This study presents the findings of a quasi-experimental feasibility study examining the Tertiary First Step intervention, an enhanced version of the First Step to Success early intervention program. Tertiary FirstStep was developed to engage families more effectively and influence and improve parenting practices for children having challenging…

During the past two decades, scholars, educators, and special interest organizations, including advocacy groups, have critically examined and debated the ethical and legal use of aversive interventions with individuals with disabilities. These interventions comprise a broad spectrum of behavior management techniques including but not at all…

The use of social stories™ with a young adult with autism spectrum disorder was examined. The young woman in the study was completing her high school education in a clinical room on a university campus in the South. The primary goal of her program was to develop and expand her functional independence. The social stories™ were effective in…

One of the domains most commonly affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is communication (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Language deficits in children with ASD can be as severe as to warrant a label as nonverbal, or characterized by difficulties with the functions of communication. Additionally, deficits in language for children…

The use of a school wide positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) framework is well established as a beneficial model for the majority of students taught in general education classrooms (e.g., Bradshaw, Mitchell, & Leaf, 2010). Some students, whether at-risk for or school-identified with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) or other…

In this article, the authors provide an overview of behavior screening tools available, including free and commercially available options. Next, the authors offer step-by-step procedures for (a) selecting, (b) scheduling, (c) preparing, (d) administering, and (e) scoring and interpreting behaviors screening tools. The authors conclude with…

This clinical case study investigated the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention for a child with autism and anxiety-related problem behavior that integrated components of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with positive behavior support (PBS). One child with autism and his family participated. The dependent variable was the number of steps…

Leo Kanner in 1943 for the first time described the autistic disorder calling it a clinical syndrome characterized by an inability relational, resistance to change, atypic language (deficit of acquisition, echolalia, mutism, occasional pronoun reversal), repetitive play and stereotype excellent, mechanical memory, excessive emotional reactions and…

This quantitative study addresses the problem of reading and behavioral performance in elementary school by examining the impact of a universal preventive intervention on both the proximal and distal outcomes of students in the fourth grade at a mid-western elementary school. These proximal outcomes (disruptions per student per hour) were measured…

This study evaluates an intervention targeting social-communication and play skills (Advancing Social-communication and Play; ASAP) implemented by school staff in a public preschool setting. With increases in enrollment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school systems, establishing the effectiveness and feasibility of…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of coaching on special education teachers' implementation of function-based interventions with students with severe disabilities through the use of a delayed multiple baseline across participants design. This study also sought to examine if teachers could generalize the ability to…

Does behavioral voice therapy effectively improve voice quality and eliminate or reduce the size of vocal fold pathology in school-age children who have vocal nodules? An evidence-based practice intervention review was conducted to answer this research question. The following resources were searched: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health…

Relationships between the specific sleep problems and specific behavioral problems of children with autism were evaluated. Mothers' reports of sleep habits and autism symptoms were collected for 109 children with autism. Unlike previous research in this area, only children diagnosed with autism without any commonly comorbid diagnoses (e.g.,…

Professionals serving students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in inclusive classroom settings face the challenge of selecting and successfully implementing evidence-based intervention strategies. Many propose that Intensive Behavioral Treatment (IBT) is the most efficacious approach for learners with ASD. Evidence for this approach is often…

Check in/check out (CICO) is a secondary-tier intervention implemented within the framework of schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) that uses school-based contingencies to encourage positive behavior. CICO is a five-step cycle which uses daily progress report cards (DPR) to monitor progress toward schoolwide or…