There is a growing population of adolescent students with developmental disabilities (DD) in school settings. Educators are in need of evidence-based practices (EBP) to address the challenging behaviors of students with DD. A key consideration in determining whether practices should be considered as an EBP is whether these practices have been…

The problem addressed by this study was that School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is not consistently being implemented with fidelity by special education teachers in urban high schools in California, which can have negative academic and behavioral impacts on students with disabilities. This qualitative descriptive…

The primary purpose of conducting a structured interview as part of a functional behavior assessment (FBA) is to assist teams in generating a hypothesis about the reason for a student's problem behavior based on specific information. Although the use of an interview can be beneficial in identifying the function of a student's behavior, it often…

The multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) design provides academic and behavioral support for students. Children with emotional behavior disorders need these interventions and support to develop management skills. Students identified with the emotional, behavioral disorder (EBD) or with being emotionally disturbed (ED) could have a range of…

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a school-wide approach to create a safe and positive school climate. SWPBIS is a framework in which core features and procedures need to be adjusted to its specific school context, referred to as contextual fit. Implementing with fidelity is related to positive outcomes such as a…

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) provide a way for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to self-manage challenging behaviors, which may ameliorate the need for more intensive individual interventions in schools. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, our study examined whether Meditation on the Soles of the Feet (SoF), a brief MBP,…

Children with serious problem behaviors pose a challenge for school staff to maintain safe and productive learning environments. Eloping, often called running, bolting, or absconding, from the classroom disrupts learning environments and requires significant attention and time from staff. Existing interventions to address elopement behavior lack…

Recent research has demonstrated that educators and students succeed when students are present, engaged, socially secure, and academically successful. These practice recommendations draw upon studies of whole-school or whole-class interventions that support prosocial behavior in elementary school students, including students who are identified as…

There is a need for more research on selective or Tier 2 interventions to support students with challenging classroom behaviors. Existing Tier 2 interventions lack effective mechanisms such as autonomy support, which are shown to improve student-teacher relations and build competencies in the form of social or intra and interpersonal skills. The…

Exclusionary practices, including suspension, expulsions, and office discipline referrals, to student misbehavior, can have a lasting impact on student outcomes. School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a universal behavioral framework designed to support school personnel prevent and respond to challenging student…

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities have more opportunity to attend postsecondary education than ever before. Peer mentors who support these students sometimes need to manage challenging behavior. This study examined the impact of training and coaching with performance feedback on peer mentors' fidelity in implementing…

Paraeducators play an important role in assisting teachers and other professionals to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including delivering positive behavioral supports to those students who engage in persistent challenging behavior. The purpose of this multiple baseline design across participants study was to support…

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Secondary (PTR-SEC) model as an individualized Tier 3 intervention within the School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) in three high school classrooms. Three teaching staff (two teachers and one instructional aide) and three students with autism spectrum…

In recent decades, research and practice have shown that investing in a positive school-wide social culture is a key component of effective education. Evidence demonstrates that educators and students succeed when students are present, engaged, socially secure, and academically successful. Developed by 2M Research in conjunction with an expert…