Having a dedicated calm down corner in the classroom is a great tool for managing behavior.
If you’re teaching in an Autism unit, special education classroom, or in self-contained classrooms, then more than once you’ve wished for a place to send students when they’re having behavior issues and need to self-regulate.
Good News… It’s easy to create an effective calm down area. Having the perfect calm down corner can be an extremely positive tool for learning when you work with students with disabilities.
Calm Down Corner Ideas in an Autism Classroom
Do students in your classroom need to learn to understand their feelings, regulate their emotions, and calm down?
Wanting calm-down corner ideas? Or maybe you’re more about the Zen Zone, Regulation Station, Cool Down Spot, or Chill Zone. Here are 5 simple setup strategies and tips on how to set up a safe space in your classroom.
5 Steps to Setting Up a Calm Down Area
Yep, you heard me. Setting up a calm down corner or area is pretty easy.
You can create an effective and meaningful calm down area in your classroom in 5 easy setup steps.
But first, a little story. My background is primary and secondary education. Calm down corners continue to be extremely effective at all levels. They are a great way to help students learn self-regulation skills and function as a positive behavior strategy.
Calm down corners also work especially well in elementary classrooms. At that age, though, they do require more implicit instructions. Students have to be taught how to use the calm down area correctly for emotional regulation.
Truth be told, when my children were small, we had a calm down area in our home. Setting up a calming corner for a child with a significant disability or autism spectrum disorder at home can be great. It can reinforce the skill of using calming techniques and strategies for students practicing those skills in the classroom.
If you are having success with your calm down corner, share those ideas and implementation strategies with parents. They can mimic what you’re doing and the student can generalize the skills they are learning.
Step #1: Define the Calm Down Area
The first step to setting up a calm down corner in your classroom is to define the space by labeling the area.
Ideally, this area can only be accessed/used as a calm down space. You should not also use the same area for other purposes. It can become unclear as to what is supposed to happen in the area. And a calm down corner does not necessarily need to be an entire corner. A calm down area can be a desk, a coat room, or other defined space in your classroom. What is most important is that it’s conducive to being calm. I love to set this cozy corner up with some soft blankets, beanbag chairs, and possibly a weighted blanket too. It helps to pick a quiet corner in the classroom to avoid any sensory overload. If your classroom is super noisy, then also consider having some noise-canceling headphones available. Overall, you’re designing a safe place and quiet space for students to find their zen.
The other part of defining the calm down corner space is to also define how a student gets to that area. The calm down corner will only be used for going through a calm down sequence.
That means the student needs to have a very clear understanding as to how they indicate they need to calm down. Visuals like passes or icon cards are very effective!
As the teacher, you will want to pre-teach how a student gets into the space. Does the student use a visual indication or maybe a physical object? Do they access the space independently? Do they request the use verbally to the adult in the room?
Different students may access the area in different ways. But being very clear and consistent is the way it is done. You’ll also want to keep a behavior log so you can track how often a student accesses the space and if it’s effective.
As you are defining the space, also define the way that students will access it.
Step #2: Use Calming Techniques
The second step on making a calm down corner in your classroom is to choose the calm down techniques and tools that students will use while in the space.
If you create a calm down corner with no tools for students to actually calm themselves, then you’re just setting up a space for a student to increase behaviors, not reduce behaviors.
You may decide that you want sensory items. These may include plush toys that are soft or make a crunchy noise. Sensory bottles are great options, or a snow globe is an easy alternative. You definitely want to have deep breathing exercises happening in this calm-down space. So include tools for breathing techniques, like visual cards or posters.
Lastly, you want reflection tools so a student can get in touch with their emotions and find a healthy way to deal with them.
What you choose will depend on the needs of the students who access the area.
What will not change is the need for you to teach the students some how-to’s. They need to know how to choose the appropriate technique and then how to perform the technique appropriately.
A Cautionary Tale…
Many moons ago, I worked with a middle school student who calmed down best when offered the opportunity to write. Her calming technique in the calm down area was to use a notebook to not only sketch but to write messages to people. This allowed her to get her emotions out and calm herself down.
Another student in that same classroom would have violent behaviors if I’d sent him to a special area in the room and asked him to write.
Choose the technique that work best for your student.
Read More: Interested in Managing Behaviors in your classroom? Read these great blog posts: How to Use a Social Story in Special Education, How to Set Up Classroom Routine in Special Ed, How to Use the Prompting Hierarchy.
