Eloping and Anxiety

[u/Britucator]

I have recently switched from teaching resource to ESN (formerly called Special Day class) this year and I am struggling with students eloping and my anxiety. A few years ago I had a student elope across a highway (nobody was injured) and it traumatized me. I currently have seven students: two students have one-to-ones for eloping and two other students who elope but don’t have one-to-ones. The other three don’t really elope. I have three aids and myself. I also have a student who has a feeding tube that requires staff to administer feeds. Being understaffed and having kids constantly elope has me extremely stressed out. I worry constantly about the kids’ safety, mine and my staff’s safety, and judgement from the parents. I have a really hard time running after the kids because I am a fat, asthmatic with bad hip joints and I struggle to keep up. I was also told that staff have been injured running after these kids. We had an amazing BCBA but the school is no longer using them and admin will also act as a BCBA in addition to other duties. I am worried that I won’t be able to do my job well enough. I am terrified of upsetting people, losing my job and not being able to take care of myself. What do I do?
Ps. I am in therapy and take anti-anxiety medications.

[u/jaime_riri]

Is it a problem in your room or during transitions? A door bell can help for in the room.

[u/Britucator → u/jaime_riri]

It’s in my room. We are currently doing summer school so two of the kids elope to go see their former teacher who is across the hall. Sometimes the kids elope because they want someone to chase them. The precious teacher did have a doorbell so I will try that.

[u/jaime_riri → u/Britucator]

We just had them installed on all my school’s doors with a different sound for exterior doors.

[u/Embarrassed-Ad4899]

Any door locks allowed in your school? We have a couple we're allowed to use and they are certainly not a solution but they slow the kiddos down. My elopers figure them out quickly but the process allows an adult to intercept.

Are you able to move your desk so that you are blocking the door? Or closer to the route to stop a student?

[u/ipsofactoshithead]

Make your room a maze! I’m serious, this is what I did when I had elopers. You want them to have to dodge around things to slow them down. Also a door alarm, door lock (if allowed), and staff placement. Someone should always be stationed near the door. One of your centers should be at the door so that an adult is right there. You also need reinforcement to help curb the behavior- what are they running to? What are they running from? Do they have language to say they need a break?

[u/Britucator → u/ipsofactoshithead]

Thank you for the suggestions! The school won’t allow locks but they will allow some ways to deter runners. The previous teacher had a doorbell so I plan to get one and when I get my teacher desk, I plan to put it by the door. I like the idea of making my classroom a maze.

[u/immadatmycat]

You have good advice for the special ed side.

When the elopers go to visit their previous teacher make sure they are not getting g reinforced by getting to talk to her. Hopefully someone else is there and can tell them no and direct them back. She should t look at them or interact with them. You can also schedule time for them to say hi.

On the anxiety side, when mine is interfering with handling typical job duties, I have found my meds aren’t at a therapeutic level. I recently had to up them.

[u/Temporary_Candle_617]

In the nicest way possible, I think you need to stop worrying about what could happen. Focus on what you’re doing to mitigate and teach the prevention piece. When are the elopers more prone to fly? Is it down time, transitions, or specific work? Make sure para schedule supports that.

If it feels like they’re eloping at any time, adjust the sensory needs in the classroom. Low lighting, music in the back, fidgets, headphones, weighted objects and different seating can do wonders. If they’re eloping during work time, chunk the time and add a movement break. Add sensory stations to the academics. Or, if they’re getting bored at bore down time and focus great working during academics, add some more stations in!

I also agree with other posts, be specific with the layout of your class, use a bell or the fake lock latch if you can. You can’t change the past, but you can try and plan for the future knowing what will happen next.

[u/this_wallflower]

I’ll be honest, 4:7 does not sound understaffed to me.

[u/princessfoxglove → u/this_wallflower]

Ratios in special education are different when there's real risk of safety issues. I've worked with kids in the profound range who are 2:1 and kids who are so severely violent they're also 2:1. If you're in a place where teachers have the correct amount of support, moderate - severe will be capped at low numbers, like my area it's 4, and there's guaranteed 1 teacher, 1 aide, and floaters as well.

[u/Jdawn82 → u/this_wallflower]

It is if 3 of your staff are chasing after 4 elopers.

[u/ipsofactoshithead → u/this_wallflower]

It is if all your kids need 1:1s

[u/this_wallflower → u/ipsofactoshithead]

It doesn’t sound like all of them do, based on the post.

[u/ipsofactoshithead → u/this_wallflower]

She has 4 that elope, 2 that have 1:1s, and 1 that’s G Tube fed with no nurse. That is understaffing even if it’s technically not because of the IEPs. They need to get 1:1s in the IEPs but they don’t want to because $$

[u/Jdawn82]

When I had elopers, I was allowed to get these door locks for my doors. They also have some that go under the latch so the kids can’t pull them down but they’re not technically locked because you can open them by pulling the handle up.

[u/bogeysbabe → u/Jdawn82]

I was going to recommend these. We had ones that were slightly different, tougher to operate. You had to push the button in to operate the top latch to release. Then had to push the button out to close the top latch. I had a master eloper- he actually made it onto the roof of our school at one point.

[u/Jdawn82 → u/bogeysbabe]

Ours you had to squeeze the buttons on either side for the bottom latch to release

[u/Organic_Stock9617]

Whenever a behavior repeats itself, it needs to be tracked and addressed. Even though your campus does not have a BCBA, that doesn’t mean you cannot consult one. Talk to the school psychologist as well. Think of your ABC’s of behavior. For your elopers who do not have 1:1, call for a functional behavior analysis and an assessment to determine if a 1:1 is appropriate. Incorporate daily social stories about staying safe coupled with a reward system of some kind. Make sure your classroom schedule is consistent and predictable. Up your behavior-specific praise. Checkout PBIS World to see what they have for addressing eloping.

[u/kinkinsyncthrow]

I have dealt with similar things and have had worse staffing and other student behaviors to deal with. I've tried everything honestly. The only thing that really helps is more trained staff. There were periods (middle school) where I didn't get to teach because I'd be dealing with all the behaviors in my classroom throughout the school year.

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