Crisis Mode
When everything is on fire right now. Breathing timer first, then a 1-sentence action, then your child's regulator, then a log button. No lag, no chips.
When to Use This
Use Crisis Mode when the meltdown is happening, not after. Open it with the 'Open Crisis Mode in Beacon' button at the end of this guide, and bookmark that page so it is one tap away next time. Pick the scenario closest to what's in front of you. Beacon runs you through a 60-second breathing timer (skippable), then shows ONE thing to do, then names the regulator on file (a parent's profile, or for a professional the student's plan). After it's over, you can log it in 1 tap so the pattern shows up later.
If You Are an Educator or Therapist
Signed in as an educator or therapist, the same eight scenarios show the school or clinic steps: a second adult, a room clear, the missing-person procedure, the calming item or space named in the student's plan. Nothing is read from a parent's profile; the plan on file is yours to follow.
How It Works
8 Scenarios on the Picker
'I need help right now' (the adult's own SOS), full meltdown, shutdown (nonresponsive), aggressive (hitting/kicking/throwing), self-harm, public meltdown, elopement (running), stuck transition. Each one opens its own steps.
Breathing Timer First
60-second guided breath before any instruction shows. You can skip it with the 'Skip, Show Me What to Do' button and go straight to the step.
One Action + Your Child's Regulator
After the breath, ONE bold sentence (what to do). Below it, a card headed 'Avery's Regulator' with the calming item you named in onboarding, for example in a public meltdown: 'Try what calms them: deep pressure. If you can't right now, your presence is enough.'; a professional sees the student and the plan's calming item instead. For a parent, both come from the child's profile, so an edit shows the next time you open Crisis Mode.
Log It in 1 Tap
After the crisis passes, tap Record This. Saves to your behavior tracker as a Crisis behavior log (which crisis it was, the time and your note, if you added one). Pattern shows up in Behaviors over time so you can see the cluster (e.g., 'meltdowns at 5 pm every Tuesday').
A Real Example
Maya is in the grocery store. Avery is on the floor. Maya opens Crisis Mode and picks “Public meltdown, everything is unraveling”.
| Phase | What's on Screen | What Maya Does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Breath | A 60-second breathing timer and “Take a breath first. Then we'll help.”, with “Skip, Show Me What to Do” under it. | Stops talking and stands still. Breathes along for a few breaths, then taps Skip, Show Me What to Do. |
| 2. Action | One bold line: “You don't owe anyone an explanation. Get to the car or a quiet corner. Avery's safety comes first.” | Says nothing to the onlookers. Moves Avery to a quiet corner by the exit. |
| 3. Regulator | A card headed “Avery's Regulator”: “Try what calms them: deep pressure. If you can't right now, your presence is enough.” | Offers deep pressure. Avery refuses at first, then accepts it after about 30 seconds. |
| 4. Talk to Beacon | A “Talk to Beacon” button below the log. | Skips it for now. Heads to the car. |
| 5. Log (In the Car) | “Want to log this? It helps you see patterns later.” with a note box and “Record This”. | Types "Cereal aisle, music too loud" and taps Record This. Sees the pattern in Behaviors the next week. |
What Beacon Auto-Knows
- The name and regulator on file (a parent's onboarding or settings; a professional's role picks the student steps instead).
- Every crisis you've logged: which crisis it was, the time and your note.
- Time-of-day cluster: which scenarios cluster at which hours.
- Whether you skipped the breathing timer.
How It Fits With Chat
- Crisis Mode itself has no Discuss button. The page is for the moment, not the analysis.
- But the logs feed Behaviors, and the Behaviors page DOES have Discuss. From there: 'My meltdowns cluster at 5 pm. Why?' Beacon reads the logs + scenarios + notes and walks the pattern.
Try These With Beacon
“I just had 3 elopements this week. What's the pattern?”
Reads the last 30 days of the running-off crises you logged. Returns the time-of-day + day-of-week cluster + any notes you added. Suggests an intervention (e.g., 'all 3 were 2-4 pm, post-lunch transition; add a sensory break at 1:45').
“Avery's regulator changed. Update it.”
Points you to Settings, where you edit the child profile (Beacon cannot change it from chat), and names the field to update. Crisis Mode shows the new regulator the next time you open it.
“The breathing timer is too long. Can I shorten it?”
The breath is 60 seconds and its length cannot be changed. 'Skip, Show Me What to Do' is always on screen, so you can go straight to the step whenever you need to.
“Show me last month's crisis logs.”
Returns the count by scenario, the time-of-day spread and the 3 most-noted triggers (from the notes you added). Useful for an IEP meeting or therapist update.