The PBIS World Book

Upset/Crying

The student may:

  • Display emotional lability
  • Have frequent emotional meltdowns
  • Be moody
  • Cry frequently over “small” things like lost place in line or wrong answer
  • Report through writing or verbal responses and stories they are upset, sad, feel bad, are angry, etc
  • Frequently put head down
  • Sniffle and whine
  • Put forth little effort, do little work, give up easily
  • Appear distraught, disturbed, sad
  • Have eyes water and fight back tears and getting upset
  • Have trouble pulling themselves together and calming down
  • Cry to the point of hyperventilating
  • Have trouble deescalating
  • Lash out or hit while crying
  • Refuse to be comforted, push others away
  • Be unable to talk or verbally express concerns
  • Rock, hold head or face in hands, turn away or turn back to others, put hand up, shake head “no”
  • Not know what they want when asked
  • Ask to be left alone
  • Run away and seclude self
  • Withdraw, want to be alone
  • Mutter and talk to self
  • Huff, puff, and grumble
  • Appear stunned, wide-eyed, and unable to express emotions
  • Put hand to mouth and flutter hands and/or arms
  • Repeat same phrase over and over, for example, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!”
  • Make statements like “I can’t do this”, “This isn’t happening”, “I can’t take this”, etc