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When a Student May Injure Themself
Self-injury or possible self-harm requires a safety-first response. The guide below is for cautious observation and follow-up, not crisis assessment or treatment.
Safety First
Safety comes before ordinary coaching. Follow established safety plans and procedures, involve trained personnel, and seek emergency or medical assistance for immediate danger or injury. Positive Change Behavior Coach does not assess self-harm risk or provide crisis-intervention instructions.
Need a clear next step?
Use the Coach to get a practical strategy for this behavior.
What this can look like
Hitting, biting, scratching, or pinching themself
Head contact with a surface
Picking at skin or reopening an injury
Actions that may cause immediate or serious harm
Before deciding why it is happening
Check immediate safety first and follow the student’s individualized plan and your organization’s procedures. Do not attempt to determine a cause from a single observation.
Possible Contextual Influences
- —Pain, illness, fatigue, or other health factors
- —Overload, distress, or difficulty communicating
- —An unexpected change, demand, or interaction
- —Environmental conditions that increase risk
Practical things to try
- 01Follow the established safety plan and get trained support
- 02Reduce stimulation and use brief, calm communication when it is safe to do so
- 03Arrange appropriate medical or clinical follow-up for injury or ongoing concern
- 04Record only the anonymous, observable context needed for the student’s team
Replacement Skills
Skills to teach and reinforce instead:
- • Requesting help, space, or a break with an agreed signal
- • Communicating pain or distress in an accessible way
- • Using a team-taught regulation or support routine
Common Mistakes
- — Waiting for a pattern before responding to immediate injury risk
- — Assuming self-injury has one behavioral explanation
- — Using physical intervention without appropriate training, authorization, and an established plan