From ‘Time Out’ to ‘Time In’

Sometimes, when a child or young person becomes dysregulated or engages in distressed behaviour, the most appropriate response might be for them to have some time away from the environment they are in.

What happens after an individual leaves the room varies from setting to setting. And while time out can be used as a positive, supportive strategy, it is also sometimes used as a punitive sanction. For example, in some schools, time out involves going to an isolation or removal room, where there is minimal or no interaction with staff.

Sometimes, time out is the only option available to reduce risk and keep everybody safe. However, if time out is our only response to dysregulated behaviour, then we can inadvertently reinforce that behaviour and perpetuate habitual patterns, neither of which is conducive to creating long-term, positive change.

Impact of time out on children and young people

For some individuals, being isolated or removed can quickly become their norm, which, over time, can destroy their sense of belonging and adversely affect their ability to make and maintain relationships.

By repeatedly experiencing the same response to their behaviour, they may struggle to cope with difficult situations and never learn how to process their emotions. Time out can become a coping mechanism in its own right, where children and young people learn that, if they engage in certain behaviours, someone else will take control for them, allowing them to avoid difficult situations without resolving anything in the longer term.

Time out as a ‘quick fix’

For us as practitioners, time out can also become a ‘quick fix’, enabling us to continue with our activities or tasks uninterrupted; removing the child or young person appears, at least on the surface, to offer a solution. It can sometimes encourage an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality.

However, if we rely solely on this strategy, we cannot realistically expect to see improved behaviour or outcomes for the child or young person. Instead, we can get caught up in an endless cycle of ‘behaviour = removal’, where nothing ever changes for the better.

That’s where ‘time in’ can be a useful strategy to try, as part of our wider toolkit of behaviour support approaches.

‘Time in’ as an alternative strategy

Unlike time out, ‘time in’ promotes inclusivity, ensuring that children and young people who struggle to regulate their behaviour feel involved in and included in what is going on in their environment.

This approach can be effective in the short term, but also equips individuals with the tools they need to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life in the future. Time in helps children and young people to recognise and process their emotions, build resilience, and understand that they still belong, even when they find things hard.