Does my child need a behavior plan for stimming?

Advocates say that a behavior support plan should never be used as a means of controlling or eradicating a student’s stims, but rather as a guiding document to help school personnel understand the supports the student may need. It should also aim to identify potential stimming triggers, rather than to simply mitigate their impact in the classroom. Focusing on skill building and creating productive goals, rather than engaging in reactive redirections, is much more effective at addressing maladaptive stimming and dysregulation.

School teams should look at whether a stim needs to be redirected or if it can simply be accepted and normalized in the classroom. If it's not impeding learning or quality of life, then it may not need an intervention. Otherwise, school teams can look at ways to support the student with sensory needs and communication.

A behavior plan can also provide a degree of protection from potential punishment, such as immediately being sent to a seclusion room, or it can help keep a child’s supports in place under extenuating circumstances, such as a day with a substitute teacher.

For more information, see our full article Stimming at School.