SENCO: Effective Strategies for Supporting Challenging Behaviour in Schools

Practical Strategies for SENCOs in Understanding and Supporting Challenging Behaviour

Part 1: Understanding Behaviour Through Multiple Lenses

When faced with challenging behaviour in the classroom, our instinct often leads us to one question: “How do we make it stop?” This question, while understandable, limits our view of what the child actually needs. A more powerful question is: “What is this behaviour trying to tell us?”

This shift from management to understanding transforms how we support children and young people in educational settings. As schools move toward more inclusive practices, we need approaches that honour the complexity of human behaviour while remaining practical for busy classrooms.

The Evolution of Behaviour Support

Traditional behaviour management operates from a simple premise: reward desired behaviours and discourage unwanted ones. This approach, rooted in behaviourist psychology, dominated educational practice for decades. For some children, these systems work well enough. Gold stars, house points, and privilege cards provide clear motivation.

But for children with trauma histories, neurodevelopmental differences, or unmet emotional needs, these systems often fail. Worse, they can cause harm by reinforcing patterns of shame, masking genuine needs, and teaching compliance rather than self-regulation.

Mark, a Year 4 teacher, observed: “I spent years with elaborate reward charts and consequence systems. Some pupils thrived, but others seemed to sabotage themselves repeatedly. I realised I was treating symptoms, not causes.”

The evidence supports Mark’s observation. Research shows that while behaviourist approaches can produce short-term compliance, they rarely create lasting behavioural change for children with complex needs. More concerning, they can damage trust between adult and child—the very foundation needed for effective support.

Understanding Behaviour as Communication

All behaviour serves a purpose. When we view challenging behaviour as purposeful communication rather than wilful disruption, new possibilities emerge.

Consider what might drive these common classroom scenarios:

Sam refuses to start writing tasks, ripping papers and throwing pencils. Traditional view: Sam is being defiant and needs firmer boundaries.

A trauma-informed lens reveals Sam experienced early neglect and struggled to develop fine motor skills. Writing tasks trigger overwhelming feelings of incompetence. His behaviour communicates: “I can’t fail if I don’t try.”

Mia shuts down during group activities, hiding under tables or leaving the room. Traditional view: Mia is attention-seeking and needs consequences for disrupting others.

A neurodiversity-affirming lens reveals Mia experiences sensory overload in groups. Her nervous system becomes overwhelmed. Her behaviour communicates: “This environment is painful for my brain.”

Jayden constantly interrupts class discussions with seemingly unrelated comments. Traditional view: Jayden lacks discipline and needs to learn proper turn-taking.

A developmental lens reveals Jayden has language processing difficulties. He needs extra time to organise his thoughts, and interrupts because he’ll forget his idea if he waits. His behaviour communicates: “I want to participate but struggle with the expected format.”

These reframes don’t excuse disruptive behaviour but provide a starting point for meaningful intervention. When we understand what drives behaviour, we can address root causes rather than symptoms.

The Limitations of Reward-Based Systems

Before exploring alternatives, let’s examine the specific limitations of traditional reward systems for vulnerable learners:

For children with trauma histories, external reward systems can:

• Trigger shame responses when they fail to earn rewards
• Create anxiety about unpredictable outcomes
• Reinforce beliefs that their worth depends on performance
• Undermine intrinsic motivation to learn

For neurodivergent learners, traditional systems can:

• Set expectations they cannot neurologically meet
• Create sensory or cognitive overload through tracking mechanisms
• Fail to address underlying sensory or executive functioning needs
• Increase stress by focusing on behaviours that may be regulatory for them

A primary SENCO describes a revealing moment: “We had a child who repeatedly got into trouble during transitions. We created a reward chart for smooth transitions. It failed completely. Then we discovered he couldn’t actually see the visual timetable from his seat. One simple accommodation, moving the timetable, solved what a reward system couldn’t.”

This doesn’t mean abandoning all structured approaches. Rather, it means creating systems flexible enough to meet diverse needs.

The Science Behind Behaviour: Regulation Before Education

To develop more effective approaches, we need to understand the basic neuroscience of behaviour.

Our brains have evolved with a hierarchical structure. At the base is our brain stem, controlling our survival responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Above this sits our limbic system, the emotional centre. At the top is our prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning, planning, and impulse control.

When children feel safe and regulated, they can access their “thinking brain.” When they feel threatened—whether by academic demands, sensory overload, or social challenges—their lower brain takes control. This isn’t a choice; it’s biology.

Many challenging behaviours result from children operating in survival mode. Their behaviour seems irrational because they’re functioning from the brain stem, not the prefrontal cortex. No reward chart can override this neurological reality.

