You're teaching a wonderful lesson and then all of a sudden something goes haywire and a student starts showing some behavior. You look back on it and just think "Why did that happen?"
Let me tell you that you are not alone. There are nearly an endless amount of potential causes for a single behavior that you see. For me, one of the most difficult behaviors to determine a cause for are those related to sensory needs. Powell and Solity describe sensory behavior as "when a student is motivated by sensory input: Things feel good, look good, taste good, or sound good" (2018). I would add that it would also include when things feel, look, taste, or sound bad. These all manifest differently making them difficult. One year I had a student with Autism who everyday would stop outside of the classroom door and throw himself on the floor, refusing to move. I tried keeping the routine, changing the routine, coercion, and every trick I could think of and it continued to happen. A few months into school I changed a bulletin board for the season. The next day, the student stopped at the door, looked, and then walked in. I was able to deduce that something about the bulleting board was visually upsetting to him. Without changing the visual stimulation, this specific behavior may have continued without a known cause. There are so many sensory experiences in an elementary school and primary classroom that it can be overwhelming to some students. If you suspect that sensory needs may be causing a behavior try changing the reception. If they react to noise, offer a pair of headphones. If it's visual, change a decoration or offer sunglasses. Don't count on all behavior having external causes. Internal sensory responses and needs are very real and can be difficult to understand, but once you find the need you can help the student succeed through that obstacle.
Powell, M., & Solity, J. (2018). Introduction: Cracking the code. Teachers in
Control, 1-8. doi:10.4324/9780429470455-1
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