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Many JRC students are able to observe, count and record their own behavior. Students who are able to record their own behaviors participate in self-management. Students who participate in self-management are assigned individual "projects." Each self-management project involves a specific behavior to be charted and improved. Students choose their self-management projects jointly with their treatment team (clinician, case manager, programming staff and teacher).

Student self-management projects involve observing, counting and recording "outer behaviors" (observable speech and actions) and "inner behaviors" (thoughts, feelings and urges). Outer behaviors can be observed and recorded by both the student and staff. Inner behaviors- because they are "private events" - can only be observed and recorded by the student.

JRC professional staff, instructional software and programs teach students how to define, observe, count, record and chart their own behavior. Sometimes students act as a peer monitors for other students. Students chart their own behaviors on the same type of charting software JRC uses for its standard behavior charts.

As an example of a self-management project, here is a chart of repeated involuntary movements or “tics” that significantly interfered with one student’s everyday life. This student’s self-management chart shows the rate of these responses across successive days, and changes as a result of the student’s efforts to improve this behavior. Potentially significant events are also marked on the chart.

Other students have counted and charted behaviors that may affect their social relations, such as “urges to make negative comments,” “compliments given to others” or “polite conversations.”

Self-management projects can help students in three ways. First, marking important program changes and life events on their charts may help students learn what affects their behavior. Second, students learn to interpret their charts for signs of progress and to understand what might lead to improvement. Third, students can learn to choose specific skills or behaviors to increase or decrease, and to assess the effects of specific self-control strategies or self-chosen consequences.

Students are able to share charts of their self-management projects with their peers in "student chart share" meetings. These provide an opportunity for students to make formal presentations, describe their successes, receive and give suggestions or comments, and receive professional encouragement and guidance.

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