Educational psychologist Dr. Stuart Shanker explains: “We often mistake stress behaviour for misbehaviour.” This distinction is crucial. Misbehaviour is a choice that responds to traditional consequences. Stress behaviour signals a dysregulated nervous system that needs co-regulation, not consequences.

This understanding forms the foundation of the regulation approach popularised by Dr. Bruce Perry: “Regulate, Relate, Reason.” We must help children regulate their nervous systems before we can effectively teach new behaviours.

Trauma-Informed Approaches: Safety First

For children who have experienced trauma—whether from abuse, neglect, loss, or chronic stress—behaviour that seems challenging often represents adaptive responses to previous threats.

Trauma impacts brain development, altering how children perceive safety, process emotions, and form relationships. What worked for survival in traumatic environments becomes maladaptive in classrooms.

A trauma-informed approach recognises these impacts and prioritises safety above all else. This doesn’t mean abandoning boundaries—quite the opposite. It means creating boundaries that foster psychological safety rather than compliance.

Key principles of trauma-informed behaviour support include:

Predictability: Trauma disrupts a child’s sense of the world as predictable. Clear routines, visual schedules, and advance warnings about changes help rebuild this sense.

A Year 6 teacher implemented “comfort corner cards”—simple index cards that outlined exactly what pupils could do and expect when using the classroom’s calming space. This predictability reduced anxiety about seeking support.

Choice: Trauma strips away agency. Offering controlled choices throughout the day helps rebuild a sense of empowerment. Rather than “Sit down now,” try “You can sit here or there—which would you prefer?”

Regulation opportunities: Children with trauma histories often have heightened stress responses. Building regular movement breaks, sensory activities, and regulation practices into the school day supports their nervous systems.

One school created “regulation stations” in each classroom—small areas with simple tools like stretchy bands, weighted cushions, and breathing visual aids. These normalised regulation as part of everyone’s daily needs.

Relationship repair: For children who have experienced relational trauma, conflict with adults can be terrifying. Explicit repair protocols after behavioural incidents rebuild trust and model healthy relationship patterns.

A secondary school developed a simple “repair sheet” with prompts like “What happened?” “What were you feeling?” “What do you need now?” This structured approach made repair conversations less threatening for both students and staff.

Neurodiversity-Affirming Support: Honouring Different Brains

Many challenging behaviours arise from a mismatch between neurological needs and environmental demands. For neurodivergent learners—including those with autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, and other neurological differences—traditional behaviour expectations can be invalidating and inaccessible.

A neurodiversity-affirming approach recognises that human brains naturally vary in how they process information, regulate attention, manage sensory input, and navigate social interactions. These differences aren’t deficits to “fix” but natural variations to accommodate.

Key principles of neurodiversity-affirming behaviour support include:

Sensory awareness: Many behavioural challenges stem from sensory discomfort. Understanding each child’s sensory profile helps identify environmental adjustments that prevent difficulties.

A reception teacher noticed a child became increasingly disruptive during carpet time. Rather than implementing a reward system, she offered a small wiggle cushion and positioning at the edge of the group. Disruptive behaviour virtually disappeared.

Flexible expectations: Rather than enforcing neurotypical norms, consider whether expectations serve genuine learning needs or merely conformity.

One school realised their insistence on eye contact during “listening” ignored the reality that many children process verbal information better while looking away. Changing this expectation reduced anxiety and improved actual listening.

Interest-based motivation: Neurodivergent learners often have intense, focused interests. Working with rather than against these interests transforms engagement.

A Year 3 teacher incorporated a pupil’s passion for trains into writing tasks. What had been a battleground became an opportunity for genuine progress when the content honoured the child’s intrinsic motivation.

Energy accounting: Neurodivergent pupils often expend extraordinary energy managing environments designed for neurotypical learners. Recognising this energy expenditure helps us understand why meltdowns or shutdowns occur.

A secondary SENCO implemented “energy passports”—simple documents that helped staff understand each pupil’s energy demands and restoration needs. This small tool dramatically reduced behavioural incidents during high-demand periods.

Balancing Approaches: When Traditional Methods Have Value

While we’ve highlighted limitations of behaviourist approaches, careful implementation of positive reinforcement can play a role in comprehensive support when:

1. It targets specific, achievable skills rather than general compliance
2. It accommodates neurological and developmental differences
3. It avoids creating shame or conditional acceptance
4. It forms part of a broader approach addressing underlying needs

For example, a visual reminder system showing progress toward a child’s personal goal (developed with their input) differs significantly from a public behaviour chart tracking compliance with classroom rules.

