Children with autism spectrum disorder often display some form of challenging behavior and have complex communication needs. Functional communication training is an evidence-based practice that (a) decreases challenging behavior and (b) increases appropriate communicative behavior. Recent research has demonstrated how using augmentative and…

Teachers who work with students who display challenging behaviors need to implement interventions to support them in the classroom. A daily behavior report card (DBRC) is one intervention that research suggests can reduce challenging behaviors and replace them with more socially appropriate behaviors. With step-by-step instructions, this column…

Classroom teachers are responsible for providing high-quality instruction to multiple students simultaneously. When students engage in problem behaviors, instructional quality and instructional time may be negatively impacted. A multiple schedule of reinforcement is a behavioral intervention strategy that allows teachers to signal to students…

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a well-established intervention for decreasing problem behaviors in the classroom. Although the GBG has a long history of both empirical support and real-world implementation, the specific types of supports teachers find useful in implementing evidence-based interventions is an area that has received increasing…

According to federal mandates, if a student's behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others, the individualized education program team is required to address this with a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). The intent of the FBA is to determine the function, or reason, of the impeding behavior for the development of a behavioral…

This column provides an example method for improving the consistency and quality of daily behavioral feedback provided to students in an alternative high school setting. Often, homeroom or advisory periods are prime points in the day for students to review their behavior from the previous day and set goals for a successful day to come. The method…

Functional behavior assessment (FBA), although mandated by federal law in situations involving students with emotional and behavioral disorders, is not well defined in the literature in terms of how it should best be undertaken in widespread practice in schools. Functional behavior assessment can be defined as a process for determining the reason…

This article describes the PAR (Preventing, Acting upon, and Resolving) Comprehensive Behavior Management System, a process-based model in which collaborative teams work together to form consensus on a positive and supportive school-wide approach to behavior management. It highlights the content and processes used to introduce and sustain the…

This article describes a conflict resolution and peer mediation program implemented in three middle schools. The program used a school-wide conflict resolution curriculum and enlisted a core group of trained peer mediators in each school. A resolution acceptable to disputing parties was reached more than 95 percent of the time. (Contains 11…

This article highlights how instructional management differs from behavior management in terms of common practice, and demonstrates how an instructional strategy used to address persistent academic errors, called "precorrection," can be applied to change chronic problem behaviors. Seven basic correction and precorrection steps are…

The following stages in planning a token economy with students having behavior problems are discussed: (1) identifying target behaviors; (2) specifying and selecting reinforcers; (3) identifying token types and schedules; (4) planning token distribution and redemption; (5) initiating and implementing the token economy system; and (6) planning…

Explains how cognitive behavior modification (CBM) can be used to teach students self-control through increased awareness of cognitive processes and effects of behavior. Briefly describes three CBM procedures: (1) observational learning, (2) self-instruction, and (3) self-monitoring. Offers specific guidelines for implementing self-instruction and…

This article describes a nonviolence model program used in 26 schools. The program identifies positive and negative student leaders who then spend an entire day together working on developing relationships, responsibility, respect, and conflict resolution skills. Specific activities of the "lock-in" day and ongoing activities such as development…