This article presents the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) as a framework Catholic schools can utilize to provide a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students. In an effort to advocate for the effectiveness of this framework in the Catholic school setting, the authors define the framework, its key features, and the…

Cox, Villegas, and Barlow (2018) published a reply to an article in which I (Shyman, 2016) argued that there were fundamental philosophical problems with behavior analytic intervention that prevent it from being considered as a humanistic approach. A number of important points were raised about the argument including criticisms and the need for…

The current policy terrain is primed for schools to absorb new discipline strategies and address bias-based beliefs. Over the past 10 years, numerous policy changes regarding discipline have emerged at the federal and state levels. I argue these policy shifts, primarily at the state level, are using two of four value levers (quality, efficiency,…

Reece Peterson has published widely on educational policy and the impact on children with significant behavioral challenges. He has served in many roles but always with an emphasis on providing support for children. He is recognized as a national expert on the topics of physical restraints and seclusion procedures. He shares his reflections and…

This is a quiet rant. A request to revisit an article reprinted in this issue prompted it and I focus on context and purpose of the original article, lack of developments in the field since the article was published, and favored directions to take in the future related to the focus of the original work. [This classic article was indexed in ERIC in…

In this retrospective commentary on "Acceptability of Behavioral Interventions Used in Classrooms: The Influence of Amount of Teacher Time, Severity of Behavior Problem, and Type of Intervention," I first examine the concept of social validity and related measurement challenges per Wolf's concerns about consumers' subjective reactions to…

Systematic screening for behavioral and social-emotional concerns at school is one way to ensure that at-risk children are identified and provided services. School psychologists play a critical role in creating multitiered systems of support that consider universal screening, early intervention, and ongoing progress monitoring to help support…

In this article, authors Carl Smith, Antonis Katsiyannis, and Joseph Ryan respond to Zirkel's most recent article, "The Law in the Special Education Literature: A Brief Legal Critique," published in this issue of "Behavioral Disorders." Smith, Katsiyannis, and Ryan begin their response by saying that "The Law in the…

In this commentary, Paget and Emond note that school exclusion is not just an education issue, but is increasingly recognised as pertinent to child health, with implications for how education, health, social care, and voluntary sector services should interact to support children at risk in a holistic, integrated manner. Children who are excluded…

Developing a positive and healthy sexuality is central to being human. Australia is the only country in the world with a funded male health policy, but its publication in 2010 has not filtered through to throw an obvious focus on any health issue, sexual or otherwise, for men with intellectual and developmental disability, who may make…

Poverty has always been a problem in the United States and no doubt the condition unfortunately will always prevail. Title One schools will always have children enrolled who come from the lower socioeconomic class. This article has to do with the devastating effect of poverty, including stories from a classroom teacher of students who lived in…

In the current issue of this journal, Rapee (2013) reports that the incidence of internalizing disorders was reduced as a result of a brief parent centered intervention amongst adolescents who as young children were characterized with the temperament of behavioral inhibition (BI). The intervention was administered when children were 3 to 5 years…

The author agrees with Critchfield's ("Translational Contributions of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior," "The Behavior Analyst," v34, p3-17, 2011) thesis (to paraphrase): Behavior analysis must adapt; we cannot simply will ourselves into greater social relevance. Critchfield focused on the survival of the basic research arm of behavior…

While the last 10 years have seen a significant increase in research published on early intervention and autism, there is a persistent disconnect between educational research and practice. Governments have invested significant funds in autism education, and a range of approaches have been implemented in schools, but there is limited research…

The articles in this Special Topic issue present a range of assessment models and challenges for improving the identification and early intervention of students in need of additional supports. Although each article targets a unique aspect of student learning (learning behaviors, math skills, reading comprehension, behavioral functioning, and…