Personality disorders are complex and highly challenging to treatment providers; yet, for clients with these problems, there exist very few treatment options that have been supported by research. Given the lack of empirically-supported therapies for personality disorders, it can be difficult to make treatment decisions for this population. The…

We conducted functional analyses of pica for three individuals with varying levels of intellectual disabilities. In addition, two indirect assessment instruments (the "Motivational Assessment Scale [MAS]", and the "Questions About Behavioral Function [QABF]") were also administered to both the parent and teacher of the child…

Background: Self-restraint is a pervasive phenomenon among individuals who engage in self-injurious behaviour (SIB). Materials and Methods: The present study examined the use of clothing as a socially acceptable alternative to self-restraint to reduce SIB and other topographies of self-restraint in an adolescent diagnosed with autism. Two separate…

The author is pleased to see that the future directions of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) are being addressed. The celebration of the 50th birthday of the inception of CCBD has set the occasion to carefully examine the status quo of the organization and to set future directions, as appropriate. The authors of "New…

In this article, we describe a systematic approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating functional assessment-based interventions developed by Umbreit, Ferro, Liaupsin, and Lane (2007), implemented in a job-share classroom with two first-grade students. One student was at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) according to…

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…

Systems of care can be used to help coordinate and direct resources both external and internal to a school, thereby providing critical supports for students with emotional and behavioral challenges that historically have not been available to educators. In this study, hierarchical linear modeling was used to longitudinally examine school…

Following descriptive functional assessment procedures, a brief structural analysis was used to confirm the hypothesized antecedent conditions that preceded problem behavior across three children enrolled in Head Start classrooms. A withdrawal design investigated the effectiveness of antecedent-based interventions to reduce disruptive behaviors…

This exploratory study addressed the scarcity of research into professional development for school-wide positive behavior support. A train-the-trainer model was designed. These principles were embedded within the recommended guidelines for implementing school-wide positive behavior support. School-based individuals were selected by building…

The cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) emphasis on treatment relevance in assessment, and on evidence-based intervention, has led to an increasing focus on problem maintenance factors (vs. precipitants) in both its models of psychopathology and in its individual case formulations. This article describes the reasons for this growing focus, and…

Academic interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is a critical area of practice and one that has not been fully developed by large-scale research. Students with EBD are characterized by an ability to achieve academically but demonstrate a failure to do so. Some research on effective instructional practices for…

The authors field-tested the core quality indicators and standards for evidence-based practices for single-case design studies developed by Horner and colleagues (2005) by applying them to the literature exploring functional assessment-based interventions conducted with secondary-age students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD).…

The current study evaluated whether a manualized training in functional behavioral assessment (FBA) would result in typical school professionals being able to conduct a procedurally adequate FBA with a technically accurate summary statement for student behavior. Additionally, the study examined whether summary statements obtained by trained school…

Children often have complex emotional and behavioral disorders (ADHD, ODD, Depression, PTSD, etc.). A large amount of research exists in the behavioral treatment of children with these disorders regarding specific behavioral problems. Much less research exists for the treatment of comprehensive problematic behaviors that these children experience…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students with identified behavioral needs were provided a different level of behavioral intervention based on their special education disability category verification. A second purpose of this study was to determine what caused potential differences as interpreted by individuals working in the…