Providing support to students with challenging behaviors is a critical focus of classroom teachers' success. Finding ways to prevent and mediate academic and behavioral difficulties is a high priority area for both research and practice. The focus of this study is on the effects of implementation of Orton-Gillingham Reading intervention strategies…

We examined how educating paraprofessionals in preschool classrooms on dialogic reading (DR) affected their storybook reading and effects on children's single word vocabulary. Through a single-case multiple-probe across participants design including four paraprofessionals and eight preschool children, we identified a functional relation between…

The Class Pass Intervention (CPI) is designed to be implemented within School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) to decrease disruptive behavior and teach replacement behavior for students needing Tier 2 intervention. The CPI has two components: (a) providing negative reinforcement for requesting a break by using a class…

Teaching classwide behavior expectations and using specific praise (SP) are considered light behavior-management strategies that teachers might find acceptable to implement because they require little time or materials (McNamara, 1984; Oswald, Safran, & Johanson, 2005). Their use also is beneficial to students with mild disabilities who might…

Numerous research studies have been completed on the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As individuals with this diagnosis are frequently treated by occupational therapists, this review will focus on research that has been completed on ASD that will provide insights into the understanding and treatment of children on the spectrum.

Group contingencies (GCs) vary in a variety of dimensions that may influence their efficacy and acceptability. This study evaluated the relative impact of four different GC types (independent, interdependent, dependent, and randomized) on classwide appropriate and disruptive student behaviors as well as how implementation of a teacher's preferred…

This study is an examination of the effectiveness of the Mystery Motivator--an interdependent group contingency, variable-ratio, classwide intervention--as a tool for reducing disruptive classroom behavior in eight diverse general-education elementary school classrooms across seven different schools. The study was conducted using an ABAB, changing…

Disruptive behavior in the classroom negatively affects all students' academic engagement, achievement, and behavior. Group contingencies have been proven effective in reducing disruptive behavior as part of behavior interventions in the classroom. The Good Behavior Game is a Tier 1 classwide intervention that utilizes an interdependent group…

In this study, we examined the contribution of the extinction procedure in function-based interventions implemented in the general education classrooms of three at-risk elementary-aged students. Function-based interventions included antecedent adjustments, reinforcement procedures, and function-matched extinction procedures. Using a combined ABC…

Preschool-aged children with or at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant challenges with behavioral, social, and preacademic skills. Kern et al. (2007) examined 12-month intervention outcomes for 135 children, aged 3-5, with or at risk for ADHD. Two interventions, parent education alone and parent…

Previous research demonstrates that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can experience social difficulties. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of cross-age peer coaching on social behaviors of first graders with significant symptoms of ADHD using a multiple baseline design. Four students who met criteria…

The current study was designed to expand on previous research examining the effect of terminology on ratings of intervention acceptability and to investigate the effects of terminology on judgments of outcome data and willingness to implement. Secondarily, this study explored teacher beliefs and instructional style. The sample for this study…

This study evaluated the effects of a Tier II positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) intervention, Check-in/Check-out (CICO), on the off-task behavior of 4 students with behavioral challenges and special needs in a residential facility. In addition, the study examined the effects of additional mentor contact (i.e., mid-day check-up;…

Social stories have been widely used for children with autism and developmental delays; however, little research has been conducted that examines their effectiveness with pre-school children who have no developmental delays. The present study investigated this previously undocumented use of social stories. Social stories were used to decrease…