1. Understanding your reactions in a crisis situation
The Crisis Cycle
Understanding your reactions in a crisis situation

2. What is a crisis? A time of great difficulty or danger
Can happen anywhere– at school, at home, in public, etc.
Spectrum Academy’s Crisis Definition
Continuous aggression (violence towards others)
Continuous self-injury (violence towards self)
Continuous high-magnitude disruption (actions that make the classroom unsafe and a place where others cannot learn)
5 minutes

3. Continuous Aggression
Continuous = happening again and again in one time period
Aggression Examples:
Hitting, kicking, biting, or pinching another student
Hitting, kicking, biting, or pinching a staff member
Holding someone down against their will
2 minutes

4. Do these fit the definition of “crisis”?
1. (stop at 30 seconds) 2.
3. (stop at 20 seconds)
Continuous, but not aggression
Aggression, but not continuous
Yes! Continuous aggression
8 minutes

5. Continuous Self-Injury
Continuous = happening again and again in one time period
Self-Injury Examples:
Biting yourself
Hitting your head
Hurting yourself in another way
Putting yourself in a dangerous situation
2 minutes
Discuss: Why is this a crisis? Why would people want to help you?

6. Continuous High-Magnitude Disruption
Continuous = happening again and again in one time period
High-Magnitude = really, really intense
Disruption Examples:
Taking classroom objects and swiping or throwing them
Screaming inappropriate words
Smashing a computer
Making threats
2 minutes

7. When is this high-magnitude disruption?
1. (stop at 50 seconds)
2. (stop at 48 seconds)
10 minutes
For each clip, identify when it reaches the level of HMD, if ever
Discuss: Why is high-magnitude disruption a crisis? How can this affect your relationship with your teachers? With your classmates?

8. The Crisis Cycle
The Crisis Cycle describes the physical and emotional changes we go through when becoming upset, having a crisis, and calming down.
By understanding the Crisis Cycle, we can understand:
How to prevent reaching the level of crisis
How others will react to us during a crisis
How to recover from a crisis
2 minutes

9. The Crisis Cycle Crisis De-Escalating Escalating Stable and Calm
1 minute
Stable and Calm
Stable and Calm

10. How is this like the Zones?
You can use your regulation strategies to de-escalate and (potentially) avoid a crisis!
When you are stable and calm, you are in green
When you are escalated, you are in yellow
When you are in crisis, you are in red
As you calm down, you go back to yellow, then back to green
2 minutes

11. The Crisis Cycle + Zones of Regulation
Crisis- Red
Escalating- Yellow
De-Escalating- Yellow
1 minute
Stable and Calm- Green
Stable and Calm- Green

12. Stable and Calm On-task behavior Reasonable thinking
Looks like/sounds like
Strategies to stay stable and calm
On-task behavior
Reasonable thinking
Feelings are appropriate to the situation
Relaxed body
Ask for clarification on confusing instructions
Think before you act
Do at first request
Show respect to all
Have a listening body
3 minutes

13. Strategies to return to stable and calm
Escalation
Looks like/sounds like
Strategies to return to stable and calm
Off-task behavior
Unreasonable thoughts
Feelings don’t match the situation
Body feels extra alert
Take a break
Challenge unreasonable thoughts
Deep breaths
Draw or color
Ask for help
Move to a safe place, with permission
3 minutes

14. Crisis Ask for what you need to calm down (silence, space, or help)
Looks like/Sounds Like
Strategies to De-Escalate
Continuous aggression, self-injury, or high-magnitude disruption
Irrational thoughts
Feelings don’t match the situation
Tense, stressed, and ready body
Making poor choices you normally wouldn’t make
Unpredictable behavior from self and others
Ask for what you need to calm down (silence, space, or help)
Take deep breaths
Use coping strategies that you know work for you (break, sensory, drawing/journaling)
Stay in a safe area
3 minutes

15. Strategies to use during
De-Escalation
Looks like/Sounds like
Strategies to use during
de-escalation
Body is becoming calmer but might still feel stressed
You can talk more clearly and calmly
Thoughts are becoming more rational
You begin to feel “normal” again
Communicate if you still need time to cool down
Ask for help
Drink water
Challenge irrational thoughts
Begin to think about the situation
3 minutes
15 minutes- Hand out the Crisis Cycle and You Labeling Chart and have students label what they look like/sound like during each stage. After, discuss their favorite ways to stay in green.

16. Your Body During a Crisis
Your body reacts physically during a crisis. These reactions can include:
Raised heart rate
Body aches
Feeling sick/feeling hungry
Sweating
Shaking
2 minutes

17. Responding to a Crisis: Others
As friends/classmates, sometimes we can help during a crisis and sometimes we should not.
Stable/Calm: Help each other stay calm by being respectful and kind.
Escalating: Help a friend if they ask (like giving them a pencil to journal or giving them personal space). Don’t point out someone else’s escalation.
Crisis: Give friends space (no talking, touching, or following) during a crisis. Let adults help.
De-escalation: Help a friend if they ask. Be respectful and kind.
Adults respond to help students stay safe in a crisis.
If you are in crisis, expect someone to come help you.
If someone else is in a crisis, follow the directions of all adults immediately to stay safe.
5 minutes

18. Responding to a Crisis: You
After you go through the crisis cycle, you might feel:
Embarrassed
Still angry
Nervous
Confused
1 minute

19. Responding to a Crisis: You
You should…
Process (talk about) the crisis with a trusted adult.
Apologize if needed (in a note or in person).
Accept consequences appropriately.
Make strategies for de-escalation if something similar happens again.
Then, restart! We make mistakes in life and learn from every experience. Your teachers and parents love you and want you to succeed. You are always welcome back.
3 minutes

20. Preventing a Crisis
We want to work to prevent a crisis from happening.
This week, we will talk about strategies that will help us prevent a crisis.
Preventing crises is crucial!
It can help you maintain friendships and other relationships
It will help you avoid legal trouble now and when you are an adult- hurting others/destroying the stuff of others is against the law!
It will help you be more successful at school and keep a future job
3 minutes

21. So Basically…
Crises happen, and are serious, but they aren’t the end of the world
We can react appropriately when others are in crisis
We can try to prevent crises/de-escalate by using strategies that work for us
2 minutes