What if the problem isn’t the student…but the setup?

It’s a question we pose often when we see children—of any age—struggling. Whether it’s a preschooler refusing to clean up or a middle schooler melting down over a group project, we’re often too quick to assume the problem lives within the child.

But in inclusive classrooms, we take a different path. We pause, reflect, and reframe.

That’s where the Zig Zag Equalizer comes in.

Why Students Struggle—It’s Not What You Think

Here’s the truth: most struggling students aren’t lazy, resistant, or disengaged. They’re overwhelmed.

Think of it this way—when a student faces a task that is multiple, complex, abstract, specific, unfamiliar, unpreferred, and involves others, we’ve created the perfect storm for meltdown or shutdown.

This isn’t just theory—it’s brain science and child development.

The good news? We can troubleshoot using the Zig Zag Equalizer—an inclusive tool that helps us adjust expectations based on where a student is right now, and where they’re ready to go next.

How the Zig Zag Equalizer Works

Let’s say a student is struggling with a morning routine. We don’t jump to compliance plans or incentives. We zig zag.

We ask:

• Is this a single or multiple step task?

• Is it simple or complex?

• Are we using concrete supports or relying on abstract symbols?

• Is the expectation familiar and preferred, or totally new and unliked?

Each of these is a progression. And if too many things have shifted to the “harder” side of the continuum at once, we create stress instead of success.

The Zig Zag Equalizer helps us pull back—strategically. It’s not about dumbing things down. It’s about adjusting the level of challenge to be just right so learning—and regulation—can happen.

Real-Life Example: The Group Time Meltdown

Take group time in early childhood. It often involves sitting still (multiple), listening to a story (abstract), waiting turns (others), and following a teacher’s script (unpreferred for many). No wonder it becomes a daily struggle.

Using the Zig Zag Equalizer, we might:

• Make the task single step: Just sit in the circle.

• Offer concrete visuals for what’s happening next.

• Shift from others to self: Let the child bring a preferred object to circle time.

• Reduce specificity: Allow flexible ways of participating—wiggling is okay!

Even for older students, the same logic applies. Before we add supports or referrals, we check: Have we made this too abstract, too unfamiliar, or too socially demanding all at once?

Inclusive Instruction is Intentional

When a student struggles, it’s easy to blame readiness, behavior, or disability. But the Zig Zag Equalizer gives us a different lens—one that centers access, scaffolding, and humanness.

We don’t move linearly in development. Kids zig. We zag.

The Zig Zag Equalizer supports teams in understanding that one shift—from multiple to single, from abstract to concrete—can create a huge release of pressure for a learner. It restores agency, and it builds trust.

And guess what? It works from Pre-K to 12th grade.