A meaningful curriculum is one that is individualized, inclusive of the individual's unique needs and interests, and focused on building independence in current and future environments. A meaningful curriculum addresses an individual's needs and prioritizes instructional programs based on what is, potentially, most important to their lives and not…

This Campbell systematic review examines the impact of interventions to reduce exclusion from school. School exclusion, also known as suspension in some countries, is a disciplinary sanction imposed by a responsible school authority, in reaction to students' misbehaviour. Exclusion entails the removal of pupils from regular teaching for a period…

Naturalistic intervention (NI) originates from applied behavior analysis, which is the use of behavioral techniques to teach learners specific skills. Naturalistic intervention (NI) integrates the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) into the natural environment, or into a learner's everyday routines and activities so that the acquired…

Statistics on K-12 students with mental health challenges almost guarantee that teachers will encounter these students in their classrooms. Educators will be more prepared and successful if they have feasible strategies to promote student well-being and avoid exacerbating existing problems. This article presents research-based classroom practices…

Reinforcement (R+) is used to teach target skills and increase desired behaviors. Other evidence-based practices (for example, prompting, pivotal responses training) draw upon components of reinforcement. Reinforcement describes the relationship between learner behavior and a consequence that follows the behavior. The relationship between the…

Unresolved conflicts in schools build barriers to learning, including low motivation, lack of focus, and disruptive behaviors that remove students from the classroom. When teacher-student conflicts occur, the negative effects can be long-lasting without a safe and structured way to repair the relationship. This reader-friendly guidebook has a…

Students with significant behavioral and social problems experience some of the poorest outcomes in school and beyond. It is imperative, therefore, that educational researchers and school-based professionals address the needs of students who exhibit maladaptive behavior to alter their poor outcome trajectory. Social problem-solving (SPS)…

When teachers wonder "What should I do?" in response to challenging student behaviors, the answers are not as simple as they might seem. What teachers can do also depends, at least in part, on external demands (e.g., discipline codes, principal expectations, time pressures on teaching content and testing) that can either facilitate or…

The Diversifying the Education Profession Ohio Taskforce consists of aspiring teachers, K-12 educators, human resources personnel, educator preparation program representatives, community members, State Board of Education representation, and staff members from the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Department of Higher Education and convened to…

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…

What we're thinking about behaviorally challenging students and what we're doing to them requires a fresh look. When schools believe that parental discipline explains a child's misbehavior, educators are less likely to consider different explanations for the misbehavior and the full range of interventions that could be implemented at school. And…

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…

Schools are an important context for children's social and emotional development. In classrooms and other school settings, children and adolescents need to have skills such as managing negative emotions, being calm and focused, following directions, and navigating relationships with peers and adults. To build and support these skills, schools have…

This single subject design study (ABAB) investigated the effects of using iPads[R] in a classwide academic intervention to increase independent task completion and basic math skills of seven students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enrolled in a special education school for students with moderate to severe disabilities. An…

Individuals with disabilities require direct instruction in social skills. The primary purpose of this study was to provide social skills instruction to students with disabilities at the kindergarten through eighth grade level. I worked collaboratively with four other Child Study Team colleagues to develop recruitment, assessment, planning, and…