3.1 Background
All students possess unique sensory and self-regulatory strengths and needs. For some students, these are impacted by contextual factors such as the sensory environment, their physical and/or emotional well-being, and their support needs in that moment. Multi-Modal Rooms offer students who benefit from scheduled access to an alternative space and/or are beginning to experience an escalated state of arousal the opportunity to practice proactive self-regulation. They provide a private and safe place where a student can self-regulate without needing to mask while accessing, staff supervision and support if needed. It is imperative thatmulti-modal rooms should not be used to react to escalated, unsafe behaviour, or for discipline and/or exclusion.
3.2 Classroom and Environmental Prerequisites
Please see Fidelity Checklist, Appendix A.
3.2.1 For the Multi-Modal Room to be an effective accommodation, there are several prerequisites that must be in place in the student’s environment. The environment in the classroom must be structured to be inclusive and conducive to meeting the student’s needs, as appropriate to their skill levels. Individualized strategies for enhancing self-regulation should already be available within the learning environment. Self-regulation strategies should be emphasized to promote the learning skills of all students, but particularly those students who benefit from the accommodation of a Multi-Modal Room.
3.2.2 If a student presents as benefitting from accommodations that promote self-regulation, regardless of their diagnostic profile (if any), then evidence-based strategies must be implemented in the classroom. Students who require a Multi-Modal Room should have an assessment of their needs (such as a Functional Behaviour Assessment) and a Student Support Plan developed. Using the information gained from the needs assessment, the prevention and early intervention strategies identified in the Student Support Plan should also be outlined in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP), where one exists. Examples of strategies include (though are not limited to): access to devices such as noise-cancelling headphones that mitigate against sensory overwhelm, visual schedules; work systems; scheduled breaks; uncluttered classroom environment; use of learning and
self-regulatory materials that motivate the student, and structured activities. Some students could benefit from use of specific down-regulation equipment or other items in the space (e.g, ones that have cultural/spiritual significance, such as for students who are Indigenous who may benefit from having ceremonial or identity-affirming objects). As well, some students who are showing signs of distress may benefit from the use of an Escalation Continuum or specific calming plan (see Appendix A for samples), which operationalizes the observable behaviours into Levels which correspond to specific intervention strategies, including the potential use of a Multi-Modal Room.
3.2.3 Behaviour Skills Training involves teaching students how to self-monitor their sensory, emotional, and behavioural arousal so that they become aware of when they may need to use the Multi-Modal Room (i.e., when they are feeling early signs of frustration or anxiety that could lead to distress). The goal of such teaching would be to increase the student’s independence in using the Multi-Modal Room. Depending on the learning needs of the student, planning should include specifically teaching students to identify their triggers and physical responses to these triggers. Direct teaching, modelling, and positive reinforcement of self-regulation skills should occur and be practiced, including the timely use of the Multi-Modal Room, if the student is amenable to using it.
3.3 Multi-Modal Room Environment
3.3.1 When it is decided that a student requires the use of a Multi-Modal Room, the school Principal will contact the System Lead for Inclusive Student Services and Facilities Services to make arrangements for the refitting of a room, if one is not already available. A room may not be used for this purpose, even on a temporary basis, without the approval of both the Inclusive Student Services System Lead and Facilities Services for the safety of both students and staff.
If possible, the physical location of a Multi-Modal Room should be on the same floor as the student’s classroom to provide ease of access for students and staff. The Multi-Modal Room can be painted in a neutral colour, with minimal visual distractions. Ideally, the location of a Multi-Modal Room should be where sounds may be diffused (e.g., the sound in the room does not affect nearby classrooms and vice versa). There should be no intercom system within the room to avoid unpredictable auditory input; staff should have two-way radios to communicate.
The door to the Multi-Modal Room should be equipped with a window, made of an unbreakable material, with a complete view of the entire room. If full visibility of the room cannot be achieved, a shatterproof mirror will be provided to ensure complete visibility of the student. The room will have good ventilation. Electrical receptacles should be tamper-proof and located high on the wall for safety. Low receptacles may be provided if required for specific equipment and student needs and may be equipped with safety covers if required. Depending on the needs of the student(s), light switches for the room may be located outside of the room or be operated by a key switch.
