Differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior is a technique in which students can escape a portion of a task they perceive to be unpleasant by reaching a predetermined criterion. In this article, we define the negative reinforcement trap and review research on differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior. We then…

Preservice teacher candidates acquire and develop numerous competencies in their teaching programs, including how to teach writing. Effective writing instruction is critical across all ages and content areas, especially when working with students with and at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders, making it an important aspect of teacher…

Educators who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders may seek instructional strategies that are effective yet practical in the classroom. These strategies need a research base to support them and minimal time and/or effort to prepare or implement. One research-based option for educators across a variety of contexts is…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often have deficient reading skills that require intensive intervention. Effective intervention is comprehensive in nature, addressing individual student needs. This article provides an overview and recommendations for one potential component of individualized support: the use of repeated…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) typically exhibit significant behavioral excesses or deficits that interfere with their learning and sometimes that of their peers in the classroom. These behaviors can generally be described as either external and easily noticed (e.g., disruption, aggression) or internal and easily overlooked…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how issues of effectiveness and efficiency are considered most logically in the field of education. More specifically, the focus is on the importance of these issues as they pertain to teaching, instruction, and management strategies for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). The driving…

Effective instruction is a key component of successful classroom management and includes practices that maximize the likelihood of student participation, active responding, and correct responding while minimizing errors. Researchers have established the connection between effective instruction and (a) increases in desired student behaviors,…

The term "data-based decision making" (DBDM) has become pervasive in education and typically refers to the use of data to make decisions in schools, from assessment of an individual student's academic progress to whole-school reform efforts. Research suggests that special education teachers who use progress monitoring data (a DBDM…

Challenging behaviors displayed in both general education classrooms and self-contained classrooms by students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) can be a difficult challenge for novice and experienced teachers (Kennedy & Jolivette, 2008; Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2010). Furthermore, students with EBD demonstrate broad…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) may exhibit both learning and behavioral needs that affect the teacher's ability to provide effective instruction. Extending beyond simple academic content knowledge, effective teacher-based interventions include preventive and predictive actions that manage the disruptive behaviors often…

Many teachers face behaviors such as talking out, disrespectful comments, general classroom disorder, and even verbal abuse on a daily basis. Students who create these disruptions in classroom settings interrupt the flow of instruction and affect the behaviors of other students, creating a chaotic environment. Because students with or at risk for…