Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic we implemented a partially online music intervention to examine the feasibility, experiences and short-term outcomes on the challenging behaviour and well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities. Method: This mixed-methods study included 10 participants with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities…

Health and behavior change programs play a crucial role in improving health behaviors at individual and family levels. However, these programs face challenges with engagement and retention and typically show modest efficacy. Cognitive load theory is an established and highly used educational theory that proposes individuals have a finite capacity…

Caregivers of young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities report a need for training and support in reducing their children's challenging behavior at home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a telehealth caregiver training program comprised of online modules and weekly practice-based coaching on caregiver implementation fidelity of…

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of parent training via telehealth to decrease noncompliance in 3 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder using the Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) technique, Behavior Skills Training. Behavior Skills Training includes four critical components: instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and…

Self-regulation is the ability to control cognitive, behavioural and social-emotional processes in service of one's goals. In the preschool years, self-regulation develops rapidly, and during this period, it is influenced by the plasticity of the underlying neurofunctional circuits. Since good early self-regulation skills favour positive…

The urban classroom environment presents unique challenges related to student behavior and classroom management. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a proactive approach to addressing these challenges. The study examines the impact of PBIS implementation in urban schools,…

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder affecting at least 2,000 people worldwide (Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, 2019, How rare is Phelan-McDermid?). PMS has many distinguishing characteristics and many medical specialties have been recommended to treat the clinical features. While…

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are strategies shown through rigorous experimentation to be effective when implemented as designed by educators in the field. The purpose of this review is to (a) describe the state and quality of evidence-based reviews and meta-analyses of studies on classroom and behavior management interventions for students with…

It is widely assumed that (1) children with challenging behavior may lack the social-emotional skills to be successful in classroom settings and (2) instruction in social-emotional skills can help prevent the occurrence of young children's challenging behavior. However, no data are available to indicate whether specific social-emotional skills…

The Research and development (R&D) methodology was employed in this research to create an educational innovation, called "Online Self-Training Program for Development for Teachers' Learning to Enhance Prosocial Behavior for Students", which was effective according to the specified criteria. This online self-training program consisted…

Functional communication training (FCT) is a well-established, evidence-based practice used to address challenging behavior among individuals across settings, ages, and disability categories. However, the research is limited on the implementation of FCT in inclusive school settings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The…

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common disabilities in schools, with up to 50% of such children displaying behaviours that challenge, bringing about demanding teaching circumstances and a negative impact on educators' well-being. Strength-based interventions has not formally been used in autistic classrooms in South Africa…

Problem behavior, such as non-engagement, impacts academic outcomes (McIntosh et al., 2008; Morgan et al., 2008; Nelson et al., 2003; Roberts et al., 2015). Theories examining the relationship between problem behavior and academics suggest the following regarding the directionality of the relationship: (a) academic challenges lead to problem…

Although the number of U.S. schools implementing multitiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B) continues to grow, most schools have still not adopted these evidence-based frameworks. We examined the views of educators (N = 561) at the outset of adopting MTSS-B in their schools or districts. Our survey addressed the (a) reasons schools and…

Children with diagnosed disabilities, teachers and classroom staff, and families living in rural areas have difficulty accessing any and all behavioral services, including parent training, due to a lack of providers, distance to clinics, cost of transportation, low income and/or inadequate health insurance, and confidentiality concerns from living…