Step #3: Have Calm Down Rules
Step three is to remember the calm down area isn’t a life sentence or an eternal trip to Neverland.
More than once I have seen a student sent to a calm down area or calm down corner and been there for the better part of a day. If a student is sent to the calm down corner and it turns into extended periods of time, that can be a problem… Especially when no academic requests are being made.
The student is able to avoid more rigorous work, or a student is allowed to participate in preferred activities with no end in sight. A calm down corner like that will end up reinforcing bad behaviors.
It is essential as you’re setting up your calm down corner that you include a timer or visual of some sort. You want it to be clear the amount of time that can be spent there. You also need a clear procedure related to how they get out.
What are ways a student knows when they are calm? Adding a visual to assess how the student is feeling becomes essential in a calm down corner. Not only does it support students as they develop an understanding of their emotions, but it also allows you to model the emotional state necessary to return to class.
Finally, you need to plan on who will set the timer. Is it the student? Is it the adult? Finally, when the timer goes off, what will be the check-in phrase to determine if the student is ready to go back to work? Will it be something simple like “are you ready to get back to work?” And if the student says no, how many resets of the timer will they be allowed? Having a plan for all of these situations means that you are best prepared to use your calm down corner effectively.
Helpful Tools for Behavior Management
To see more helpful classroom resources, visit the Noodle Nook store.
Step #4: Teach How to Avoid Getting Mad
An effective calm down corner includes some kind of learning moment.
Students can have a moment of reflection to determine why they needed to access the calm down corner and how they can handle their feelings better in the future. What we want here is for a student to avoid needing to calm down with better self-regulation in the first place.
Adding tools like a reflection sheet, a contingency map, or even a “what happened – I felt” chart can all support a student, We want them to become more aware of their emotions as well as what triggers certain feelings and then how to deal with them appropriately.
Otherwise, if a student is just bouncing in and out of the calm place with no learning included, you’re not setting them up for ultimate success. Consider adding tools into the learning space if possible. They can be an effective tool to prevent anxiety. Offer a sensory bin with fidget toys, stress balls, and other cool things that activate or alleviate the student’s sensory systems. Then focus on teaching your students how to use them as part of their daily routine or when they are dealing with big feelings.
Step #5: Be Calm
I’ve mentioned before in other posts and in the Teacher Nook podcast that it’s impossible to learn to swim when you’re drowning.
This sentiment is so true when you’re teaching replacement behavior. If a student who is in the middle of a behavior requires using the calm down corner, that’s the worst time to teach them how to use it.
That means the most important thing is to give instruction to your students while they are in a calm state. That includes directions on how to use the techniques and tools in the calm down corner as well as how to access the area.
Again, all of this needs to be taught while the student is calm.
Pre-teaching a calming strategy or how to use visual aids… or any of the different techniques you want them to access is the make-or-break for an effective calm down corner in the classroom.
You’ll review all of the parts of the calm down corner when the student is actually calm and able to learn them.
Visual Supports for a Good Calm Down Corner
If you are trying to get your calm down corner set up and are wondering what visuals and activities to include in your calm down kit to make it most effective, here are a few musts:
- Calm Down Area Label
- I Feel Chart
- Reflection Sheet
- Contingency Map
- What Happened – I Felt Chart
- A Social Story (Try ‘It’s Okay to Get Upset‘)
- I Feel Blank. I Can Blank.
- Calming Strategies Cards or Posters
- A Visual Timer
- My Calm Down Sequence Card
- A Breathing Chart
- A Calm Down Bottle or Sensory Bottle
Be sure to check out the visuals seen in these pictures by clicking here. This helpful tool is available online.
A Final Reminder About Your Calm Down Area
Setting up a calm down area is easy… Staying consistent with a student while they learn to use it appropriately is the challenge. Again, it is up to the adult. We are responsible for the success of a calm down corner. And we will define if the space and the strategies are positive tools for emotional learning.
If you want this self-regulation tool to be effective, your entire team has to be on the same page and equally consistent. Share this post with your team as a way to start the conversation. Talk about how you want your calm down corner to work so everyone has a better understanding of your rationale. Knowing why you’re doing the things you’re doing will help the entire team.
You can do this! So stay strong and teach on…
Tips, tricks, resources, and FREE tools for teachers in Special Ed and Autism Units. Listen, read and watch to learn how to be more successful at Noodle Nook. And be sure to subscribe to the monthly newsletter TODAY!
