Neoliberalism, after decades of reform, continues to steer educational policies around the world. As private enterprise encroaches public education, schools are held accountable, tangled up in an internationally competitive culture of achieving benchmarks that meet technically managed standards. Not only is it academic performance that is audited…

Background: This study investigated the extent to which behaviour support services are accessible under Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with families who support a member with an intellectual disability and challenging behaviour. We analysed this data with a supply and demand…

Digital technology in primary education can both be distracting and increase attentiveness. Many students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have difficulties with skills that address attention, and teachers are expected to provide support. Such skills are referred to as Executive Function (EF) in neuroscience, relating to self-regulation,…

Background: Few studies have considered policies which underpin the promotion of positive behaviour support (PBS). The present study examined policy beliefs about PBS and their relationship to restrictive practices. Methods: Discourse network analysis (a combination of critical discourse analysis and social network analysis) was used. Results: A…

A restrictive practice (RP) is defined as a practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person, and includes physical, mechanical, and chemical restraint, and seclusion. If misused or overused, RPs may present serious human rights infringements. In Australia, behaviour support practitioners…

The Pyramid Model (PM) is an evidence-based, early educational framework designed to promote all young children's social-emotional-behavioural (SEB) learning. The tiered PM early education practice framework, developed in North America, embeds strategies for children with exceptional needs naturally and coherently integrates apparently divergent…

The final year of secondary school has been shown to be associated with heightened student stress. Psychological interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing and preventing distress in students during this school period, although the widespread adoption of these interventions into school settings is limited. There have been recent…

Introduction: Families have a significant role in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. However, it is not clear how actively families are involved when people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors are living in out-of-home care. This scoping review explored the frequency and type of…

Today, outdoor therapies are practiced in many nations around the world, with a broad diversity of philosophies, theories, methods, functions, and formats (Norton et al., 2015). The field of therapy within the outdoors has been much discussed and debated within the experiential profession (Itin, 1998). The disputes and deliberations have centred…

Positive Behaviour Support is an applied behaviour analytic system of support that is utilised in schools and in residential care settings for children and adults with disabilities who engage in challenging behaviour. Implementation fidelity depends on appropriate staff training and organisational behaviour management. A systematic literature…

Every year school districts must fill tens of thousands of teacher vacancies in mathematics and science. Reasons for the high rate of attrition are described in general terms, such as lack of administrative support and dissatisfaction. Analysis of direct quotes from qualitative research, however, suggests the presence of cognitive errors within…

This study evaluated the injury prevention program, Skills for Preventing Injury in Youth (SPIY) for Year 9 students (aged 13-14 years). The aim of SPIY was to reduce adolescent injury by reducing engagement in risk-taking behaviors. A randomized controlled trial was conducted and data analyzed with 32 schools, N = 2,739 students at baseline.…

Background: Despite agreement that restrictive intervention (RI) should only be used as a last resort and for as long as required, little is known about long-term RI among individuals with a disability. This study examines long-term RI use. Method: From the Restrictive Intervention Data System dataset from Victoria, Australia, a cohort of 1,414…

Research using mind-body practices in autism is limited but suggests a trend for ruminative reduction and improved behavioral-emotional outcomes. Following random assignment (N = 67), effects of a weekly six-session pilot yoga-based group program combined with third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy elements on self-regulation for children on the…

There is a myriad of research that demonstrates the links between experiences of trauma and emotional and behavioural issues in children and adolescents. Evidence is now emerging that highlights that schools are a critical system to deliver support and interventions to address childhood trauma. The ReLATE trauma-informed model uses school-wide…