3.3.2 Activities to promote self-regulation for the student should be available in the Multi-Modal Room for use, or should be accessible for students to bring in with them. These activities need to be individualized and developed in consultation with the Inclusive Student Services Team, Occupational Therapist, and/or specialized teams (ART, START).
3.4 Use of the Multi-Modal Room
3.4.1 Although Multi-Modal Rooms can be accessed by any student in a school, they are purpose-designed for students who benefit from an alternative space to self-regulate and practice strategies to promote return to the classroom environment. . The Multi-Modal Room should be used as a prevention and early intervention strategy and not as a crisis response strategy, and never as a discipline response or exclusion. First, as part of planning for a response to student needs for self-regulatory strategies, staff should be current in their BMS certification. Second, staff should be clear about when to use a Multi-Modal Room as part of a prevention or early intervention strategy. Use of an Escalation Continuum (Appendix B) is recommended to ensure a clear delineation of observable behaviours that can be identified by staff and/or the student to indicate a need for the Multi-Modal Room as well as when a transition away from the room is appropriate.
Although Multi-Modal Rooms can be accessed by any student in a school, they are purpose-designed for students who benefit from an alternative space to self-regulate and practice strategies to promote return to the classroom environment. . The Multi-Modal Room should be used as a prevention and early intervention strategy and not as a crisis response strategy, and never as a discipline response or exclusion. First, as part of planning for a response to student needs for self-regulatory strategies, staff
should be current in their BMS certification. Second, staff should be clear about when to use a Multi-Modal Room as part of a prevention or early intervention strategy. Use of an Escalation Continuum (Appendix B) is recommended to ensure a clear delineation of observable behaviours that can be identified by staff and/or the student to indicate a need for the Multi-Modal Room as well as when a transition away from the room is appropriate.
3.4.2 There must be direct adult supervision at all times for students who are using the Multi-Modal Room. Direct supervision must be maintained by staff, either inside or outside the Multi-Modal Room. The door of the Multi-Modal Room can either be closed or opened but must never be locked or held shut.
3.4.3 Under no circumstances should a student be physically moved by staff to a Multi-Modal Room. If a student is in crisis and, thus, is unable to move independently to the Multi-Modal Room, staff should evacuate the other students in the environment and give the student space. This is consistent with BMS Training Guidelines. Staff should limit verbal interactions/instructions and allow the student to self-regulate in this space first, before considering a move to the Multi-Modal Room.
3.4.4 Staff are required to document the use of the Multi-Modal Room for each student, using the Multi-Modal Room Data Chart (see Appendix C). The Multi-Modal Room Data Chart collects the following information: date, staff name, duration of time spent in the Multi-Modal Room, scheduled versus unscheduled visits, what accommodations were required for the student (e.g., spiritual items), and ABC data (when visits are unscheduled). Documentation needs to be held in a confidential place and monitored and reviewed regularly for programming purposes, with the latter being shared with parents/guardians of the student using the Multi-Modal Room.
3.4.5 The use of the Multi-Modal Room is most successful when a student, if capable, has been explicitly taught to recognize the need for its use. Consultation with support staff is recommended to assess and determine the individual skills that need to be taught for the student to access the Multi-Modal Room.
3.4.6 The length of time spent in the Multi-Modal Room should be operationalized (e.g., when both staff and student jointly identify that the student is presenting as regulated). Use of the Escalation Continuum (Appendix B) is recommended to ensure a clear delineation of observable behaviours that can be identified by staff and/or student to indicate a level of regulated behaviour. Again, staff should be properly supervising the student to determine the level of behaviour the student is demonstrating. If a student is not at a point of observable regulation (i.e., Level 1 on the Escalation Continuum), then the student may benefit from the offer of more time in the Multi-Modal Room.
3.4.7 For students who have accessed the Multi-Modal Room for unscheduled use, opportunity for a debrief should be given, to allow the student a chance to communicate their experience and engage with a caring educator in problem solving (refer to Section 2.0).