One school transformed their traditional reward system by focusing on “growth goals”—individualised targets based on each child’s starting point rather than standardised expectations. This maintained structure while honouring diversity.

In the next section, we’ll explore practical frameworks for assessing behaviour, implementing graduated support strategies, and creating systems that work for your setting.

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Beyond Behaviour Charts: Practical Strategies for Understanding and Supporting Challenging Behaviour

Practical Implementation for SENCOs

As a SENCO, you occupy a unique position to shift how your setting understands and responds to challenging behaviour. You bridge individual needs with whole-school approaches, translate complex concepts into practical strategies, and support staff while advocating for vulnerable pupils.

This section provides specific frameworks, tools, and implementation strategies designed for the realities of your role. None require expensive resources or impossible time commitments—just intentional shifts in practice.

From Theory to Practice: Assessment Frameworks That Work

Before developing support strategies, you need assessment approaches that reveal the true drivers of behaviour. Traditional ABC (Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence) analysis provides useful information but often misses crucial elements.

Beyond ABC: The STAR Approach

The STAR framework expands traditional ABC analysis to capture more nuanced information:

Settings: Environmental factors including time of day, lesson structure, noise levels, lighting, proximity to others, staff present.

Triggers: Immediate antecedents including demands, transitions, sensory changes, social interactions.

Actions: Detailed description of the behaviour itself without interpretive language.

Results: Both the consequences provided by adults and the impact for the pupil.

This simple expansion dramatically improves the quality of information gathered. A SENCO in Birmingham reports: “Moving from ABC to STAR revealed patterns we’d completely missed. We discovered a pupil was only displaying challenging behaviour in rooms with fluorescent lighting. One environmental change eliminated 80% of incidents.”

Create a simple STAR observation sheet for your setting. Train teaching assistants to complete these observations, focusing on objective descriptions rather than interpretations. Compile data across 2-3 weeks before drawing conclusions.

Functional Behaviour Assessment for SENCOs

While comprehensive Functional Behaviour Assessments (FBAs) typically require specialist training, you can implement modified versions that provide valuable insights.

Create a simple FBA toolkit for your setting containing:

1. A structured interview protocol for staff, asking:
   • When does the behaviour occur most/least frequently?
   • What specifically happens before/after?
   • What strategies have been tried and with what results?
   • When is the pupil most successful?
2. A pupil interview guide (age-appropriate) exploring:
   • Their perception of difficult situations
   • What helps them feel calm and regulated
   • What they find most challenging in the environment
   • Their own goals and motivations
3. A parent questionnaire covering:
   • Similar behaviours at home or differences in presentation
   • Effective strategies in other settings
   • Developmental or family context that might inform support
   • Historical patterns in behaviour
4. Environmental audit checklist examining:
   • Sensory elements (noise, light, temperature, crowding)
   • Predictability of routines and transitions
   • Communication demands and supports
   • Academic demands compared to current skills

Analyse this collective data to identify patterns. Most challenging behaviours serve one or more of these functions:

• Sensory regulation (seeking or avoiding sensory input)
• Escape/avoidance (of demands, environments, or interactions)
• Obtaining tangibles (preferred activities or items)
• Gaining attention or connection
• Expressing unmet needs (physical, emotional, cognitive)
• Communicating distress or overwhelm

A secondary SENCO describes this process: “We spent years assuming Jordan’s refusal to attend English was about avoiding work. Our FBA revealed he was actually avoiding the teacher’s particular tone of voice, which triggered memories of domestic abuse. This completely changed our support strategy.”

Stress Detective Work: The Iceberg Model

Train your staff to use the Iceberg Model—a visual framework showing that observable behaviour (above the waterline) is supported by hidden factors beneath the surface:

• Unmet needs (belonging, competence, autonomy)
• Lagging skills (executive function, emotional regulation, social understanding)
• Physical states (hunger, fatigue, illness, pain)
• Emotional states (anxiety, shame, confusion, fear)
• Cognitive factors (processing difficulties, rigid thinking, memory challenges)
• Identity factors (need to save face, protect self-concept)

Create a simple one-page “Stress Detective” form that prompts staff to consider these hidden factors when recording behavioural incidents. This builds capacity for more nuanced understanding throughout your setting.

Developing Effective Support Plans

Once you’ve gathered meaningful assessment data, you can create support plans that address underlying needs rather than just managing surface behaviours.

