Individuals with disabilities may engage in challenging behavior to escape aversive stimuli, like academic tasks or non-preferred foods. Interventions to reduce these behaviors often employ escape extinction; that is, the implementer withholds escape following challenging behavior. Escape extinction can increase risk of injury, restrict autonomy,…

The purpose of this study is to present a set of empirically derived effect size distributions in order to provide field-based benchmarks for assessing the relative effects of interventions aimed at reducing challenging behavior or increasing engagement for young children with and without disabilities. We synthesized 192 single-case designs that…

Students with disabilities are 200% more likely to be restrained by school personnel compared to nondisabled peers (Katsiyannis et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) in de-escalating the risk behavior of children with disabilities from exceptional children (EC) teacher…

The purpose of this study was to explore and evaluate the necessary adaptations to the Family Behavior Support application (FBSApp) paired with collaborative coaching for Spanish-speaking families of young children with disabilities and co-occurring challenging behaviors (CB) in home contexts. We utilized a multi-phase mixed methods research…

Background: Few studies have considered policies which underpin the promotion of positive behaviour support (PBS). The present study examined policy beliefs about PBS and their relationship to restrictive practices. Methods: Discourse network analysis (a combination of critical discourse analysis and social network analysis) was used. Results: A…

While disability is recognised by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as an evolving concept, the language of positive behaviour support has not kept pace with the current human rights-based approach. The widely-used terms 'challenging behaviour' and 'behaviours that challenge' imply that the behaviour…

Punishment-based procedures are used to reduce challenging behavior in both special education and applied behavior analytic practices. Although commonly effective, these interventions are associated with an increased level of risk, making their use controversial. However, no research has specifically analyzed the extent to which researchers comply…

Challenging behaviors are linked to negative long-term developmental outcomes for young children with disabilities and remain a primary focus of service delivery for many early intervention practitioners and families. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a tiered prevention framework that recommends evidence-based positive…

Teachers are responsible for providing an education to students of all ability levels. Recent data suggest that roughly 95% of students with a disability are receiving some form of education in their general education setting. Individuals with disabilities tend to engage in higher levels of disruptive behaviors (e.g., talking out in class,…

Lead is a naturally occurring element that is extremely toxic to human beings. When children inadvertently ingest lead, their bodies confuse it with calcium, iron, and other nutritional essential metals, causing toxicity. School psychologists more than ever are in perfect positions, with the proper training, to possibly identify children who are…

Intervention studies to reduce challenging behavior in young children below the age of 6 were reviewed for participant characteristics, including gender, race/ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, and language to evaluate the frequency of reporting and diversity of participant characteristics in this area of research. Interventions…

Many teachers and parents of young children with disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are familiar with young children who engage in repetitive and restrictive behaviors such as flapping, spinning, and rocking. This type of restrictive and repetitive behavior, or stereotypy, can be common, over time it can become problematic…

Many teachers have difficulty supporting students with challenging behavior. Students who shout out, are frequently off task, have a tantrum, or don't follow directions can be disruptive and bring a teacher's lesson to a halt. Other students may struggle to communicate their needs. As a result, these students may engage in challenging behavior to…

The purpose of the study was to understand current knowledge and implementation of a multitier system of support. The study focuses on tertiary interventions and uses input from teachers in a top education system who are responsible for implementing a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework daily. Sixty-three K-5 teachers were surveyed to…

The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to families and professionals about the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and promote development of young children, birth through age 5, who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. "Instruction: Effective Strategies to Support Engagement, Learning, and…