The Behavior Management Program is based on the underlying philosophy that all behavior serves a purpose for the individual, and stems from a deeper central issue, or need, in a student’s life. The goal is to determine the root cause of behavior problems so that they can be diagnosed and addressed appropriately.  By understanding the causes of behavior problems, we can develop a plan for teaching the student positive replacement behaviors. 

A multidisciplinary team including, social work, speech, nursing, behavior management and teaching staff, looks at these possible functions of behavior for each student to develop an intervention plan that addresses the underlying need the student is attempting to meet through his or her negative behavior. Once the plan is developed, staff monitors the student to determine if the interventions are having a positive impact on the student’s behavior. 

Some students may display behaviors caused by more serious problems, such as personality and mood disorders, mental illness and other medical causes. These must be properly diagnosed and treated by a physician and Esperanza works with families to obtain services of this nature.