In particularly challenging situations, praising good behavior and ignoring inappropriate behavior may not be sufficient for dealing with a child who has severe acting-out problems associated with a disability. The following suggestions may be helpful in managing difficult behaviors and ensuring that the learning experiences of other children in Primary are not disrupted:

• Pray to seek the guidance of the Spirit.
• Arrange some time to talk privately with the child about his or her behavior and what is expected of him or her in Primary. Help the child understand the rules and the plan you will use if inappropriate behavior occurs again. You may want to counsel with the child’s parents about the plan.
• If the child becomes disruptive in Primary, speak in a calm, pleasant voice. Anger, sarcasm, threats, punishment, and critical remarks are not helpful.
• Make a "please" request, such as, "John, please sit down"; praise the child if he or she complies. If the child does not comply, make a "you need to" request, such as, "John, you need to sit down"; praise the child if he or she obeys. If the child still does not comply, use whatever procedure has been agreed upon in your rules.
• Be consistent and always follow through on rules. Be firm, immediate, and kind.
• Recognize and praise the child’s efforts to improve.
• When the child is disruptive, a chair may be moved to the side of the room away from other children; the child may then be told that he or she must sit there and watch the other children for a short period of time, such as two minutes. During this time, do not interact with the child but continue to praise the children who are behaving appropriately. The child should be invited back into the group if he or she has been quiet for the assigned time. Immediately praise the child’s appropriate behavior.
• When the child’s behavior is highly disruptive or unacceptable, move him or her to a "quiet room," or a small vacant room in the church. A member of the presidency or another leader will need to stay with the child. Do not reinforce the child’s behavior with excessive eye contact, smiling, conversation, or discussion of the problem; it is a quiet time. When the child is in control again, bring him or her back into the group.
• As the child returns, let him or her know that he or she is loved, accepted, and an important part of Primary.
• If this plan does not seem to be effective, please reread the information in this section to be certain the procedures are being followed correctly.
• Find out if the child’s family is using a successful behavior reinforcement plan, and if appropriate, use similar methods.
• Never give up on a child who is having problems. Even if it seems like the child is not getting anything out of Primary, he or she is having the opportunity to be with loving teachers, leaders, and friends; to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ; and to be touched by the Spirit.