Many students with emotional and behavioral disorders placed in alternative education settings lack resilience and are likely to experience failure in school and beyond without carefully designed intervention programs. Although researchers have examined both resilience in children and youth and their placement in alternative education settings,…

A growing number of students with emotional disabilities (ED) receive at least some of their instruction in general education classrooms. Accordingly, special education and general education teachers must be prepared to address the diverse academic and non-academic needs of students with ED. In the present study, we conducted a survey to identify…

The authors have witnessed major changes in the preparation of special education personnel. Recent legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004), has moved the concept of highly qualified teacher (HQT) to the national forefront. It seems reasonable that preservice…

The pivotal role of teachers in establishing positive, supportive, inclusive learning environments based on the implementation of empirically-supported teaching strategies (IDEA, 1997, 2004: NCLB, 2002) is uncontestable. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon to find classrooms characterized by teacher reprimands for inappropriate behavior, coercive…

Current legislation requires school personnel to identify indicators of quality instruction for all students--including students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). While competency standards provide a measure of highly qualified teachers, questions remain whether or not there are inherent differences in what is expected by teachers…

In this article, the authors briefly review the historical development and current status of services for students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) in the United States. Drawing upon that review, the authors examine disproportionality and personnel shortages and discuss present and future options for better serving this challenging…

This paper identifies six factors that affect fidelity of treatment in relationship to functional behavioral assessment (FBA) in the classroom setting including: (1) understanding the function of and the contextual variables that support target behavior, (2) adult knowledge of effective interventions, and (3) adult acceptance of the intervention.…

Discusses the challenges of functional behavioral assessments and the need to establish and support valid and effective methods for conducting functional behavioral assessments that are practical in school settings and that adequately address the multifarious relationships between problem behavior and its social/environmental contexts. (Author/CR)

The article presents a detailed description of an integrated program that includes functional life-related academics, social skills training, and both simulated and actual time-limited work experience for severely behaviorally disordered youngsters (5-17 years old). The academic-remedial curriculum focuses on instruction in areas deemed essential…

Argues that using functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to identify individual factors that may be contributing to a student's behavior problem and building a positive behavioral-intervention plan will produce effective disciplinary practices. Components of successful implementation of FBA and overarching challenges to the use of FBA are…

Observation of 97 teachers during group instruction of elementary students with mental retardation, severe multihandicaps, and learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders revealed that teachers made limited use of praise over criticism in managing classroom behavior. (CL)

This article discusses strategies and procedures for promoting maintenance and generalization of student behavior changes resulting from interventions based on functional behavioral assessment. Strategies include self-management techniques, cognitive mediation, self-advocacy training, use of peers, booster training, environmental modifications,…

This article presents a rationale for using students with emotional/behavioral disorders as behavior change agents for peers. Guidelines address use of peer confrontation strategies; selection, training, and evaluation of peer modifiers; and issues (such as ethical aspects of peer intervention). (DB)

Addresses the use of functional assessment in making treatment decisions with students having emotional/behavioral disorders. Discussion covers indirect and direct measures of the relationship between the target behavior and variables maintaining the behavior. Strategies for selecting and verifying hypothesis-driven treatment decisions are…

Discusses requirements specified in the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that pertain to functional behavioral assessment, as well as positive behavioral intervention plans and supports as they relate to the responsibilities of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and to the IEP itself. (CR)