Each year, the number of students with a documented disability in public schools in the U.S. has increased. However, school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers continue to identify a lack of confidence when teaching students with exceptionalities. This lack of confidence has been exacerbated by a lack of professional development regarding…

Functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are critical components in the education of students with, or at risk for, emotional disturbance (ED). The purpose of this article is to compare the legal requirements with the professional requirements for FBAs and BIPs. The comparison is first according to the…

In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to put people with mental retardation to death for capital crimes ("Atkins v. Virginia," 2002). Justice Scalia dissented, suggesting that mental retardation is a condition easy to feign. The current study examined whether participants provided with the definition of mental…

Today's teachers, especially the many who work with students with special needs, are pressed to know a little something about everything. Expertise is needed in different content and pedagogical areas, but knowledge of different types of disabilities is required as well. Wendy Murawski and Kathy Lynn Scott have assembled another reader-friendly…

This volume focuses on evidence-based practices (EBPs), supported, sound research studies documenting their effectiveness with a target population. As such, EBPs have significant potential to improve the outcomes of learners with learning and behavioral disorders. However, a number of obstacles exist in identifying, conceptualizing, adopting, and…

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has emerged as a powerful new tool to identify genomic abnormalities associated with a wide range of developmental disabilities including congenital malformations, cognitive impairment, and behavioral abnormalities. CMA includes array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism…

Children with special needs have been a focus of institutional reforms in Serbia for nearly two decades. Historically, as in other Eastern European countries, children with severe developmental, emotional, and/or behavior disorders in Serbia were often placed in institutions far from their families for much of their lives. Since the fall of…

Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) are developed by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each TIP involves the development of topic-specific best-practice guidelines for the prevention and…

The debate over expanding the legal definition of behavior disorders to include social maladjustment is presented; both sides of the issue are addressed including such aspects as confusion in terms, unclear incidence figures difficulty in identification, and legal and ethical ramifications. (CL)

Explores four types of intervention available in treating self-injurious behavior (SIB). One effective, although controversial, treatment in reducing SIB involves use of Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System (SIBIS), a device which delivers a mild electric shock following a blow to the head. Reviews and explains the ethical and legal issues…

This article addresses legal concerns regarding the use of level systems to manage students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Concerns pertain to a failure to individualize the program, including restricted access to the least restrictive environment, curricular issues, and procedural concerns. A decision-making model to aid in designing…

In response to James Mulick (EC 232 032), this paper agrees with the need for careful use of aversive techniques to treat severe behavior disorders of persons who are mentally retarded but justifies such use on moral, legal, ethical, and practical bases as well as scientific ones. (DB)

A high percentage of youths adjudicated by juvenile courts show neurodevelopmental abnormalities and suffer from significant learning problems and academic underachievement. Judges, lawyers, and those involved in the delivery system of the courts exhibit a lack of knowledge about students' school histories and psychological evaluations. This…

Addresses the debate over aversive versus nonaversive treatment for preschool children with severe behavior disorders. Discusses problematic aspects of an ideological approach to behavior disorder treatment; relative intrusiveness of psychoactive medications; alternatives to legal actions against school districts; side effects; therapeutic effects…

The second volume of a two-part resource guide for teachers of emotionally disabled students, this guide provides articles and informational items on aspects of serving this student population. The first section examines legal issues involved in conducting staffings, writing individualized education program objectives and understanding…