Many schools today have a prevention-based focus for working with academic and social behavior problems through the use of tiered approaches (Bohanon, McIntosh, & Goodman, 2011; Horner & Sugai, 2005). Through the use of levels of support, including a continuum of increasingly intensive support based on responsiveness to evidence-based core…

Many students with exceptionalities, such as Aaron, display challenging behaviors that have a substantial impact on their quality of life and greatly disrupt the educational process (Matson, Wilkins, & Macken, 2009; Westling, 2010). Challenging behavior often causes academic and social difficulties for the students displaying the behavior,…

Behavior Education Program (BEP) is the most researched targeted intervention that is used in schoolwide positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS). It is a daily check-in and check-out system in which students receive extra attention for positive social behavior throughout their school day. This extra attention is intended to prevent…

Public schools are replete with children and adolescents like Billy, Reid, and Rowdy whom teachers describe as rude, disruptive, and obnoxious, and not all of them are in special education. Asher (1990) estimated that 10% of school-age children have social skills deficits severe enough to be rejected by their peers and up to 75% of children with…

Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is an empirically supported approach that is implemented by more than 10,000 schools in the United States to support student and staff behavior (www.pbis.org). SWPBS is based on a three-tiered prevention logic: (a) Tier 1 interventions support all students; (b) Tier 2 interventions support targeted…

Many young children demonstrate behavior that teachers find challenging. Accordingly, early childhood and elementary educators must be prepared to support children's social development and use effective practices so that children will be less likely to develop or sustain behavior problems. General education reform and legislation direct schools to…

Many students identified with emotional or behavioral disorders have social skill deficits, often displayed as less mature or inappropriate social behavior. Students may have difficulty engaging in appropriate play or social interactions and may at times become aggressive. The inability to interact with others has a negative impact on academic…

The term "literacy" is often used synonymously with reading and writing. However, literacy entails more than reading and writing. Literacy involves communicating with others and includes listening, viewing, following, and reading directions and interacting with friends and colleagues. The literacy skills and abilities are essential for all…

American classrooms are experiencing the largest influx of immigrant students since the beginning of the 20th century (National Collaborative on Diversity in America's Teaching Force, 2004). The U.S. Department of Education says that of the more than 50 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools this year, one in every five has…

The goal of educators is to prepare students to live independent, productive lives. This objective is accomplished by helping students acquire the requisite skills to function independently. Most youths develop an aptitude to make wise behavioral choices by observing the individuals with whom they interact. Unfortunately, students with emotional…

Autism is a developmental disability that manifests as impairment in three primary areas: social interaction, communication and imaginative activities, and reactions to environmental stimuli. The appearance of autism spectrum disorder ranges from children who are very low functioning, nonverbal, stimulus seeking, aggressive, antisocial, and…

This article presents a scenario which is a classic example of a student becoming frustrated because her needs are not being met. Unequipped to advocate for herself in a socially acceptable manner, Marcy, a 12-year-old, sixth-grade student diagnosed with an emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD), used the most effective strategy in her…

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a developmental disability marked by impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, socialization, and behavior. This article provides an introduction to the difficulties experienced by students with AS and six strategies that can be easily implemented by teachers or parents to help students acquire the skills needed…