The student may:

• Display emotional lability
• Have frequent emotional meltdowns
• Be moody
• Cry frequently over “small” things like lost place in line or wrong answer
• Report through writing or verbal responses and stories they are upset, sad, feel bad, are angry, etc
• Frequently put head down
• Sniffle and whine
• Put forth little effort, do little work, give up easily
• Appear distraught, disturbed, sad
• Have eyes water and fight back tears and getting upset
• Have trouble pulling themselves together and calming down
• Cry to the point of hyperventilating
• Have trouble deescalating
• Lash out or hit while crying
• Refuse to be comforted, push others away
• Be unable to talk or verbally express concerns
• Rock, hold head or face in hands, turn away or turn back to others, put hand up, shake head “no”
• Not know what they want when asked
• Ask to be left alone
• Run away and seclude self
• Withdraw, want to be alone
• Mutter and talk to self
• Huff, puff, and grumble
• Appear stunned, wide-eyed, and unable to express emotions
• Put hand to mouth and flutter hands and/or arms
• Repeat same phrase over and over, for example, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!”
• Make statements like “I can’t do this”, “This isn’t happening”, “I can’t take this”, etc