Within the context of a multi-tiered framework for behavior support, intervention intensification is warranted when a Tier II intervention fails to adequately address a targeted behavior. A traditional approach to intensification is to shift from standardized supports at Tier II to individualized and more resource-intensive supports at Tier III.…

Research has suggested that students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., students of color and those with disabilities) have received higher rates of exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) than their peers who are White and without disability. Various interventions have been implemented to address this…

This article provides an overview of how reinforcement serves as the foundation for a function-based approach to support students with challenging behavior. Understanding reinforcement is essential when providing function-based support for students with challenging behavior. Reinforcement "strengthens" behavior, increasing the…

Functional communication training (FCT) is a common function-based intervention for young children with or at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to teach an alternative communicative response to replace problem behavior. While FCT is effective in decreasing problem behavior, often the communicative behavior that is taught occurs at a higher…

Preschool is an important educational setting for child development, and problem behavior is a prevalent barrier within this setting. Preschool teachers have expressed the need for evidence-based classroom management interventions to address problem behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that…

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.…

We evaluated the effects of providing positive reinforcement for task completion, signaled via the presence of a tangible item, on escape-maintained problem behavior displayed by three typically developing children during one-time 90-min outpatient evaluations. Brief functional analyses of problem behavior, conducted within a multielement design,…

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), or the application of behavioral principles to important social issues, has long served a crucial role in programming for special education students. Its procedures have been well established in the research literature and many deemed as evidence-based practices for students with and without disabilities.…

Noncompliance is a common behavior problem exhibited by typically developing children, as well as individuals with intellectual disabilities, and is correlated with a number of psychiatric diagnoses later in life. We begin this manuscript by describing the definition and prevalence of noncompliance. We then review the assessment procedures that…

In two studies, the systematic approach to designing functional assessment-based interventions (FABIs) created by Umbreit, Ferro, Liaupsin, and Lane (2007) was used with high school students receiving special education services in self-contained classrooms reserved for students with persistent behavior problems. In Study 1, an AB design was used…

Thirty years ago, the first experimental demonstration was published showing that educators could improve significant challenging behavior in children with disabilities by replacing these behaviors with forms of communication that served the same purpose, a procedure called functional communication training (FCT). Since the publication of that…

For years, the assumption has been that stereotypical behaviors functioned only to provide sensory or automatic reinforcement. However, these behaviors also may serve social functions. Given the unsettled debate, functional behavior assessment and functional analysis can be used to identify the exact function of stereotypical behavior and design…

Effective behavior support is achieved through designing supportive environments. However, it is common to overlook the context of implementation when designing support for individuals. This lack of attention to the broader context (e.g., behavior of peers, school resources, capacity of family members to use recommended strategies) may lead to…

Hobson's Choice is a psychological philosophy that prescribes a "take-it-or-leave-it" approach when addressing the problematic behaviors of students. Logically, this choice provides a traditional order in the classroom and gives teachers and service providers the sole power and authority to manage problem behaviors. For many students…

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…