A well-known communication principle states that 'You cannot not communicate.' Even when you are not speaking, your silence communicates something. Similarly, when you talk, you cannot not suggest certain things that people will represent and interpret in their minds. Understanding words, how they are represented in peoples' minds and especially how they affect behaviour is at the heart of this book. All communication has the potential to change a person's state and will have varying degrees of success at getting people to focus on certain things and not others. We are always in a state, or mixed states, which can be influenced by the communications we receive. Once you understand the power of the language you use and how you can structure your communication to produce the responses you want, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. The content of this book has been put together from over twenty years of experience and work and research in schools and specialist EBD (emotional behavioural difficulties) establishments across the UK.

With this book I hope to be able to offer teachers and support staff working with students the language skills needed to minimise negative interactions in their school, increase the potential on task time and positive teacher/student relationship and increase the student's self-esteem, leading to higher attainment.