Offers guidelines to assist school personnel in addressing pica, an eating disorder involving consumption of nonedible substances frequently observed in people with mental retardation. Guidelines are organized around principles that stress surveying the situation, selecting treatments (behavioral, nutritional, and/or medical), and considering the…

This article identifies questions and strategies to help teachers become more self-aware regarding their interactions with students with behavioral and emotional disorders. Strategies address: (1) identifying and defusing emotional triggers; (2) shifting focus; (3) reducing burnout and nurturing teacher mental health; (4) assessing ability to use…

Discusses how parents and teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities can build and maintain effective parent-teacher communication by "passing notes." The value of written communication is stressed and the daily notebook communication procedure, based on daily inserts from both the teacher and parent, is highlighted. (CR)

This article offers suggestions for addressing behavioral infractions by students with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings. Ten questions are offered to help analyze situations that foster disruptive behavior and assist in the selection of appropriate behavior-reduction strategies. (DB)

A clay therapy program, tested and evaluated with children (mostly with emotional or behavioral disorders) across seven settings, is described. Affective goals of the program, required materials and equipment, and lesson plan topics are briefly considered. (DB)

Describes Project DESTINY, a federally funded support program for families with middle school students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in New Hampshire. The development of the program, the involvement of school staff and students, positive outcomes of the program, and tips for enhancing family involvement in schools are discussed. (CR)

This article describes the involvement of students with emotional and/or behavior disorders on effective student advisory boards. Examples are given of student advisory board input in elementary school conflict mediation and mentor programs, a middle school composure room program, and a high school in-school factory program. Stressed is the…

This article describes use of "comic strip conversations," a type of social story adapted for younger students or those with limited verbal communication skills. It utilizes simple symbols, stick figures, and color to identify key elements of a social interaction. Three steps to implementing the technique are explained and illustrated with…

Examines the prevention of antisocial behavior in children. It considers which children are at risk for behavior disorders, risk factors and their effects, pressures on schools, the value of early intervention, types of interventions (primary, secondary, and tertiary), and a secondary prevention program for kindergarten students, First Steps to…

This article describes using bibliotherapy to improve reading comprehension and enhance self-esteem or improve behavior for students with learning and behavior problems. A step-by-step procedure is provided to ensure success with all students. A list of recommended books to use with students in preschool through second grade is provided. (Contains…

Discussion of mentorship between students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) considers justifications for such mentoring relationships, guidelines for establishing a mentorship program, and an account of implementation of a mentorship project involving African American males with EBD (four mentors (ages 13-15) and five proteges (ages…

This article describes the following processes for encouraging self-management in middle-school students in inclusive classrooms: identify a problem behavior, define the target, collect baseline data, schedule a conference with the student, select self-management procedures, teach the student to use self-management procedures, implement…

Discusses parent-teacher communication problems, factors that contribute to homework-communication problems, and strategies that the whole school community can use to ensure parent involvement in the homework assignments of children with high-incidence disabilities. Focus-group recommended strategies are provided for teachers, parents,…

This article examines the runaway reaction as it was displayed by Barry, a 14-year-old eighth-grade boy with learning disabilities. It identifies some of the common characteristics of this response and proposes school intervention methods. Functional behavioral assessments and strength-based assessments are encouraged, along with using strategy…

Explains a conceptual model for a comprehensive, multilevel, school-wide discipline program and describes its implementation in one elementary school. Key elements of the program include teaching social norms, a seven-step school-wide classroom management strategy, and targeted, intensive, and comprehensive interventions. (DB)