The only consistency with children, with and without disabilities, is that they are inconsistent. Much of a child's behavior is adult controlled by their reaction, methods used, and consistency in support and discipline. When adults change the way they respond to the child's behaviors, the child gradually will learn to modify their behavior.…

The prevention of elopement is clearly a high priority for teachers, parents, and administrators. The dangers of elopement are well documented, and according to one study, more than half of the children with autism were reported to engage in elopement, with a substantial risk for bodily harm (Anderson et al., 2012). Moreover, children who elope or…

Given the power of children's literature to communicate authentic representations of disability and the potential of humor for nurturing social acceptance, teachers should know how to discuss this literature in the inclusive classroom. The authors analyze authentic children's literature with elements of humor and provide strategies in…

Academic expectations are often antecedents for various types of inappropriate classroom behavior for students with challenging behavior. Effective interventions for managing these behaviors must involve techniques that combat academic refusal. Addressing the underlying issues of resistance or refusal to perform academically in school using…

Positive or negative behaviors a child displays while exploring, learning, and communicating express how they are adapting to their environment. There are as many reasons for a behavior as there are children. Some children react inappropriately because they have never been given direction or taught how to handle various situations. It is important…

Self-management is a set of procedures that students can be taught to apply to their own behaviors to change them. In self-management, students are taught to observe, assess, and modify their own behavior. These procedures include such things as self-identifying and observing a target behavior and setting a goal to change it. Self-management…

This paper describes the FAB (Functionally Alert Behavior) Strategies approach to improve behavior in children and adolescents with complex behavioral challenges. FAB Strategies include evidence-based environmental adaptations, sensory modulation, positive behavioral support, and physical self-regulation strategies. FAB Strategies can be used by…

The effort to make schools more inclusive, together with the pressure to retain students until the end of secondary school, has greatly increased both the number and educational requirements of students enrolling in their local school. Of critical concern, despite years of research and improvements in policy, pedagogy and educational knowledge, is…

Hobson's choice is a "no-choice" choice that gives general and special educators the traditional impetus to do what they want in classrooms. While there is some "goodness" in having this power and audacity to control whatever happens in classrooms, it does not allow for creativity, flexibility, adaptability, modification, especially in behavior…

Exciting news is emerging that could change the lives of many parents of children and adolescents with autism. Extreme tantrums often "run their lives," according to Dr. Lawrence Scahill, Professor of Nursing and Child Psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut. As the Director of Yale's Research Unit on Pediatric…

Prevention of behavioral problems in school settings is essential. When the function of behavior communicates a sensory-based need, as it does for many learners with autism, teachers need to know what to do. Therefore, it is important for teachers to have varied strategies available for use in the support of such learners. The authors present…

Intended for parents of exceptional children, the paper presents a model for bringing a child's undesirable behavior at home under control with a minimum of time and effort. The major component of the model is the Parent-Child Accomplishment Record (PCAR), which lists five behaviors: "I followed all directions given to me on the first…

A token reinforcement program was successful not only in promoting positive behavior changes in a mainstreamed behavior problem second grader but also in creating attitude changes in her regular class teachers. Findings suggest that positive commitments to mainstreaming were related to the teacher's effectiveness in improving students'…

Discusses the lack of thorough behavioral assessments prior to treatment interventions and describes a sequenced, structured format for conducting a comprehensive behavioral analysis. The procedures for the assessment are described, including recording observations, organizing information to clarify recurring patterns, interpreting observations,…

The Physical Response Education System (PRES) project began in pilot studies of the effectiveness of acupressure in addressing the physical and emotional problems of disabled students. In the pilot study (1979-80), 12 students received 6 weekly sessions from a professional acupressurist, and in the intern study (1980-81) 15 students received 8…