The most common behaviors eliciting a student referral for special education evaluation related to emotional disturbance (ED) are adult- and peer-targeted aggression. Curiously, the word aggression, which is an externalizing behavior, does not appear anywhere in the federal description of ED. Despite the lack of clarity surrounding definitions, as…

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…

Some boys thrive in school; many do not. There is a growing consensus that many boys' scholastic performance is failing to keep up with the new knowledge economy. As troubling as this trend in boys' scholastic performance may be generally, school troubles are neither universal nor normative. The intriguing fact is that some boys in most schools…

As commonly understood, school discipline seeks to stop misbehavior, teach prosocial behavior, and motivate healthier decision making in the misbehaving student. In practice, the means to these ends often take a punitive path that fosters a self-protective posture, a sense of powerlessness, and a negative attitude that can contribute to an ongoing…

This Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) guidance report is designed to support senior leaders in primary and secondary schools to make better-informed decisions about their behaviour strategies. It includes a number of practical examples of programmes and approaches that should be helpful in schools and classrooms where behaviour is generally…

Restorative practices are an effective alternative to exclusionary and punitive discipline. In this approach, students confront their unacceptable behavior and assume responsibility for it in processes that are supportive rather than demeaning. Restorative processes range from formal practices, which require training, preparation and time, to…

Although Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" (1957) was published over 50 years ago, behavior-analytic research on human language and cognition has been slow to develop. In recent years, a new behavioral approach to language known as relational frame theory (RFT) has generated considerable attention, research, and debate. The controversy surrounding RFT…

If a student has multiple behavior problems that escalate over time and across different settings, school-based problem-solving teams can become quickly overwhelmed, especially when educators identify "setting events" for problem behaviors that have occurred outside of school and are beyond the control of school personnel. Instead of resorting to…

In many classrooms, children behave in rude and hateful ways. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), "Sexual harassment of girls by boys--from innuendo to actual assault--in the nation's schools is increasing" (AAUW, 2001). In this article, the author features the anti-bias curriculum approach to building friendships and…

This article describes how moving away from traditional behavior management techniques and using Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) can be useful in obtaining desired behaviors from children with autism. PBS is used widely by special education teachers and has tremendous implications for physical education. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a…