Meeting Students Where They Are: Ms. Tiffany on Regulation, Routine, and Student Advocacy

From the very first day the doors opened, Ms. Tiffany has been a steady, compassionate presence at the High Road School of Wright City. A veteran educator with deep expertise in autism spectrum disorders and mental health supports, she brings both experience and heart to her work with every individual. 

Known for her keen ability to read students’ needs and her commitment to proactive, student-centered intervention, Ms. Tiffany approaches each day with flexibility, creativity, and purpose. In this interview, she shares powerful insights into recognizing early signs of dysregulation, balancing Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals with sensory and emotional needs, fostering independence through routine, and building strong, consistent teams around students. This has led to the ultimate goal of assisting students grow into confident self-advocates, as well as staff members. 

An Educator’s Perspective on Regulation, Routine, and Student Advocacy

Casey: What early signs tell you a student is becoming dysregulated, and what interventions do you use before it escalates? 

Tiffany: Many students have a visual change in their nonverbal communication such as their body language. This can look different from student to student. Some students may fidget or engage in self stimulation type behaviors. Some students may disengage or shut down completely. A student can also begin to show signs of dysregulation verbally. Tone and volume are big indicators of dysregulation. These signs are prevalent no matter what student you work with. It is important to know our students and watch for changes in their baseline daily behavior. 

Intervention is always going to be student specific. Breaks are a great way to intervene before a behavior escalates. Giving students a chance to communicate why they are upset. Some students do not have the ability to tell you what they need but a change of 

pace or environment can be helpful for them. We do not always have to wait for a student to ask for a break. We can suggest they “take a walk with me” or “help me with something” if they struggle to use breaks for their intended purpose. With our nonverbal population, we must become master detectives to help our students figure out what they need. Ultimately, no matter what student we are working with, the goal is for the student to be able to self-advocate and use the coping skills that we are teaching them to use, when they start to feel dysregulated. 

Casey: How do you balance meeting IEP goals with honoring a student’s sensory and emotional needs on harder days? 

Tiffany: Every moment in our day is an opportunity to learn. Our teaching of curriculum or goal work should always have a sensory component throughout the day. Are we working on spelling CVC words? Let’s break out the shaving cream. Are we rote counting? Let’s jump and count. Let’s crumple paper balls and count them. Is our goal to accept “wait”? Let’s swing…stop…wait. The same goes for those emotional needs. Let’s talk or write about our feelings. Let’s identify the feelings of others. It’s all about remembering that all kids learn best when they are having fun. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. 

Casey: Which classroom routines or structures have made the biggest difference for student independence over time? 

Tiffany: All structured routines are important to learning to be independent. But never make your routines too rigid. Allowing flexibility in the routines helps decrease challenging behaviors and increase the generalization of skillsets. Setting clear expectations, helping the students meet those expectations, and being their biggest cheerleader will always build independence in our students. 

Casey: What’s one strategy you tried early in your career that didn’t work, and what did you change? 

Tiffany: Very early in my career, I thought I had to control everything. I learned very quickly that that was impossible. It would lead to many power struggles with students. Many times, we get it stuck in our head that there is only a right way and a wrong way to teach and deal with challenging behaviors. This is a huge fallacy in thinking. I became flexible in routines and ideas. I tried different interventions as long as I knew that they would not reinforce whatever challenging behavior I was teaching the student to manage. I found myself less stressed and more capable of maintaining my “solid object” to better support my students and team. 

Casey: How do you collaborate with assistants and related-service staff so everyone stays consistent with behavior and communication support? 

Tiffany: Collaboration is key to making any team work effectively. Everyone needs to “buy in” on how to best support our students. We need consistent expectations and interventions. Sometimes learning “why” we are intervening the way we are is helpful. As a team, keeping each other accountable is just as important as keeping the students accountable. Having open dialogue with everyone who supports the student, giving in-the-moment feedback, and not taking feedback as a negative event is how we can be successful. In short, have those conversations.