Pause, Redirect, Reward

Official title: Extinction + Redirection + Differential reinforcement

Responding with support

Goal

Respond to challenging behaviors with a calm, consistent, and supportive approach.

How

When a challenging behavior happens, help the learner return to a calm state. Pause the situation, guide them in using a coping strategy, and once calm, redirect them to try again using communication, self-regulation, or self-advocacy. Acknowledge and reward their effort when they show improvement.

Context

Teaching self-regulation happens proactively—when the learner is calm and ready to learn. Supporting happens in the moment, when a trusted adult guides the learner through calming strategies they’ve already practiced. This 3-step strategy can be used across a wide range of challenging behaviors and situations. Consistency is key—responding in a calm and predictable way helps the learner know what to expect and prevents accidental escalation.

Tip

The reward after “trying again” should be smaller than what they’d earn for managing the situation independently (see “Range of Rewards” strategy).

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