One antecedent-based intervention -- choice-making opportunities -- is an easy and effective way to motivate students with autism to stay on task, complete academic tasks, and engage in appropriate behavior during academic instruction. The purpose of this article is to discuss three main methods for incorporating choice-making opportunities and…

Classroom management systems (CMS) are class-wide strategies that teachers use to keep students on task, attentive, and academically engaged. This review provides teachers an overview of eight effective and socially valid CMSs that are aligned with school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The goal is to provide teachers…

Research has shown that students who are healthier and have access to opportunities for physical activity may achieve improved academic achievement. However, challenges with classroom and behavior management can be disruptive to learning opportunities in physical education classes. A combination of a comprehensive school physical activity program…

Instructional tasks and assignments can often generate severe and high rates of problem behaviors for some students in special and general education. These daily instructional assignments or tasks often pose an aversive condition, thus favoring behaviors that effectively escape such a condition as functional. The author asks the rhetorical…

At times, classroom management and guidance elude even the most seasoned teachers. Yet, students need guidance and practice in self-regulatory skills to assist in the learning that occurs in classrooms. Teachers need both practical and research-based classroom management strategies that benefit the environment and help create a space conducive to…

The effects of a simple timeout procedure on the eye gouging and head wagging behavior of a totally blind, seven-year-old child were studied. Parent and staff reports suggested that the reduction in manneristic behaviors was associated with the emergence of more acceptable and age appropriate social behavior. (SEW)

Self-monitoring is used to increase on-task behavior of students by encouraging them to monitor their own behavior (Hallahan, Lloyd, & Stoller, 1982). According to Daly and Ranalli (2003), there are many benefits of self-monitoring: (1) It is an effective tool for changing behavior; (2) It promotes generalization of the appropriate behavior to…

Joint teacher and student development of a contingency management plan to help control disruptive behavior was explored with a class of 13 mildly mentally retarded elementary school children after several less extensive teacher directed contingencies were unsuccessful. All students in the self contained classroom had extensive school histories of…

This case study describes an intervention to increase compliance with routine tasks in a 7-year-old boy with moderate mental retardation. Prior to intervention the boy was unable to complete a series of eight routine tasks associated with arriving at school and preparing for work. The highly structured intervention used picture prompts for each…

Outlined are behavior management strategies for emotionally disturbed students who are partially mainstreamed. Appropriate behavior outside the classroom earns the child stamps. Inappropriate behavior inside the classroom results in warnings, penalty points, and time-out. On-task behavior is also rewarded with stamps, which may be accumulated for…

This article describes positive effects of modifying curricular activities in accordance with the individual interests of three elementary students with disabilities (including autism, mental retardation, and emotional/behavioral disorder). Students exhibited less problem behavior and more on-task responding in the modified activity condition. (DB)

This paper reports on the application of a token economy approach to increase on-task behavior and decrease inappropriate "call-outs" of nine seventh and eighth grade Caucasian male students in a self-containted emotional support classroom. The program included a behavioral contract, token economy "bucks" kept in a classroom bank, and a list of 12…

Utilizes a time-series plus control group design to compare the relative effects of a teacher sending home positive, negative, or a combination of the two types of letters for disruptive students. Results showed the negative letter to be most effective in increasing on-task behavior. (MJP)

The Center on Disease Control, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (2005) identified the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) as being 10 per 1,000. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has further explained (2005) that FASD now outranks autism and Down syndrome in prevalence.…

This Master's degree project developed a program for decreasing disruptive student behavior in order to increase the amount of on-task time in the classroom. Types and occurrences of disruptive behavior were documented over a 6-week period in two classrooms at each of two junior high schools (grades 6-8) in Illinois. Analysis of the data revealed…