Beyond Behavior: Root Cause Thinking in Neurodiverse Environments

February 2025 - I’ve worked with students who throw chairs and with adults who shut down completely. I’ve led teams in moments when the instinct was to “fix the behavior” as quickly as possible, often by applying consequences or rigid protocols.

But the longer I’ve done this work, the clearer it’s become:

Behavior is never the problem. It’s a message.

And if we’re not listening, we’re not leading.

Whether it’s a 12-year-old masking their anxiety with sarcasm or a young adult pacing the hallway to regulate their sensory input, what looks like “non-compliance” is almost always something deeper and more human. We can’t afford to treat behavior as a standalone issue. We need to ask better questions. We need to get curious, not reactive. We need to move beyond behavior and into root cause thinking.

Strength-Based Doesn't Mean Soft

There’s a misconception that strength-based approaches are less rigorous. That if we don’t immediately correct behavior, we’re being permissive or lowering the bar.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

In my experience, holding high expectations and leading with compassion go hand in hand. When we focus on root causes, we don’t excuse behavior. We create the conditions for it to shift. Instead of asking, “How do we stop this?” we ask, “What unmet need is this communicating?”Instead of, “What consequence fits this?” we ask, “What support is missing in this moment?” This is not a soft approach. It’s a strategic one. Because when people feel understood, they become more available for growth.

The Emotional Layer Behind Behavior

Too often, neurodiverse individuals are met with systems that treat emotional responses as problems to eliminate, rather than signals to understand. But behavior isn’t random. It comes from somewhere. Sometimes it comes from trauma.Sometimes from overstimulation.Sometimes from not having the words to say, “I don’t feel safe.”

When we ignore the emotional layer, we miss the real opportunity. Not just to change behavior, but to build trust.

Emotional safety isn’t optional. It’s foundational. People cannot access learning or growth without first feeling safe in their environment and within themselves.

Trust creates access to everything else: learning, independence, resilience, and regulation. You can’t separate those things. They are interdependent.

A Mediated Response, Not a Managed One

Root cause thinking is not about avoiding accountability. It’s about framing behavior through a mediated learning lens, an approach where we help individuals make meaning of their actions, not just comply with expectations.

Drawing from Reuven Feuerstein’s Mediated Learning Theory, I’ve found that progress comes not from what we do to a person, but what we help them do within themselves.

That means we don’t jump in to stop a meltdown without also helping someone reflect afterward:

• What did your body feel like when that started?

• What helped you recover?

• What might you try next time?

One of the most powerful shifts we can make is to move with someone from their reactive brain back into their thinking brain. It’s not about controlling the moment. It’s about helping them regain control with dignity. This isn’t just behavior support. It’s cognitive development grounded in respect.

Designing Environments That Reduce Escalation

In a strength-based, neurodiverse environment, we don’t wait for things to go wrong before responding. We build systems that are proactive, predictable, and rooted in belonging.

That looks like:

• Clear, co-created expectations that build ownership

• Flexible sensory spaces that allow for safe regulation

• Adults who model emotional vocabulary, not just rules

• Transitions and routines that reduce cognitive load

• Behavior support plans that reflect the person’s strengths, not just triggers

When we create environments like this, we reduce the likelihood of escalations. Not because people are scared to act out, but because they feel safe enough not to.

Seeing Students as Thinkers, Not Problems

One of the most powerful takeaways from Dr. Yvette Jackson’s Pedagogy of Confidence is that we must believe in the intellectual potential of every learner, especially those who are most often labeled as “challenging.”

When we only see behavior, we miss brilliance.When we only correct, we don’t connect.And when we lower the ceiling, students internalize the message that there’s no point in trying.

But when we see students as thinkers and learners first, even in their hardest moments, we create the space for transformation. Behavior is one small data point. It’s not the story. The story is always deeper, more complex, and often more hopeful than we assume.

Leading Teams to Shift Their Lens

As a leader, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside teams through this mindset shift. It’s not always easy. There’s a strong pull to “do what we’ve always done” when things get messy.

But I’ve watched direct support professionals, paraprofessionals, and teachers learn to pause before reacting. I’ve seen the power of a debrief that focuses not on blame, but on insight.

We ask:

• What patterns are we noticing?

• What does this student or adult already do well under stress?

• Where are we showing up as triggers?

And maybe most importantly:

• Are we responding in a way that builds trust or erodes it?

Sometimes, the most effective intervention isn’t a strategy. It’s a relationship. When we show up consistently, stay calm through dysregulation, and model dignity in the face of challenge, we teach more than any behavior plan ever could.

Root Cause Thinking Is a Culture, Not a Checklist

At its core, this work is not about behavior. It’s about belief.

Do we believe that every person is capable of growth? Do we believe that every outburst is a call for understanding? Do we believe that connection changes outcomes?

If we do, then our systems must reflect those beliefs. We must create environments that support people in their growth, not manage them into compliance, but walk with them toward confidence. In our organization, Mandt has helped us name and systematize much of this work. It reminds us that safety is not just the absence of crisis but the presence of trust. Root cause thinking, mediated learning, and trauma-informed care all come alive when our teams are equipped and empowered to act with compassion and clarity.

We don’t need more punishment. We need more purpose.

And when we lead from that place, we unlock something that no compliance system ever could: real, sustained transformation.

Reflection Questions

1. What behaviors challenge me the most, and what might they be communicating beneath the surface?

2. How do our current systems respond to behavior, through control or connection?

3. Are we treating people as thinkers, or as problems to fix?

4. What would change if our behavior support plans started from a place of belief?

All content on this blog belongs to the author, Bert Strassburg. If you'd like to share, modify, or distribute anything, please reach out for written permission. Feel free to contact me with any questions at:  bert.strassburg@gmail.com.