The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of function-based decisions made in consideration of scores from the Intervention Selection Profile (ISP)-Function, a tool founded upon direct behavior rating methodology. The ISP-Function is designed to be a brief measure, given the need for efficient and low resource assessments in schools.…

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) instruments are currently used in schools to screen, refer, and progress monitor students. Although many of these instruments have demonstrated strong technical adequacy, there has been far less examination of their consequential validity--that is, positive or negative intended and unintended consequences of…

For students with severe or complex challenging behavior, incorporating hypothesis testing as a component of functional behavior assessment (FBA) is often warranted. Several hypothesis testing strategies (i.e., functional analysis, antecedent analysis, concurrent operant analysis) can confirm whether and how features of a student's environment…

When results of descriptive functional behavior assessments (FBAs) are inconclusive, experimental analysis methods can be used to directly test hypotheses about when or why a student engages in challenging behavior. Despite growing research on practical variations of hypothesis testing in schools, these methods are rarely incorporated in FBAs in…

Although functional analysis is a powerful tool for testing the function of challenging behavior, it is not always feasible or appropriate to include as a component of functional behavior assessment (FBA). Alternative experimental analysis methods are needed to inform individualized interventions in schools, particularly for students who engage in…

Data from multiple school sources, including informant ratings, systematic direct observations (SDOs), and school wide data (e.g., office disciplinary referrals [ODRs]) are routinely used to guide decision making in the delivery of evidence based practices for students with externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Over 50 years of…

The purpose this study was to evaluate the reliability, validity, and accuracy of scores from the "Intervention Selection Profile--Function (ISP-Function)": a brief functional assessment tool founded upon Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) methodology. Participants included 34 teacher-student dyads. Using the ISP-Function, teachers rated the…

Check-in/check-out (CICO) is widely used as a Tier 2 intervention within school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports. Evidence suggests that traditional CICO is primarily effective for students demonstrating problem behavior maintained by adult attention. A growing body of research has investigated function-modified CICO to address…

Methods for meta-analyzing single-case designs (SCDs) are needed to inform evidence-based practice in clinical and school settings and to draw broader and more defensible generalizations in areas where SCDs comprise a large part of the research base. The most widely used outcomes in single-case research are measures of behavior collected using…

Children with ADHD comprise one of the most common groups requiring supports from school mental health providers, yet current school structures and special education policies are not optimally situated to support and adapt to the inconsistent behaviors that are the hallmark of children with ADHD. The present paper reviews the evidence base for…

Effective behavior support is achieved through designing supportive environments. However, it is common to overlook the context of implementation when designing support for individuals. This lack of attention to the broader context (e.g., behavior of peers, school resources, capacity of family members to use recommended strategies) may lead to…

The discipline gap between White students and students of color has increased demand for teacher training in culturally responsive and behavior management practices. Extant research, however, is inconclusive about how culturally responsive teaching practices relate to student behavior or how to assess using such practices in the classroom.…

Schools implementing tiered supports for social behavior need to be systematic and thoughtful about moving to the next tier. However, schools often apply resources they have in a blanket fashion for children who demonstrate behavior problems. This practice is problematic, and there is a need for increased efforts to plan and be more careful about…

Comprehensive evidence-based interventions are needed to help early childhood educators manage challenging student behaviors. One such intervention, class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT), is a multi-tiered behavioral intervention program based on positive behavior support principles, including four main elements: (a) teaching…