Young children's challenging behavior can impact all aspects of the classroom environment, including relationships (peer-peer, student-teacher), learning, and safety. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a program that focuses on supporting pro-social behaviors and preventing challenging behavior. PBIS begins with building a…

Self-regulatory limitations are typical of young children, whose impulsiveness, distractibility, and emotional outbursts can amuse and frustrate parents and practitioners. During the last 30 years, however, research into the development of self-regulation has revealed that early childhood is a very early stage in the maturation of brain regions…

Objective: To examine the efficacy of a developmentally appropriate parent-child cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol for anxiety disorders in children ages 4-7 years. Method: Design: Randomized wait-list controlled trial. Conduct: Sixty-four children (53% female, mean age 5.4 years, 80% European American) with anxiety disorders were…

Early childhood programs are becoming increasingly inclusive. What strategies can teachers use to address challenging behaviors? This article demonstrates how DAP and PBS can be blended so teachers can help children learn more positive behaviors.

Examines the use of behavioral strategies in inclusive early childhood education settings, focusing on positive reinforcement. Notes that developmentally appropriate practice does not preclude the use of reinforcement as incentives. Describes different types of reinforcers and answers frequently asked questions about reinforcement strategies.…

Discusses the advantages of using developmentally appropriate guidance as a method of classroom management. Contrasts this method with traditional classroom discipline and clarifies the distinction between misbehavior and mistaken behavior. Analyzes the three levels of mistaken behavior and suggests that adults who approach children as individuals…

The National Research Council formed a Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism and charged the committee with integrating the scientific, theoretical, and policy literature and creating a framework for evaluating the scientific evidence concerning the effects and features of educational interventions for young children with…