This study evaluated the effects of a function-based self-advocacy (FBSA) intervention, which provided systematic and explicit instruction to three students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders on how to self-advocate their needs in regard to behavioral support based on the function of their behavior. We used a single-case,…

Early elementary-age students with and at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) tend to develop negative interaction patterns with their teachers. This preliminary study examines the extent to which symptoms of teacher burnout and teacher reports of classroom adversity are associated with the likelihood of negative interactions between…

This study reports results of a randomized, controlled trial examining the efficacy of the Family Check-Up (FCU) initiated during kindergarten on teacher report of children's emotional and behavior problems in first and second grade. Children's emotional and behavior needs and the receipt of special services in school at pretest were examined as…

Data-based individualization (DBI) is a systematic process used to guide teachers in making decisions related to students' responsiveness to intervention. Whereas this process has been used extensively with academic interventions, far less is known about DBI used within the context of behavioral interventions. In this study, elementary general and…

Therapeutic alliance is associated with treatment outcomes across a diverse range of intervention models and clinical populations. Likewise, the perceived quality of working alliance in adult psychotherapy has been a consistent predictor of engagement, while research with children is limited. This study draws from a sample of 180 children who were…

Internalizing behaviors are directed inward toward the child and are frequently overlooked in classrooms compared with externalizing behaviors. When internalizing behaviors are identified, cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) are typically the intervention of choice; however, CBIs are time-consuming and require considerable skill and…

Mental health research demonstrates that children with conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits differ in important ways from children with CP alone, including differences in primary caregiver attachment quality. This research suggests CU may also influence the quality of attachment between children with CP and their teachers.…

This article reports on the effectiveness of First Step to Success, a secondary-level intervention appropriate for students in early elementary school who experience moderate to severe behavior problems and are at risk for academic failure. The authors demonstrate the intervention's short-term effects on multiple behavioral and academic outcomes…

Even with the use of effective universal classroom management practices, some students will need additional behavioral supports. However, to translate implementation of new strategies into the classroom, professional development programs need to be adaptive to the complexities teachers face in providing instruction and managing classroom behaviors…

In this study, the authors examined the concurrent validity, predictive validity, and concurrent and predictive classification accuracy of using schoolwide behavior expectations as a universal behavioral screener. Three elementary schools implementing schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) participated. Within each school, the entire school…

The paucity of research investigating the effectiveness of universal behavioral strategies for supporting students in alternative educational settings is of great concern. However, a growing literature base supporting schoolwide positive behavioral support interventions (SWPBS) has been encouraging. This program evaluation provides additional…

In implementing its Behavior Research Initiative, the U.S. Department of Education funded four Behavior Research Centers, each to test the efficacy of a separate intervention to improve the behavior of elementary school students with or at risk for serious behavior problems. The initiative also established the National Behavior Research…

Two hundred seven students in Grades 1 through 5 who were at risk for severe behavior problems participated in a 2-year study of the effects of the "Check, Connect, and Expect" (CCE) program. The CCE program combined the essential intervention procedures of the "Check & Connect Program" and the "Behavior Education…

Two third-grade Taiwanese students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders participated in a pull-out, small-group social skills training program developed to promote their skill acquisition and maintenance. Using a multiple baseline across skills design, the authors demonstrated that both participants made marked performance improvement in…