The Graduated Response for Behaviour Support

Adapt the familiar “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” cycle specifically for behaviour support:

Assess:

• Gather multi-perspective information (STAR, FBA elements)
• Identify behavioural functions and unmet needs
• Map strengths and protective factors as well as challenges
• Determine lagging skills that need development

Plan:

• Develop proactive strategies addressing environmental needs
• Design explicit teaching for lagging skills
• Create responsive strategies for dysregulation moments
• Establish clear communication systems between all adults

Do:

• Implement with fidelity across contexts
• Provide necessary resources and visual supports
• Train all relevant staff in specific techniques
• Ensure consistency while allowing developmental progression

Review:

• Establish meaningful success criteria beyond “behaviour stopped”
• Collect data on skill development, not just behaviour reduction
• Gather pupil and parent perspectives on impact
• Adjust based on evidence rather than assumptions

Create a simple template that staff can complete collaboratively, ensuring plans remain practical and focused.

The SUCCESS Framework for Behaviour Support Planning

Develop all behaviour support plans using the SUCCESS framework:

Specific: Target precise behaviours and skills rather than general improvements

Understanding-based: Ground strategies in assessment insights

Consistent: Ensure all adults respond similarly across contexts

Collaborative: Include pupil voice and parent perspectives

Environmental: Address setting factors, not just individual behaviour

Skills-focused: Build capabilities rather than just control actions

Sustainable: Design approaches that staff can realistically maintain

One primary SENCO created a simple two-page SUCCESS plan template that transformed how her school approached behaviour support. “The format forced us to think beyond quick fixes. The sustainability question particularly helped us avoid elaborate systems we couldn’t maintain.”

Practical Classroom Strategies for Different Needs

As SENCO, you need a toolkit of evidence-informed strategies to recommend for different presenting needs. Here are approaches organised by common underlying factors:

For Sensory-Driven Behaviours

Children with sensory processing differences often exhibit behaviours that help them regulate overwhelming input or seek needed stimulation.

Proactive strategies:

• Create designated “sensory zones” in classrooms with different sensory properties
• Develop individual sensory profiles identifying needs and preferences
• Schedule sensory breaks before challenging periods
• Modify environments to reduce sensory triggers (noise-cancelling headphones, desk screens, seating position adjustments)

Skill development:

• Teach pupils to recognise their own sensory state using visual scales
• Build a personal “sensory toolkit” with pupil input
• Practice sensory regulation strategies explicitly
• Develop communication systems for requesting sensory breaks

A SENCO in Cardiff implemented “sensory passports”—small laminated cards pupils could show to request agreed accommodations without explanation. “This eliminated power struggles around sensory needs. The cards gave pupils autonomy while maintaining classroom order.”

For Anxiety-Driven Behaviours

Anxiety frequently drives avoidance, resistance, shutdowns and emotional outbursts. These approaches support pupils whose behaviour stems from anxiety:

Proactive strategies:

• Create visual schedules providing predictability
• Establish safe spaces pupils can access independently
• Use “emotional thermometers” for early identification of escalating anxiety
• Implement worry check-ins at key transition points

Skill development:

• Teach concrete anxiety management techniques (box breathing, grounding exercises)
• Practice graduated exposure to challenging situations
• Develop personalised anxiety scripts that name and normalise feelings
• Build problem-solving frameworks for anxiety-producing situations

One SENCO developed “anxiety action plans” with pupils, identifying specific triggers and graduated support strategies. “The collaborative approach itself reduced anxiety—pupils felt more control knowing there was a plan their teachers understood.”

For Executive Function Challenges

Executive function difficulties impact organisation, emotional regulation, time management, and behavioural inhibition. These approaches support pupils struggling with these skills:

Proactive strategies:

• Break complex tasks into explicit steps with visual guides
• Create consistent routines with transition warnings
• Use timers and visual countdowns for temporal understanding
• Provide organisational scaffolds (checklists, templates)

Skill development:

• Teach explicit planning strategies using visual frameworks
• Practice emotional vocabulary and recognition
• Develop personalised calming routines through guided practice
• Build metacognitive awareness through reflection conversations

A secondary SENCO created an “executive function toolkit” for each department—a collection of templates, visual supports, and task breakdowns teachers could quickly access. “Having these ready-made resources removed barriers to implementation.”

For Attachment and Relational Needs

Children with disrupted attachment experiences often display behaviours that test relationships or reflect their internal working models. These approaches support relationally-driven behaviours:

Proactive strategies:

• Establish key adult systems with dedicated connection time
• Create visual relationship reminders (photos, objects)
• Develop consistent arrival routines that reinforce belonging
• Implement “check in, check out” systems for emotional monitoring

Skill development:

• Teach explicit relational scripts for common interactions
• Practice repair sequences following relational ruptures
• Build trust through predictable responses to distress
• Develop graduated independence through supported steps

One SENCO implemented “relationship plans” focusing exclusively on connection before addressing behaviour. “We stopped asking ‘what consequence’ and started asking ‘what connection.’ The shift transformed our most challenging relationships.”

