Students enrolled at The Winston Knolls School have a behavior intervention plan documented in their IEP. The plan describes specific proactive and reactive behavior management strategies to manage behaviors targeted for reduction. Targeted behaviors are those which impede the students learning or that of others. They may also include behaviors which endanger the student or others.

The specific function of a behavior targeted for decrease is determined using a functional behavioral analysis. Behavior plans identify replacement behaviors, positive supports, instructional strategies, and antecedent management strategies that will help the student increase their repertoire of skills, learn new skills and enable them to make better choices. Behavior plans also describe reactive consequence management strategies in order to make behaviors targeted for decrease irrelevant, inefficient, or ineffective.

The Winston Knolls School favors proactive strategies such as expectation statements, replacement skill acquisition, communication training, and discrimination training, to teach students how to make positive behavior choices instead of engaging in maladaptive behaviors. When reactive strategies are necessary The Winston Knolls School uses research-based methodologies.

For crisis intervention, The Winston Knolls School uses Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) system. The Winston Knolls School will use nonphysical and physical interactions with students, per the NCI Training Manual. The NCI core values help professionals balance responsibilities for Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security. These core values are the foundations to person-centered care and organizational efforts to reduce, and ultimately eliminate restrictive practices. The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention program is uniquely designed to teach staff critical skills for preventing and defusing disruptive or risky behavior. Only staff members that are trained in NCI can facilitate using Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) strategies and protective holding.