"To The Bus!"
Beginning with Small Sequential Behavioral Expectations
Green (2003) © "Red and Green Choices"  www.redandgreenchoices.com
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Possible Small Sequential Steps	Student Motivation (Ideas)	Adult Actions & Reactions
Take 5 Steps Toward the Bus	-walk on green footsteps -set up green cards with a picture of the bus on them, in green - at every 1 step interval to have the student collect/pick up the cards -set up green buckets throughout the walk, have the student drop a green card into each bucket along the way -walk with a peer	Reinforce the Green Behavior: -verbal praise -holding up green smiley face cards -mentioning how green the behavior is -mentioning how proud and happy mom/dad will be Reminder of the End Product / Result: click then print
Take 10 Steps then Sit/Take a Break (may sound funny, but think about the end result, is it worth it? - you'll be surprised when the student refuses to sit)	-set up sequential places for the student to take a "break" -allow the student to sit in designated areas set up by you, you may not be able to stop the red behavior, but you can determine where it will occur, make it your expectations -start early, begin the walking to the bus sequence 30 minutes before the bus comes, giving you enough time to be on time
Take More Steps/ Walk to The Bus	-make a maze for the student to walk through or on -have the student pick up smiley face cards along the way	click then print

Possible Small Sequential Steps	Ideas: Practice the Targeted Behavior in the Non-Targeted Area	Printable Supportive Picture Charts
Practice in Familiar Territory - Like the Classroom (Designated Area)	-try learning this behavior in a different but predictable environment, under different circumstances -begin in the classroom, walking short distances from the doorway to the student desk - simplify, simplify! -reinforce the behavior here, before expecting it to occur outside on the way to the bus	click then print
Practice in a Larger, Yet Still Familiar Areas Like The Hallways Around the Classroom or Locker Areas	-take small walks around the school (Practice your expectations when the student is walking around with you. I often take new students, at first 1:1 throughout the school hallways, to the office and so on. And I tell the adults, we are practicing walking. They've seen it so many times that they understand. ) yes, the student will most likely flop - but would you rather practice it throughout the school day 1:1 when you're ready and have no time restraints (like bus departure)? Or, everyday at bus time. The student needs to learn this new expectation, with you. -think about your reactions - if you display any agitated or stressed emotions while trying to get the child to walk to the bus, the child will pick up on your emotions -instead, walk around the school and practice when you are the calmest, and have ample amounts of time to develop this skill You could use these cards for the walk to the bus, after successful steps throughout the hallways with you.
Practice More promote student involvement and behavioral reasoning skills - before the situation occurs	-cut out the walk/stop picture cards to sort everyday - put them on red or green construction paper, or red and green baskets, and so on -cut out the little picture cards to give the student when displaying the behaviors throughout familiar territories, before expected to display it in the targeted area -talk about the situation before the demands of the situation are present -the student becomes very aware that you are paying attention to ALL of their behaviors -ask the student all day long; red stop or green go? -involve the student: have the student draw their own picture, or circle the green picture and "x" the red picture, or what they can do, even if it's pointing to red or green	click then print

Responsibility; A Purpose	Ideas	Printable Supportive Picture Charts
Deliver a Note maybe the student needs to focus on a specific meaningful task	-give a green picture (note) to the bus driver -hold a green picture of walking to the bus to give to mom -I often use this with students, example: if they flop everyday with the aide when the whistle blows at "line-up time" from recess, then I give the aide my "important" paper to deliver to me - they love it! it becomes important to them, and I make it important when I receive the paper	click then print
Receive a Favorite Item	-have the student hold a green smiley card, and exchange it with an adult (or bus driver) for a favorite item (a book, or something) when he gets to the bus	click then print
Get a Picture of Mom from the Bus Driver	-take a digital photo of mom/dad smiling with a green picture or marker -request the student go get the picture of mom/dad -mom/dad is often a natural reinforcer, that I've used many times to help my students display appropriate behaviors at school -the student may see this as a relief and predictable end to each day -then he could give the picture to his mom/dad when he gets off the bus	click then print

The End Product / Result:	Printable Supportive Picture Chart
Walking to the Bus	click then print
Once the behavior is learned, and a clear expectation with two clear red and green choices, then introduce a high response student item to continually promote the green behavior. "Children must learn it, before they do it." Eventually the student will just display it without the intensive red and green choices approaches. He will do it based on your reaction, and be very proud of himself! Promote student responsibility. Allow the student to take charge of their own behaviors. Remember; why will the student display the appropriate green behavior? There are many different ways that children like to learn new behaviors, but the techniques are basically the same. Start small.  Find something that motivates them. Each student is so different in what motivates them, but eventually your red and green markers will be the primary motivator - because they know what it means. Many students do display similar behaviors. When I'm told I'm getting a new (young) student with autism, I can almost guarantee that student will scream a good part of the day, and try to run away. It's happened to me so many times. So now I know what to do, and how to teach new behavioral reasoning skills through red and green choices clear and exact expectations with immediate red or green responses to any and all behaviors.

Additional Supports: Sensory Therapies or Calming Approaches	Printable Supportive Picture Chart
Does the student need calming approaches to assist with developing this new or previously maladaptively learned behavior? Consult with your Occupational Therapist (OT) at your school, they have an abundance of ideas to incorporate their self-regulating, sensory or calming techniques with red and green choices. Never be afraid to ask others for help! They will most likely provide you with many materials, too.	click then print
The student may see the "to the bus" as a chaotic situation with unpredictable circumstances. It may be too loud or overwhelming to travel outside with all of the other children and commotion that happens at the end of the school day.
What calms the student during the school day? Does he like the headphones, weighted vest, vibrating tube, 'chewies', or a special sensory ball to hold? (all pictured) Use what you already know to promote calmness when walking to the bus.

Red and green choices become a very strong, intensive and meaningful relationship between you and your students. Most children begin to really enjoy and thrive with their red and green choices, because it provides predictability and structure to their environment while making the adults around them proud and happy. Then they quickly decide they do not like the red consequences to their red behavioral choices. Red becomes a very disliked stimulus - even you just holding up your red marker - after they've learned appropriate replacement or alternative behaviors.

The red and green choices pictures are very powerful tools in promoting exact understanding of behavioral expectations.

The ideas behind red and green choices include meeting and exceeding the needs of students, staff and parents. This means your needs are met, too.

Green (2003) © "Red and Green Choices"  www.redandgreenchoices.com
 

The Material Presented from "Red and Green Choices", Is Based Upon Irene's Own Behavioral Intervention Strategies, and What Types of Behavioral
and Academic Assistance Has Promoted Positive Outcomes With Her and Her Students When Applying Red and Green Choices Behavioral Principles