Implementation: Making It Work in Your Setting

As SENCO, you need strategies for effective implementation across your setting.

Build Staff Capacity Through Microlearning

Traditional staff training often fails to change practice. Instead:

1. Create 10-minute microlearning sessions delivered during existing meetings
2. Focus each session on one specific strategy with immediate application
3. Provide visual reminders and implementation checklists
4. Follow up with brief coaching conversations
5. Celebrate and share successful implementation

A primary SENCO developed a “Strategy of the Week” approach: “One strategy, thoroughly embedded, beats ten strategies superficially understood. Our staff developed genuine confidence because they mastered techniques incrementally.”

Develop a Tiered Behaviour Support System

Create a clear framework showing graduated levels of support:

Universal (all pupils):

• Predictable routines and visual supports
• Regular regulation opportunities throughout the day
• Clear communication of expectations
• Relationship-building practices
• Sensory-aware classroom design

Targeted (some pupils):

• Individual regulation plans
• Skill-building programmes in small groups
• Environmental modifications
• Regular check-ins with key adults
• Modified expectations in specific areas

Specialist (few pupils):

• Comprehensive individual behaviour support plans
• Multi-agency involvement
• One-to-one teaching of lagging skills
• Therapeutic approaches
• Significant environmental adaptations

Document this framework clearly and reference it in all behaviour discussions. This helps staff understand the appropriate level of response and prevents both under and over-reaction to behaviour concerns.

Create Documentation That Drives Action

As SENCO, you create systems that either help or hinder effective practice. Design documentation that:

• Focuses on function over form
• Prompts meaningful reflection
• Limits redundant information
• Integrates with existing systems
• Directly informs next steps

One SENCO revised her school’s behaviour incident form, replacing “What rule was broken?” with “What need was being expressed?” This simple change shifted staff thinking without additional training.

Build a Resource Library for Quick Access

Create a digital and physical library of resources including:

• Visual support templates that staff can quickly customise
• Ready-made sensory tools with usage guides
• Scripts for common challenging situations
• Regulation strategy cards pupils can use independently
• Assessment templates and observational tools

Make these accessible in both digital and physical formats. One SENCO created “Behaviour Support Boxes” for each year group containing laminated resources, sensory tools, and quick reference guides.

Measuring Impact Beyond Behaviour Reduction

As SENCO, you need to demonstrate impact. Look beyond simplistic behaviour reduction metrics to measure:

Skill Development Indicators

Track development of specific skills including:

• Self-regulation (duration before requiring support)
• Communication (use of taught strategies)
• Problem-solving (application of frameworks)
• Self-awareness (accuracy of self-assessment)

Create simple progress trackers showing skill acquisition over time rather than just behaviour frequency.

Environmental Success Metrics

Measure improvements in:

• Percentage of classroom time accessing learning
• Independence in managing challenging situations
• Variety of environments successfully accessed
• Duration of engagement in previously difficult activities

A SENCO developed an “environmental access map” tracking where and when pupils could successfully participate—a more meaningful measure than behaviour incident counts.

Relational Health Indicators

Monitor changes in:

• Trust-seeking behaviours (approaching adults for help)
• Recovery time following incidents
• Quality of peer relationships
• Pupil-reported feelings of safety and belonging

Use simple relationship scaling to track these changes over time.

Pupil Voice Measures

Develop age-appropriate ways to gather pupil perspectives on:

• Effectiveness of support strategies
• Self-perceived progress
• Sense of agency and understanding
• Experience of the school environment

One SENCO created “emoji feedback” systems where even non-verbal pupils could indicate how strategies worked for them.

Final Thoughts: Sustainable Change Over Quick Fixes

As SENCO, you face constant pressure to produce quick results. Resist the temptation of fast but shallow approaches. The strategies outlined here require initial investment but create lasting change because they address root causes rather than symptoms.

Begin with one element—perhaps improving your assessment process or developing a regulation approach for one year group. Document impact carefully, build success stories, and expand gradually. Small, sustainable shifts in understanding behaviour will ultimately transform your setting more effectively than sweeping initiatives that fade when challenges arise.

Remember: Every challenging behaviour expresses an unmet need or lagging skill. When we respond to the need rather than react to the behaviour, we create environments where all pupils can thrive—not just those who easily meet traditional expectations.

Your role as SENCO uniquely positions you to lead this transformative work. The children whose behaviour communicates their struggles most loudly are often those who need you most.