Dr. Tim Lewis provides his reflections on his career working as a researcher-teacher to address the issues of children with challenges. Dr. Lewis also provides his advice for those entering the field.

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) consistently lag behind their peers academically and behaviorally, are likely to be excluded from school, drop out more frequently, and face higher incarceration rates and a host of other negative outcomes as adults. Federal policy has played a key role in (a) ensuring that students with…

Functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are critical components in the education of students with, or at risk for, emotional disturbance (ED). The purpose of this article is to compare the legal requirements with the professional requirements for FBAs and BIPs. The comparison is first according to the…

Sixteen general and special education teachers were randomly assigned to one of four teams that were to make manifestation determinations using two different "hidden profiles" case studies based on students with an emotional behavioral disability. One case study was constructed to support a decision of the behavior not being a…

This qualitative semi-structured open-ended protocol research study provided information on middle school general educators' perceptions of barriers impeding completion of training on the FBA/PBIP, and the methods they perceived that could remove the barriers from the perspective of general educators as self-directed adult learners. The…

This study examined program outcomes of student problem behavior and social skills, based on teachers' perspectives, before and after early behavioral intervention services. The study targeted students in kindergarten through grade 5 who were identified by the school system as being at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Students…

A comprehensive search identified 31 state statutes and regulations specific to functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP) in the special education context. A systematic tabulation of the state law provisions that exceed the rather narrow foundation requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

The use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) to guide the development of behavior intervention plans continues to increase since they were first mandated in IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, 20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq, 1997). A variety of indirect and direct instruments have been developed to facilitate…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 permits the use of a process, Response to Intervention (RTI), based on a child's response to scientific, research-based intervention in the evaluation of students suspected of having specific learning disabilities. Many school districts throughout the country are working to incorporate…

In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) mandates functional assessment based behavioral support plans for all students with disabilities who display challenging behavior. However, very few studies have been undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the functional assessment-based behavioral plans with high…

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…

When used within a comprehensive positive behavioral support program, the CPI Postvention model can serve as a facilitation tool, guiding staff through functional behavioral assessment for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Challenging behavior is defined as behavior of such intensity, frequency, or duration that the physical safety of the…

This paper examines congressional intent regarding the treatment of children with behavior problems and, by examining administrative and court decisions interpreting these provisions, compares those intentions with actual implementation of the mandate. It also includes a brief discussion of the research supporting use of Functional Behavioral…

The application of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) procedures for the purposes of developing interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) has received considerable attention since the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of this paper is to review the…

This article outlines a proactive framework for preventing and remediating challenging behaviors in preschool- and elementary-aged children through the implementation of functional behavioral assessments and the disciplinary provisions outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. The model requires assessing environments,…