In recent years significant research attention has focused on the problem of student violence in schools and, to a lesser extent, on its relationship to gender-based violence. However, student violence towards teaching assistants has not been studied, despite evidence suggesting that teaching assistants are at significantly more risk from student…

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a rare genetic syndrome. Students with SMS have a neurobehavioural phenotype which has been characterised as challenging for both parents and teachers. Challenging behaviour often has a negative impact on the person's learning ability and is a hindrance in the learning environment. Challenging behaviour also impacts…

Inclusive behaviour management and the roles of the various stakeholders involved continues to be of concern in education. As paraprofessionals within mainstream classrooms, many teaching assistants (TAs) assist with managing disruptive behaviour. This article explores how TA and teacher teams manage disruptive behaviour situations in 14 inclusive…

Many schools struggle to provide appropriate training for paraeducators to ensure the necessary knowledge and skills required to support students with challenging behaviors. This article provides a collaborative approach to paraeducator training. Included is a description of a four-step strategy to clarify paraeducator responsibilities and define…

Inclusion is an expectation of all mainstream schools across England yet research into strategies concerning how teachers and teaching assistants facilitate effective inclusive practice remains limited. This study explores the enactment of Florian and Black Hawkins (2011. "Exploring Inclusive Pedagogy." "British Educational Research…

This study evaluated the effects of an acceptability questionnaire on classroom aides' treatment integrity during implementation of behavioral intervention plans, using a multiple-probe-baseline across-participants design. Four classroom aides in a special education preschool classroom rarely used procedures recommended to manage the challenging…

Teaching Assistants' (TAs') roles in mainstream English primary schools continue to evolve. Research suggests TAs play a vital role in managing behaviour and can have benefits for both teachers and children in relation to supporting positive behaviour in the classroom. However, there is a lack of clarity in what constitutes TAs' role, particularly…

This study explored the correspondence and differences between school staff perceptions of preschool children's social skills and behavior problems. One hundred preschoolers were assessed by 14 pairs of teachers and classroom aides with the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales-2nd Edition (PKBS-2 Portuguese version). Indexes of agreement and…

The role of teacher aides (TAs)1 has increased in complexity and includes working to support students with challenging behaviour. This review examines the professional learning and development (PLD) needs of TAs who work with students with challenging behaviour and the types of PLD which are effective. TAs feel underprepared for behaviour work and…

The present study aimed to identify predictors of agreement and disagreement concerning emotional and behavioral problems reported by the mothers and teachers of preschool-aged children. Participants included 172 (89 boys) children, their mothers, and their preschool teachers. Mothers were asked to complete the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages…

The notion of inclusion has gained momentum worldwide, with most countries around the world embracing inclusive policies in their educational systems. However, there is still an ongoing debate as to what is inclusion and hence, the consequent challenge of coming up with an agreed definition, which could then be used to plan for and subsequently,…

While the corpus of knowledge for teaching assistants (TAs) grows, less emphasis has been placed on specialised TAs, particularly those who adopt the 'nurture approach' when working with children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH). To explore this a case study was made of TAs and teachers at a special, nurturing primary…

This article details a mixed methods study designed to examine the impact of a group process consultation model in helping staff manage challenging behaviour in the nurture group setting. It relates to two geographical clusters of staff, including teachers and teaching assistants, running 11 nurture groups in a major metropolitan area in the UK,…

In this two-year ethnographic case study, I critically examine educators' relationships with students considered to present challenging behaviours in one classroom located in a predominantly White, middle-class school district. Focusing on the language and practices used by one special education teacher and three teaching assistants, I explore how…

Gender differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms and associated problem behaviours over development may provide clues regarding why more males than females are diagnosed with ASD. Fifty-six high-functioning children with ASD, and 44 typically developing controls, half of the participants female, were assessed at baseline (aged…