This resource helps special and general education teachers prepare for encounters with disruptive, defiant, or hostile students by showing them how to defuse undesirable behaviors and structure "face-saving" alternatives. Tips cover setting limits, arranging the classroom for safety, providing a sense of purpose, dealing with parents, and…

This study was the first to investigate patterns of homework problems, as assessed by parent reports on the Homework Problem Checklist (HPC), among children in general education and those referred to an evaluation and treatment program for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In Study 1, parents of general education students in grades…

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at significant risk for a variety of comorbid conditions, including social skills deficits. Although interventions addressing various aspects of social difficulties with these children have been developed, few researchers have integrated new technology with existing social skills…

The authors take an historical look at the changes in public education leading to the establishment of alternative education programs to help practitioners understand this fast-growing population. Current legislation (IDEA, 2004; NCLB, 2001) mandates that educators hold all students to the same high academic standards. Administrators and teachers…

Meeting a crucial need, this book provides clear recommendations for authentic developmental assessment of children from infancy to age 6, including those with developmental delays and disabilities. It describes principles and strategies for collecting information about children's everyday activities in the home, preschool, and community, which…

This brief report provides an analysis of survey data collected from 45 states and territories about policies, procedures, and guidelines related to Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), plans to develop or revise policy in this area, and technical assistance needs related to FBA, especially for students who exhibit behavior that interferes with…

This guide is intended to help California educators comply with requirements of the 1990 Hughes Act (which ensured the right of the state's special education students to a behavioral intervention plan) and with requirements of the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997) concerning functional behavioral assessment and…

This paper presents the outcomes of a study that investigated the psychometric properties of the School Independence Measure (SIM), an assessment designed to evaluate functional performance in a school setting and to monitor changes in function over time. The SIM operationally defines and criterion references tasks essential to a child's…

This article offers a computerized concept-mapping program that can be used to display information gathered about a student with behavior problems as part of the functional behavior assessment process required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. Application in one Florida school district is described. (Contains…

An adolescent with developmental disabilities who used a wheelchair was anecdotally observed to display little aggressive behavior when being pushed, but higher rates when movement was terminated. A functional analysis confirmed the elevated aggression and the child was taught to request movement through appropriate means. Aggression decreased…

This article provides guidance on the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) techniques to identify the function of problem behaviors by recording antecedents and consequences of each behavior. It includes a case study illustrating application of FBA as well as a sample form for recording observations, developing a behavioral hypothesis,…

Addresses functional behavioral assessment (FA) concerns within the context of speculation about the possible functions served by mandating the use of FA in 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Suggests that the nature of public policy may deserve as much attention as research findings. (Author/CR)

This article attempts to present a multidimensional perspective of functional behavioral analysis that will lead to psychoeducational interventions in which students with emotional/behavioral disorders are taught to think clearly, solve problems, and self-regulate the intensity of their emotions. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

This article discusses the contributions of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in effective instruction of students with autism spectrum disorders. Emphasis is on the use of antecedent interventions and curriculum-based assessment. It also notes that the principles and methods of ABA are being integrated into routine educational procedures, including…

This article discusses three major purposes of observation in functional behavioral assessment: to describe and help analyze the classroom events leading to challenging behaviors, to develop and evaluate the accuracy of hypotheses about these triggers, and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for challenging behavior developed from the…