264 The Explosive Child“Why, have any of the other kids expressed a desire
or shown an inclination to leave the classroom when
they’re frustrated?” the psychologist asked.
“No,” said the teacher.
“Do we think Casey is leaving the classroom be-
cause he’d rather be out in the hallway all by himself?”
the psychologist asked.
“I don’t think so,” said the teacher. “He’s always very
eager to come back in as soon as he’s settled down.”
“Do we think that punishing him after he leaves
the classroom will have any effect on his behavior the
next time he’s frustrated and feels the need to leave
the classroom?” the psychologist asked.
“I don’t know,” said the teacher. “It’s almost as if he’s
in a completely different zone when he’s frustrated.”
“Then I’m not certain why we’d punish Casey for
leaving the classroom,” the psychologist continued.
“Especially if the main reason we’re doing it is to set
an example for the other kids.”
“So what do you suggest we do when he gets frus-
trated?” asked the special education coordinator.
“I think most of our energy should be focused on
what to do before Casey gets frustrated, not after,” the
psychologist said. “When Casey’s frustration with a par-
ticular task or situation is predictable, we can solve the
problem that’s routinely frustrating him ahead of time
so he won’t get to the point where he needs to run out