Children with autism spectrum disorder often display some form of challenging behavior and have complex communication needs. Functional communication training is an evidence-based practice that (a) decreases challenging behavior and (b) increases appropriate communicative behavior. Recent research has demonstrated how using augmentative and…

Students who are actively engaged in learning have a higher probability of academic and behavioral success in the classroom. One effective teaching practice that increases student engagement is providing students with frequent opportunities to respond (OTR). This article provides practitioners with a range of OTR strategies that include verbal,…

This article is intended to provide educators with recommendations for maintaining safety and protecting student dignity when writing and implementing crisis response plans. These recommendations include reducing student agitation by recognizing and responding to early signs of escalated student behaviors, embedding choice-making opportunities,…

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication. Objectives: In this single-class activity, students gain awareness and practice in suspending judgments about "difficult" people in order to understand the reasoning behind certain objectionable behavior.

Functional communication training (FCT) involves the reinforcement of an appropriate communicative response as an alternative to challenging behavior. The intervention has been identified as an evidence-based practice across multiple populations. Despite its extensive research support, FCT may be impractical in some educational settings because it…

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based intervention that has been widely used and implemented to reduce problem behavior and teach replacement behavior in a variety of settings. Specific procedures have been researched and documented to ensure correct implementation. Functional communication training can be broken into three…

Physical educators can expect to work with students experiencing a mental health concern. Mental health concerns are prevalent among children and adolescents in the United States. An estimated 13 to 20% of U.S. children meet the diagnostic criteria for an emotional or behavioral disorder. The purpose of this article is to provide physical…

This article discusses the prevention interview, a one-to-one interview with a student, asking open-ended questions. Prevention interviews help educators learn about the whole young person to build trust that allows for new solutions for recurring problems. Prevention interviews also work well when done soon after a student has made poor behavior…

Children with communication disorders may express frustrations through challenging behaviors such as aggressive behaviors and social withdrawal. Challenging behaviors may lead to difficulties with building social competencies including emotional regulation and peer engagement. Individualized planning of functional goals for children with…

Functional communication training (FCT) is a strategy to address problem behavior for students with various disabilities that is supported by a broad evidence base. Despite this support, multiple factors continue to dissuade educators from utilizing FCT in their classrooms. This article outlines the process of developing and implementing FCT plans…

This practice brief provides practical, research-based strategies educators can use to de-escalate challenging student behavior in the classroom. Despite the development of supportive, safe, and predictable school environments, students may, at times, become agitated, and their behavior may escalate to unsafe levels. With some advance planning,…

In this article, I offer a story, rendered in creative nonfiction, of my experience as a young and flustered college professor challenged by a defiant and disruptive graduate student. The story is followed by a critical reflection of the experience where I examine the role of communication and culture in regard to classroom disruptions and assess…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience some of the poorest outcomes of all students. They are also placed in alternative education (AE) settings more frequently than students in other disability categories. For some of these students, the ultimate goal is to return to the traditional school. A systematic, five-part…

This brief provides considerations for conducting and implementing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) using virtual technology. There are many situations in which virtual FBA/BIP implementation may be necessary or desired. For example, virtual FBA/BIPs can support students attending schools in areas that…

This article explicitly addresses the correlation between communication and behavior, and describes how to provide intervention addressing these two overlapping domains using an intervention called functional communication training (FCT; E. G. Carr & Durand, 1985) in individuals with ASD. A step-by-step process is outlined with supporting…