Research supports the use of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for meeting student academic, behavioral, and socioemotional needs. MTSS is viewed as an ideal model to deliver school-based mental health (SBMH) services to students. However, limited research has examined what this framework for service delivery looks like in practice. Utilizing…

This review describes available research on interventions delivered by Occupational Therapists (OTs) in schools to identify the outcomes addressed and in which tiers of support (universal, focalized or intense) the interventions are situated. Previous reviews focus on the effectiveness or efficacy of OT school interventions, but the participation…

Sustained implementation of effective behavior support systems and practices is critical for improving academic and behavior outcomes for students with and without disabilities. Although implementation studies have identified variables facilitating sustained implementation of Tier 1 behavior support systems in schools, little research exists…

An integrated multi-tiered system of support (I-MTSS) framework facilitates the implementation of practices across academic, social, emotional, and behavioral wellness (SEB) areas. Integrated multi-tiered systems of support allow schools to support all students efficiently and effectively in a manner that best meets their comprehensive needs. This…

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an evidence-based framework for improving quality of life and preventing challenging behavior that is often implemented in combination with person-centered practices in the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) field. Recently, state agencies and organizations supporting people with IDD have adopted a…

In the fall of 2021, experts declared a national emergency in children's mental health, urging organizations to put in place school-based mental health care services to reduce barriers and increase access to care. This paper describes implementation and acceptability of an innovative school-based model to deliver group art therapy that is…

Universal screening is an essential practice in any multi-tiered system of support, but without understanding the demographic makeup of students in studies that inform current practices, the effectiveness in which instruments and screening approaches work best for students of demographically diverse backgrounds cannot be assessed. In this…

Students who require intensive individualized intervention often demonstrate needs in both academic and behavioral domains. However, practices around assessment and development of interventions are often siloed and separate, which can be a barrier to implementing intensive individualized support in an integrated manner to maximize efficiency. In…

Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) are an effective and efficient framework burgeoning in schools across the United States. School-based occupational therapy practitioners (SBOTPs) have much to offer in the MTSS framework and can influence school-based outcomes. Understanding the current literature and its implications for practice is…

Self-determination is a predictor of postschool success. The importance of self-determination instruction for students with and without disabilities is increasingly being recognized. The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) has been implemented in various settings and at various intensities with all students. Researchers have…

Examining the quality of life outcomes and supports of autistic people, particularly without proxies, is important to inform research and service delivery -- not only for it to be more evidenced-based, but also to ensure services and supports are successfully supporting autistic people in ways that are important to them. The aim of this…

Emergent literacy (EL) interventions are effective at fostering foundational skills for reading and writing. During the COVID-19 pandemic schools faced several challenges to maintain these interventions, namely changing face-to-face to remote modalities. In this study, the effects of a multi-tier emergent literacy intervention are examined,…

The provision of progress monitoring is mandated under federal law for children receiving special education services. In recent years, professional organizations have recommended that this provision be extended to include children receiving services within multitiered systems of support. Organizations representing the field of early childhood…

Considerable research documents that LGBTQ youth are more likely to experience mental health challenges than their heterosexual peers, including higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This first Science-to-Practice Brief summarizes a study on protective factors related to depression and suicidality among U.S. sexual and…

The multi-tiered system of supports is described from the perspective of one school district. The district collaborated with other professionals in creating guidance and implementation strategies to ensure advanced learners received tiered instruction to meet their academic needs.