This digest of information on classroom techniques for managing students with behavior problems highlights ways to prevent misbehavior; establish rules; increase student motivation for academic tasks; establish token economies; decrease unwanted behavior; evaluate the role of punishment; use timeout, extinction, or response cost; use group…

Seventy-seven references from the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database and the Exceptional Child Education Resources database are presented, on the topic of prereferral interventions for students with learning and behavior problems. References are arranged by database and then alphabetically by author. Information for each…

This digest examines attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and symptoms of the disability. Pertinent adult problems include: (1) substance abuse, antisocial behaviors, and criminality, all of which can occur in adults with ADHD; (2) poor social skills or deficits in self-awareness are also frequent; (3) occurrence of ADHD with…

Tactics to deal with growing violence in schools have usually relied on removal of the offender by suspension or placement outside of the mainstream classroom. However, educators and psychologists are considering the prevention of violent behavior as both a more humane and cost-effective response to the problem. The relationship between school…

Tactics to deal with growing violence in schools have usually relied on removal of the offender by suspension or placement outside of the mainstream classroom. However, educators and psychologists are considering the prevention of violent behavior as both a more humane and cost-effective response to the problem. The relationship between school…

This digest summarizes the literature on principles of changing behaviors in students with behavior disorders. Principles include: (1) focus on behaviors that need to be changed; (2) identify new behaviors to be developed; (3) provide opportunities to practice new behaviors; (4) treat social skills deficits as errors in learning; (5) teach…

This digest reviews and summarizes what is known about effective school-wide behavioral management systems. Emphasis in such systems is on consistency throughout the building and across classrooms with the entire staff, both professional and nonprofessional, uniformly implementing common strategies. Common features of school-wide behavioral…

This research abstract summarizes two reports titled: (1) "Mainstream Assistance Teams to Accommodate Difficult to Teach Students in General Education" (Douglas Fuchs and Lynn S. Fuchs) and "Prereferral Intervention through Teacher Consultation: Mainstream Assistance Teams (Douglas Fuchs and others). The project investigated a…

This digest discusses the new requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that Individualized Education Program teams conduct a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and implement behavior intervention plans that include positive behavioral interventions and supports for students with disabilities. It describes the purpose…

This digest discusses the need for troubled students to receive habilitative services instead of haphazard punishment, then outlines sources of frustration for aggressive students and stages of frustration (anxiety, stress, defensiveness, physical aggression, and tension reduction), and appropriate responses. Teachers are advised to prevent…

Based on presentations given at a 1989 conference, this booklet offers a literature-based perspective on systematic screening procedures and functional assessment procedures to facilitate services to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The following topics are addressed: assessment decisions (in the areas of classification,…

An increase in gang violence and mobility in the last 20 years has alarmed members of the public school community. Gang membership, formation, location, and growth are described. Strategies to counteract gang activity, such as school discipline policies, school and community prevention programs, information sharing networks, and state legislation,…

Among the behavior management challenges in schools today is the question of how to deal with substance abuse among youth. Facts about student alcohol and drug use are provided in this handbook. Watching for school and home related behavioral indicators of drug use is an immediate concern for schools. Drug use follows a six-stage continuum: no…