This paper examines the sources of stress and the effects of managing challenging behaviour on principals of special schools in Ireland, including schools for pupils with an intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, specific learning disability and physical and sensory disability, and children of traveller families. In this study principals…

Nine mothers of children with physical disabilities in Ireland participated in a 10-week training program that focused on social learning theory and identification and modification of undesirable child behaviors. Evaluation indicated reduced maternal stress and substantial reductions in identified problem behaviors. (DB)