During a behavioral crisis, the individual is having intense difficulty or trouble. Simply put, they are having a hard time. Decisions must be made, not just regarding what to do RIGHT NOW, but in the future, in case this happens again. Which, without the proper supports in place, the crisis event is highly likely to happen again.

Truly individualized and effective de-escalation tools are best understood as the means by which an individual in a crisis state can:

1. Identify they are approaching a crisis state

2. Select a de-escalation method

3. Implement the method

4. Evaluate how well the method worked once they are calm again.

If you are working with clients where you are regularly responding to crisis events or working with clients with a known history of crisis events, you should be following the policies of the physical management training you received. If you have not received any physical management training, then you should not be working with those clients. It is dangerous for you, and dangerous for them.

If a client goes into crisis and there is no crisis plan, try to redirect them to a safe space and give them all the space they need.  Do not put any demands on them.  Call the BCBA immediately as soon as the learner is in a calm state. If you are working with these kinds of clients on a regular basis, make sure you have the proper training and if you don’t, ask for it!