward one to approach. After all, nobody likes thinking about what to do when things don't go according to plan.

This blog post is not meant to be an exhaustive look at behavior, but I do hope it will give you a few tools to make your ministry as safe and prepared as possible.

What is behavior?

The very first thing we all need to know is that behavior is communication.Even if no words are spoken, every behavior is communicating a message. You might just have to work a little harder to figure out what that message is.

Four Functions of Behavior

Escaping or avoiding a situation
Access to attention
Access to tangible
Fulfilling a sensory need

These behavioral functions are not always obvious right off the bat. Because of this, there is a little equation those in the special education space like to use. And it's as easy as ABC!

Today, I am going to walk you through this equation with an example and some strategies for the future.

Example Scenario:

Trisha has been attending your church for the last several weeks. She enjoys worship, Bible story time, and crafts. She especially enjoys dancing in the back of the worship center. Today, there is a new volunteer filling in for someone at the last minute, and she doesn't know that Trisha is allowed to dance in the back of the worship center. She tells Trisha that she needs to sit in a seat or stand with the rest of the congregation. Trisha tries to stand with her peers, but then the band starts playing His Mercy is More--her favorite song!! She runs to the back of the room and begins to dance. When the volunteer approaches to tell her to sit back down, Trisha screams “No!” and runs out of the worship center.

Antecedent: What happened before the behavior?

A new volunteer joined the class and, with the best of intentions, told Trisha not to dance in the back of the worship center. Trisha's favorite song started.

Behavior: What happened?

Elopement--Running out of the worship center

Consequence: What happened after the behavior?

(This includes how others responded and what the student received or avoided)

Trisha avoided having to be in worship without dancing, and maybe even fulfilled a sensory need by running (usually fulfilled by dancing).

Wait, Brooke, are you saying the behavior was the volunteer's fault? Absolutely not!

But…could it have been avoided by the volunteer having all of the information about Trisha that's important? Potentially.

This is why we at Awe & Wonder talk so much about having open communication with parents and getting to know the students in your ministry!

Sometimes, behavior can be triggered by a change in routine or a new person entering the mix. Visual schedules, Pause Cards, Lanyard Cards, Change Cards (included in the visual schedule pack), and About Me pages are great resources to help minimize the confusion when these changes occur.

Having parents fill out an About Me page that can be given to volunteers on a Sunday morning is an incredibly helpful tool. Our About Me page can be easily scanned for information when a new student or volunteer arrives for the first time.

Change Cards and Visual Schedules give students a cue for what to expect throughout the morning. It is also a great way for volunteers to help students anticipate an upcoming break or preferred activity.

Adding these simple tools (and using them consistently!) can help students feel comfortable at church, and help volunteers feel prepared.

Next time, we'll walk through some de-escalation techniques for getting behaviors back to baseline so church can be a safe, joyful place where everyone belongs.