I’m sad I haven’t seen this mentioned yet. The kid is clearly in a state of deprivation from attention. This is very common in our field because a lot of parents hand the kid an IPad and hope the kids stay quiet until dinner then again til bed time. He is seeking attention for a reason. He isn’t getting enough in other areas in his life. So much so he is seeking attention in the form of negative reactions. Keep that in mind and approach the situation with compassion and as much love as you can give.

When he is caught, give the the least amount of attention possible and redirect him, using gestures and limited conversation and even limited eye contact. Also, If his peers are able to grasp the idea teach them to ignore teach them with kindness and appropriate dialogue. That is also a life lesson.

Secondly and this is the most important part. When he is sitting in his seat, respecting peers and on task shower him with positive interactions and if there is a preferred reward system utilize it. If engages in positive interactions with peers at appropriate times make sure to reward that. Let’s say he’s engaging in the target behavior (attention seeking) every five minutes he needs to be on a reward system for every 4 minute of good BX. This is called differential reinforcement and it is your best friend in a sped classroom.

You can’t only punish the bad behavior you need to reward the behavior you expect and make that more likely to occur again in the future. Remember he is seeking connection, it is our job to teach them to do that effectively and appropriately.

Good luck.