Special education teachers are tasked with ensuring the implementation of a free appropriate public education, which might also include supporting students who demonstrate severe problem behavior (SPB). Often, students with emotional and behavioral disorders are likely to engage in SPB in various forms such as physical aggression and property…

The utility of trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) in classrooms has been demonstrated. Few investigations have explored TBFA with individuals with emotional behavior disturbances, included modifications to conditions, evaluated results of interventions derived from TBFA, or compared the results of TBFA with a brief functional analysis (BFA).…

Goal setting is a research-informed intervention that has demonstrated improved behavioral outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. However, not all students will respond to goal-setting interventions delivered in a standard format, requiring planning, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of more intensive goal-setting…

In my brief commentary, I offer a look to the past to celebrate lessons learned in social, emotional, and behavioral assessment. Then, I respectfully pose considerations for researchers and practitioners committed to early detection, intervention, and assessment of students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Specifically, I…

Special education teachers have one of the most challenging and stressful jobs in public education, which often leads to increased burnout. High levels of burnout have, in turn, been related to lower levels of fidelity of implementation in delivery of evidence-based behavior interventions. The purpose of this position paper is to (a) propose…

Students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often have unidentified co-occurring language deficits, but few studies have evaluated communication-based interventions for this population. Functional communication training (FCT) teaches a communicative response (CR) as a replacement for problem behavior. FCT is an…

Teachers report that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) present challenges that are among the greatest they face on a daily basis. Research, however, clearly shows that teachers routinely receive little or no training in how to effectively work with students with challenging behaviors. This is particularly frustrating when…

Check-in/Check-out (CICO) is one of the most commonly utilized and wellestablished Tier 2 interventions (Horner, Sugai, & Lewis, 2015). Evaluation of CICO components is necessary to inform implementation of adequate prevention and intervention services, as well as evidence-based modifications of intervention intensity for students at risk of…

A trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) offers several advantages beneficial for classroom settings. TBFA can be completed rapidly, requires fewer resources than traditional functional analyses (FAs), can occur in the natural environment during typically scheduled activities, and involves less intense data collection methods. However, a number of…

This article is a review of functional behavior assessment studies in general education setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The studies were assessed in accordance with published standards for evidence-based practices. Overall, few studies met criteria for inclusion in this review and even fewer studies included all three…

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.

Research has consistently demonstrated that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are at risk for academic underachievement. Despite the persistent and strong association between academic problems and EBD, there remains a dearth of information on the process for developing intensive academic interventions for students with EBD.…

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…

Students receiving behavioral supports in the third tier of the schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) framework are often identified as having emotional and behavior disabilities. Although educators implement evidence-based practices with fidelity, these practices are not always effective in supporting students with…

Functional assessment and functional analysis are processes that have been applied successfully in work with people who have developmental disabilities, but they have been used rarely with students who experience emotional or behavioral disorders. In the present study, five students in elementary school programs for severe emotional disturbance…