Two non-U.S. quasi-experimental studies reported Active Support training was associated with increased engagement in individuals with IDD, but no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exist. We evaluated effects of Active Support training on staff assistance, and social and nonsocial engagement in 75 individuals with intellectual and developmental…

Zero-tolerance policies have created schools that are often intolerant and destructive to children and communities. High rates of suspension and expulsion of students are associated with negative outcomes and school dropout. New approaches to staff development that create positive school communities are essential in stemming the…

Background: Positive behavioural support is increasingly viewed as the preferred service approach for people who challenge, but skills are insufficiently widespread. The need for effective staff training has been highlighted as a key factor in high quality service provision, with investigators recommending a multidimensional approach to increase…

Background: The working culture surrounding challenging behaviour may have a strong effect on staff behaviour. As a first step to influencing staff talk about challenging behaviour, the aim of the present study was to explore whether a 1-day training workshop could have an effect on staff causal explanations. Methods: Fifty-four front line staff,…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act mandates the performance of functional assessment for students with severe behavior problems. A functional analysis can be one part of this process but its use has been minimal. This study evaluates whether a paraprofessional could (a) be trained to correctly perform 3 conditions of a functional…

One approach to student behavior that may be particularly useful in exclusionary settings is school-wide positive behavior supports (PBS). Increasingly, evidence shows that PBS is an effective approach to student behavior in regular public schools (Sugai & Horner, 2005). While the data on behavioral systems in exclusionary schools are…

Residential treatment programs provide a range of services, including drug and alcohol treatment, confidence building, military-style discipline, and psychological counseling for troubled boys and girls with a variety of addiction, behavioral, and emotional problems. This testimony concerns programs across the country referring to themselves as…

The aims of this study were to examine effects of on-the-job feedback after conventional analog staff training and to corroborate earlier findings of competent performance maintained without feedback from others. The study took place in a nursing home with four staff participants and a resident with problem behaviors. A multiple baseline design…

The impact of a training program to help staff prevent and effectively manage aggressive behavior was assessed with 109 staff members who worked in services for persons with developmental disabilities. Instruction in distraction, defusion, and nonaggressive physical intervention strategies was provided. The training significantly improved…

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a training program for behavioral aides providing individualized support for adults with severe disabilities and challenging behaviors in a day treatment center found all five participants were able to show marked increases in their clients' social and physical community integration. The training program focused…

This study evaluated effects of a training package to improve behaviors of residents with mental retardation and staff responses. The training procedure included video feedback and self-management procedures (for residents) and video and graphic feedback (for staff). Results showed improved behaviors for residents with both internalizing and…

Using ethnographic techniques, this article explores the complex interaction of control and caring in two alternative education programs for students resisting traditional schooling in Cincinnati (Ohio) Public Schools, a predominantly low-income, African-American urban school district. A community-based orientation for staff proves essential in…

We describe a comprehensive program to train emergency shelter staff in effective methods for dealing with youth who have behavioral and emotional problems; assess the degree to which staff implemented the treatment approach; measure the impact of the intervention on shelter-wide incidents such as out-of-control behavior, runaways, and violence…

Sexually abusive behaviours are common in a forensic psychiatric population, both before admission and while hospitalized. A survey of our medium security facility found that 41% of patients had a history of sexually abusive behaviours, ranging from convictions for sexual assault through to current episodes of sexual harassment. Most forensic…

A program to increase staff effectiveness in implementing a group home behavior management program for residents with developmental disabilities was evaluated. The program emphasized systematic self-recording and supervisor feedback, and resulted in increased staff consistency in all four areas evaluated (such as implementing response costs for…