In the last 10 years, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased 200 percent. Principals, special education directors, and superintendents across the country report that their schools are teaching increasing numbers of students with ASD. Educators want to provide a good and effective educational experience, but they may not be…

In this article, we describe and evaluate the extent to which recent changes to state-level policy are related to seclusion and restraint in schools and detail what components of comprehensive restraint and seclusion policy are indicated. We examined state policy documents and coded them for the presence of specific characteristics related to…

In this article, the authors provide an overview of behavior screening tools available, including free and commercially available options. Next, the authors offer step-by-step procedures for (a) selecting, (b) scheduling, (c) preparing, (d) administering, and (e) scoring and interpreting behaviors screening tools. The authors conclude with…

Scaling of evidence-based practices in education has received extensive discussion but little empirical evaluation. We present here a descriptive summary of the experience from seven states with a history of implementing and scaling School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) over the past decade. Each state has been…

The 1990 reauthorization of PL 94-142, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), emphasized the need for applied research in schools to prevent the development of emotional disturbance. Prevention research then led to mandates in IDEA 1997 that schools must develop positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) for children and youth…

This article presents the conceptual foundations and specific features of an ecologically oriented model of school-based organizational consultation. We begin by providing an overview of ecological theory. This is followed by a brief description of a model of school-based organizational consultation with a special focus on the ecological elements…

This quasi-experimental quantitative study examines whether six general inclusion classrooms teachers treated students receiving IDEA services in the same manner as they treated general, non-IDEA students through an analysis of teacher-student interactions of praise and desisting. The study took place in six separate self-contained classrooms that…

There is no evidence that physically restraining or putting children in unsupervised seclusion in the K-12 school system provides any educational or therapeutic benefit to a child. In fact, use of either seclusion or restraints in non-emergency situations poses significant physical and psychological danger to students. Yet the first round of data…

This qualitative case study investigated the process of teaching the self-management strategies, self-determination, and self-monitoring to chronically misbehaved students from the perspective of a secondary special education teacher. The investigation used a purposeful sample to select an urban high school setting and a tenured special education…

The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act made major changes to the education of children with disabilities who exhibit challenging behavior. The law emphasized the use of positive behavior supports (PBS) and functional behavioral assessments (FBA) as a strategy to address challenging behavior. Since…

In the 1970s, the Education for the Handicapped Act (EAHCA) gave rights to parents to receive training and mandated that schools provide it. The 1997, Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA 1997) mandated the use of PBS for children with problem behaviors. IDEA 1997 required that schools create behavior plans with positive behavioral strategies…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and No Child Left Behind emphasize the use of scientifically based research to improve outcomes for students. From this emphasis, response-to-intervention has evolved. We present one perspective on the defining features of response-to-intervention and application of those features to school-wide…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 emphasized the use of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and services for students with disabilities who display challenging behaviors. Unfortunately, most teachers and schools still lack systems for identification, adoption, and sustained use of these…

Educators from four states participated in a pilot study to enhance and field-test an assessment guide for assisting teams in creating student-centered behavior plans. The assessment guide attempts to consciously match the multi-layered tenets of positive behavior support with the behavioral intervention and support process for maximum…

In the past several years, the values and practices of positive behavior support (PBS) have had a significant impact on services provided to adults and children with disabilities. Evidence of this impact can be seen in federal grants and laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA, 1997), a professional…