Classroom Coping Skills Strategy

Teach Classroom Coping Skills.

Every student struggles at times. Rather than singling out the student who is becoming upset, work with your entire group of students to identify coping skills.

• Hand out an index card for kids to decorate
• Have each student pick a calming strategy. You can put some examples on a board and let the students pick.
• Students can write or draw out their strategy on the card.
• Fix the cards to their desks.
• At least once a day, call out a student name, have them share a strategy and let all the other kids try it too. The idea is to normalize coping skills and let students practice these skills daily so they become second-nature. If a student can perform these skills when regulated, they will be more likely to perform them when dysregulated.

Exercises may include:

• Taking three deep breaths
• Squeezing your hand like you would squeeze an orange then relaxing your hand three times
• Count backwards from five
• Recite favorite movie characters
• Read a passage from a book
• Get a drink of water or draw

Ensure that your social story includes the coping skills outlined above. Model these exercises for your students so they know what to do.

If you witness a student getting upset or anxious, cue them to use the coping skills on their card. Tap their card, then provide them with a reward and a verbal reinforcement when you see them using the skill(s).

The same process can be used with older students with age-appropriate materials.

Coping Skills can be easy and quick physical refocus exercises that de-escalate the body’s reaction to stress.

• Child's Age: 6-10, 11-13, 14-17, 18+
• Planning Effort: Low
• Difficulty Level: Easy

Ability to follow a model or visuals, or appropriate story on coping behaviors

1. Choose 3 easy ‘exercises’ to teach the class. These ‘exercises’ help students refocus and de-escalate so they can then seek help appropriately – breath deep 3x, then squeeze your hands together and relax them 3 times, then count backwards from five (5).

2. Read a social story on coping when upset to the class. Try to elicit examples from students of situations that are upsetting to them.

3. The story should include the coping exercises. Model for the students and have students practice the exercises.

4. If you witness a student getting anxious cue them to use the skills then provide a reward paired with verbal reinforcement when you see a student using the skill(s).