Over the past several decades, there has been a steady increase in the use of medication therapy to help control student behavior within schools. While psychotropic medications do not "cure" mental illnesses, they have demonstrated efficacy in helping children function better at school and within their home environment. However, it is important…

The Thematic Photobook System is a teaching strategy that uses an interpersonal approach to involve and encourage a child to participate in producing photobooks of specific themes to facilitate desired learning or behavioral objectives. A thematic photobook is a tool which integrates a number of educational or therapeutic photo activities focused…

Students are coming to schools with increasingly diverse academic, social, and emotional needs. Meeting each child's social and behavioral needs can be challenging and overwhelming, especially in the era of high-stakes testing. No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) mandate the…

The growing frequency, duration, and intensity of children's challenging behaviors makes general and special education teachers' professional lives hazardous to their health. The focus of this article is on helping teachers leave the classroom each day with a feeling of accomplishment and a belief that they have made a difference in the lives of…

When teachers consider behavior management issues in the classroom, they often focus primarily on student behavior. Nevertheless, managing inappropriate student behavior can often be improved by altering teacher behavior. Discussed in the present article are four components of teacher behavior that can lead to more effective management of student…

This paper presents the effects of a function-based intervention bundle including a combination of teacher-directed self-recording, self-monitoring, and prompt cards to decrease inappropriate classroom talking out of a 7th grade student with an emotional/behavioral disorder. The interventions were based on functional behavior assessment that…

Music-education majors often struggle when making classroom and curricular modifications for their lesson plans during their university coursework. This article offers behavioral, curricular, environmental, motivational, organizational, and presentational strategies for planning instruction for various disabilities in the music classroom.…

Described in this article are outcomes, procedures, and suggestions for incorporating a dog into a classroom for students with emotional or behavioral disorders. First, the outcomes for the inclusion of a dog are presented and are reported from an empirical study conducted by the author. Next, details are provided on how teachers would initially…

Special educators frequently provide consultation for parents and general education teachers who are struggling to manage student behavior. One intervention often discussed is the use of rewards to increase student motivation. While research has shown that well-designed incentive systems can provide an effective intervention, poorly designed…

The academic and social demands of school and classroom environments place unique demands on students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Assistive technologies provide a resource that largely remains untapped in the management of behaviors. This article outlines four tips teachers may use as they select from an array of assistive…

Thousands of schools throughout the country are now implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) as a way to improve school culture, safety, and climate. Research is needed to assess the effects of implementing SWPBS on (a) teacher stress and (b) teacher efficacy. The present pilot study provides a preliminary study of these…

A group of fifth-grade students who had persistent problems at lunch and recess were identified and provided with direct instruction in pro-social skills. These skills were taught by the authors in a two-week program that they called the "Alternative to Lunch Program for Students" (ALPS). This action research study measured the impact of…

Freddy, a student diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder served for part of the school day in special education, was having difficulty staying on task. Teachers reported that Freddy was continuously getting up out of his seat, bothering classmates, and making verbal comments or requests without raising his hand. Observations were…