This brief provides an overview of how to identify and determine why a student may be avoiding or refusing to attend school, and ways that schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) teams can help to assess and address school refusal. We will introduce a research-based framework to engage in problem-solving to better support…

Functional communication training (FCT) involves the reinforcement of an appropriate communicative response as an alternative to challenging behavior. The intervention has been identified as an evidence-based practice across multiple populations. Despite its extensive research support, FCT may be impractical in some educational settings because it…

Function-based support is a widely researched and highly effective form of intervention for students with persistent problem behavior. However, individualized behavior support practices for students continue to be implemented inconsistently in school settings, and educators often use valuable resources adopting interventions that are not likely to…

Secondary students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) can often demonstrate skill deficits and problem behaviors in general education classes. Teachers generally understand how to implement intensive interventions, yet may not know how to address skill deficits and off-task behaviors using a function-based approach or may encounter barriers…

Preschool is an important educational setting for child development, and problem behavior is a prevalent barrier within this setting. Preschool teachers have expressed the need for evidence-based classroom management interventions to address problem behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that…

The Iowa Department of Education (DE) has a history of partnering with the Biobehavioral Service (BBS) at the Center for Disabilities and Development to consult with educational teams in Iowa schools regarding students exhibiting challenging behavior. In 2009, the DE requested that BBS consultants improve behavior assessment skills of school-based…

Students with challenging, disruptive behavior have difficulty learning in school, and their behavior adversely impacts the learning of other students and the classroom teacher. Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an evidence-based approach that teachers can use to prevent and reduce problem behavior and increase prosocial…

Acting-out behavior by students manifests in ways that make classroom management and academic success very challenging. In this time- and field-tested resource, Colvin and Scott present a system for understanding acting-out behavior in terms of seven phases and correcting it before it gets in the way of student engagement and learning. The newly…

Along with the deinstitutionalization movement, supports for persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) have shifted to promotion of person-centered supports inclusive in the community. Although successes have occurred regarding physical inclusion, skill building and social inclusion have not fared as well for those with more significant…

This article discusses an approach to assessment and intervention of challenging behavior in early education settings that integrates a focus on instructional conditions and early academic skill development. The authors suggest this approach allows for a better understanding of the relationship between social behavior and child performance with…

This study evaluated the effects of manualized training in "Basic" functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for typical school professionals on the ability of these professionals to complete technically adequate FBAs. Twelve school professionals participated in four 1-hr training sessions using the Basic FBA training handbook. After…

Children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or emotional and behavioral disabilities (E/BD) often exhibit challenging behavior including aggression, self-injury, non-compliance, or property destruction (Kamps, Kravits, Rauch, Kamps, & Chung, 2000; National Autism Center, 2009). As a result, students with ASD or E/BD often miss out…

Recent legislation has increased the emphasis on including students with disabilities in the general education classroom. However, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit a wide range of behaviors that make inclusion difficult. To date, there has been little research to identify best practices in reducing problem behavior and…

Due to atypical neurological development, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are affected by a range of issues on a daily basis--physical pain, confusion about requests, difficulty communicating wants and needs, and sensory issues--that might trigger behavior that interferes with teaching and learning. In addition, students on the autism…

Responding to disruptive or troubled pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) remains a highly topical issue. The challenges these children present relate to wider issues of continuing political concern: the perceived declining discipline in schools; school and social exclusion; the limits to inclusion for children with special…