Although other therapeutic approaches across human service disciplines have acknowledged the importance of understanding the impacts of trauma, the field of behavior analysis has seen less frequent discussions. To address this growing need, the purpose of this study was to explore how three participant board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs):…

As violence, behavioral outbursts, and truancy continues to rise in classrooms across our state and nation, educators struggle to find ways to engage and connect with their students. Teachers and support staff realize that what is happening to their students outside of school is having an impact on their ability to learn. They are learning that…

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability affecting individuals across their entire lifespan. Autistic individuals have differences from nonautistic people (sometimes called allistic or neurotypical people) in social skills, communication, and atypical interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Approximately 1 in 59 children are born…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect in-depth information from school psychologists regarding their perceptions toward expressive therapies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as interventions when working with students who are exposed to trauma. Individual Zoom interviews were conducted with seven practicing school psychologists who…

Studies show that 46-75% of children experience trauma, often resulting in depression, anxiety, and challenging behavior as well as long-term physical and mental health issues. Today's educators, counselors, and clinicians need the right strategies to help. Written by experts with years of experience working with children and teens exposed to…

Racial disparities in violence exposure and criminal justice contact are a subject of growing policy and public concern. We conduct a large-scale, randomized controlled trial of a six-month behavioral health intervention combining intensive mentoring and group therapy designed to reduce criminal justice and violence involvement among Black and…

Traumatic events are becoming more prevalent in youth, especially considering the increase in disaster exposure, impacting the wellbeing and mental health of youth. Youth in rural communities are more adversely impacted due to a lack of access to available support and services. Interventions geared toward treating traumatic stress are needed for…

Anxiety rates are skyrocketing among young learners--and their teachers need explicit training on how to understand and support these students. A concise, reader-friendly guide written especially for teachers, this urgently needed book will prepare early educators to recognize anxiety issues in children ages 3-8, identify the associated behaviors,…

The 2022 Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create an advisory workgroup with specific participants to report back on topics related to student isolation and seclusion. This legislative report provides a background on the workgroup, history of isolation and restraint, current practices in the state of…

A school-based behavioral therapy intervention at East High School in Rochester, New York, in partnership with a local university, builds resilience for middle-school students with high trauma.

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Appalachian elementary and middle school teachers who have been identified as working in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) schools. This study used Lifeworld Theory to engage in discussion about the teachers' individual experiences in using PBIS in their classrooms in relation to…

Children and adolescents ("youth") experiencing homelessness are at a disproportionately high risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE). However, limited evidence exists as to what interventions are effective when implemented with this high-risk population. The purpose of this study was to (1) document the mental health and…

Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder are more prevalent in people with intellectual disabilities (PWID) than in the general population, yet the evidence base for trauma interventions in this population is sparse. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) may be particularly well-suited to PWID for a number of reasons, including its…

As the adults battle the COVID-19 pandemic's effects, children are also dealing with its fallout. In addition to the health effects, since March 2020, the pandemic has caused long-term school closure, which forced school-aged youth to deal with the stress of social isolation; moreover, since youth have returned to school, there has been an uptick…

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based intervention to treat post-traumatic stress disorder among youth ages 3-18 years old. In this pilot study, 31 clinicians in 13 urban public schools received TF-CBT training to improve access to high-quality trauma treatment for youth in need. A mixed methods design was used…