Positive and constructive feedback is a form of positive reinforcement essential to effective instruction and classroom management. This article provides practitioners with a range of realistic positive and constructive feedback strategies and descriptions of how such feedback can be implemented in schools and classrooms, with a special focus on…

Students with behavioral and emotional disabilities spend less time on academic instruction due to their behavioral disruptions, contributing to the academic difficulties these students face. Classroom management strategies, in the form of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), incorporate principles of applied behavior analysis to…

Functional behavior assessment (FBA), although mandated by federal law in situations involving students with emotional and behavioral disorders, is not well defined in the literature in terms of how it should best be undertaken in widespread practice in schools. Functional behavior assessment can be defined as a process for determining the reason…

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention for whole classes, and for students with disruptive behaviors who are at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD). The CW-FIT program includes four elements designed from…

Despite significant advances in practices for effectively designing and delivering instruction for students with disabilities, educators continue to face challenges addressing the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Little information is available for educators on accommodations and modifications that would serve the needs…

This article offers teachers basic information needed to prevent and manage aggression in children and youth. Information is provided regarding stages of crises, effective strategies for each stage, and prevention strategies designed specifically for public school classrooms. Policies and procedures to address the needs of aggressive students are…

Timeout use was found to be low to moderate for the majority of 88 severely behaviorally disordered students in an elementary school self-contained program. Little evidence was found of a relationship between timeout use and academic achievement. In contrast, measures of school absence, in particular truancy, were correlated with poor academic…

The article reviews advantages and disadvantages associated with use of manual restraint to manage aggressive behavior in behavior disordered students. Noted is the common use of manual restraint without empirical validation or full consideration of ethical and legal implications. Guidelines for using manual restraint are offered. (Author/DB)

Discusses a study of 103 young children at risk of developing serious behavioral and emotional problems. Describes strategies for classroom management, academic enhancement, and social development that can be implemented in general education classrooms to prevent the development of serious emotional and behavioral problems in children. (CR)

This literature review evaluates studies of self-management procedures (including self-evaluation, self-instruction, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement) used with behaviorally disordered students in school settings. The analysis found general support for the techniques, but many procedural concerns need to be addressed in future research.…

This article discusses strategies for preventing aggression and violence in children and youth, including understanding and applying appropriate interventions for escalating levels of aggression and violence, classroom preventative and planning measures, and systemwide policies and procedures. A student crisis plan sheet is provided as a tool for…

This article offers suggestions for addressing behavioral infractions by students with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings. Ten questions are offered to help analyze situations that foster disruptive behavior and assist in the selection of appropriate behavior-reduction strategies. (DB)

This paper explores how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects students and how teachers can help such students lead productive lives in the classroom and elsewhere. It describes the symptoms of OCD in students, including trouble getting to school on time because of rituals while getting cleaned and ready in the morning, inability to finish…

This position paper discusses aversive conditioning and other behavior reduction procedures. Environmental modification, differential reinforcement, timeout, overcorrection, and corporal punishment are discussed in terms of current applications, with arguments for and against their inclusion in behavior modification. Eight guidelines are offered…

This article suggests ways in which special educators of students with emotional and behavioral disorders can introduce puppets into their classrooms as educational and therapeutic instruments. Puppets are able to help students identify problems and find rational solutions in a nonthreatening situation. Two sample applications are included. (DB)