Guidelines: For employees, participants, and caregivers to ensure that all participants are safe during programming and foster a positive environment that meets the objectives of the specific program or event.

Purpose: To ensure all participants appropriately engage in programs and events at The Bridge Center.

Scope: All ESMA employees, volunteers, interns, students, other individuals who work with ESMA participants in any capacity at The Bridge Center, and all participants who engage in programs and events on campus will utilize this policy.

Procedure: Below are descriptions of behavioral expectations to maintain a positive environment to ensure all participants can enjoy and actively engage in programming and events.

I. General Disruption

A. Volume

  1. Participants will communicate at the same volume that others are in their space. Yelling or screaming at a higher level than others in the space will not be tolerated.

B. Destruction

  1. Participants will respect the property and space they are in. Throwing items, kicking, ripping or otherwise damaging property (including but not limited to recreational materials, walls, and doors) will not be tolerated.

C. Elopement

  1. Participants will only leave the program or event after communicating their desire to do so (i.e., need a break, need the bathroom) to a staff member and receiving prior staff approval.

II. Interactions With Others

A. Language

  1. Participants will use respectful, safe communication at all times. Vulgar or rude language (swearing/name calling) when speaking to others; peers, employees, volunteers, or other guardians/families on the property will not be tolerated.

B. Compliance

  1. Participants will generally comply with directions given to them and otherwise communicate if they want to be done with a program or event or need a break.
  2. Participants will be able to comply with directions given by one staff member and not require further assistance of additional staff members during a period of escalation.

C. Physical interactions

  1. Participants will engage in calm, safe behavior towards others. They will not hit, kick, spit, punch, pull hair, or engage in other physical aggression toward peers, employees, or volunteers.

III. Self-Regulation

A. Physical

  1. Participants will engage in calm, safe behavior towards themselves. If needed, participants may request breaks or discontinue a program or event when the situation arises, and they will not require more than 1:1 staff support for short durations.


Below is a list of assistance and strategies available to participants should they need additional support.

NOTE: The highest level of assistance provided at The Bridge Center is 1:1 support due to the campus environment.

IV. Assistance

A. Brief One-on-One with Staff

  1. Participants will have access to brief moments with staff if they are beginning to escalate, to address why they are struggling, regroup, and join the activity again. This may look like taking deep breaths with staff, counting, or squeezing a comfort item. This is not meant to be ongoing 1:1 attention and should not be required consistently throughout programming.

B. Relaxation Room

  1. Participants will have access to the relaxation room (within Rudofsky building) to take space if needed. This is not meant to be ongoing 1:1 attention and should not be required consistently throughout programming, but rather a tool for moments of overstimulation or frustration.

C. Walks

  1. Participants will have access to walks - permitted there are enough staff available- if needed for moments of overstimulation or frustration. This is not meant to be ongoing 1:1 attention and should be required consistently throughout programming.

Below are the actions taken by employees of ESMA when the Behavioral Code of Conduct is not followed.

V. Levels of Effects

A. Verbal Warning 1

  1. Staff will remind participants when any of the above behavioral expectations are not being followed. Staff will use a positive behavioral approach, ensuring participants know what is expected behavior.

B. Verbal Warning 2

  1. Staff will let participants know that they are receiving their second warning, reminding them of their first. Using a positive behavioral approach, staff will tell participants what they should be doing in place of whatever unexpected behavior they are engaging in.

C. Brief “Hallway” Time & Communication with Designated Caregiver

  1. Staff will remove the participants from the activity and bring them to a separate area. Using a positive behavioral approach, the staff will work with the participants to remind them of what expected behavior to use. After 2-3 minutes, provided participants are calm and regulated, they will return to the program or event with staff.

D. Early Dismissal from Program or Event & Communication with Designated Caregiver

  1. If behavioral expectations continue to be unmet throughout the day, and all the above strategies have been attempted, participants will be asked to leave early from the program or event. If the disruption that the participant creates negatively impacts others’ engagement or safety, the participant’s designated caregiver will be contacted to pick up immediately.

E. Plan Created by The Bridge Center Management Team & Communicated to Designated Caregiver

  1. If all above has occurred, the team will create a plan to address participants’ attendance going forward. This will be done on a case-by-case basis.

F. Dismissal

  1. Should the severity of one instance be significant and the team agrees it is unsafe to have the participant return, the decision to not allow this participant back is possible.
  2. Should early dismissal occur more than once, the decision to discharge a participant from all programming is possible.
  3. Any of the above scenarios will be discussed by The Bridge Center Management Team and communicated to the designated caregiver.
  4. A refund will not be issued if a participant is dismissed from a program or event at The Bridge Center.