This report highlights the following four matters that warrant particular attention as the 2021-2022 school year gets underway: (1) Outreaching and reengaging disconnected students; (2) Improving differentiated instruction; (3) Broadly embedding social emotional learning and development; and (4) Reorganizing student/learning supports. To address…

The present study examined the relationships between the standardized applied behavior analysis (ABA) direct assessment, the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA), and established assessments commonly used in educational and clinical settings, including the Childhood Autism Rating Scale - Third Edition (CARS-3), the PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI),…

This article describes a quasi-experimental design study comparing a sample of divorcing parents who attended a divorce education program to a sample of divorcing parents who did not attend a divorce education program. The data were analyzed using four child outcomes (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, prosocial behaviors), with…

In New Zealand, limited research has been conducted in alternative-education learning environments and yet some of our most vulnerable students are referred to them by their secondary schools. Since 2000, alternative education has been available for students identified as being behaviourally challenging or are habitual truants. This paper reports…

African American students are being suspended/expelled at a greater rate than their peers, a phenomenon that scholars have come to call the "discipline gap." As the gap has grown, so have instances of African American student suspension and expulsion for "defiance." This article offers a revision of the Baker framework, which…

As an effort to achieve the developmental tasks of primary school age children, they are expected to obtain the basics of knowledge that are considered important to successfully adapt to adult life, and learn various important skills. However, there were several aspects that inhibit the achievement of the developmental tasks, for instance,…

Naturalistic polyadic family conflicts (i.e., involving three or more members) were studied over a 2-year period by comparing disputes originating between siblings (sibling-originated) or a parent and child (parent-child-originated). Conflicts were coded for (a) origination, (b) topic, (c) resolution, and (d) power in 39 families with two children…

Students with an Intellectual Disability (ID) have complex learning and behavioral needs that can complicate educational programming and compete with their ability to fully participate in their education. This work aims to provide a conceptual understanding of the behavioral complexities involved in instructing students with intellectual…

At Rushton Manor School, a small independent school in the South West of England, the proportion of young people with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), a form of Social, Communication and Language Need (SCLN), was substantially higher than regional averages: 15% at the school versus 5.4% in primary schools and 8.7% in secondary schools regionally…

High levels of emotional/behavioural difficulties are frequently reported in children on the autism spectrum. However, given the diversity in profiles, there is a need to explore such behaviours in relation to individual factors. Parents of 130 children aged 4-5 on the autism spectrum completed measures of behaviour and adaptive behaviour.…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display social-communication deficits and present with rigid and repetitive patterns of behavior and/or interests (RRBIs). Compared to interventions for social-communication skills, less attention has been given to RRBIs, especially with regard to interventions for young children. We surveyed 128…

We trained six special education staff members in groups of three to conduct differential reinforcement of alternative and differential reinforcement of other behavior procedures using a self-instructional package. Our self-instructional packages were written instructions and PowerPoint™ presentations that incorporated embedded text, video…

The ways in which teachers perceive and subsequently respond to preschoolers' behavior have significant implications for children's experience in the classroom. To further understand the nature and variability of teacher perception of young children's behavior, this study examined how teachers characterized the disruptive behaviors of a large and…

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based practice used to mitigate challenging behavior by increasing functional communication skills. To increase the practicality and feasibility of FCT in natural settings, thinning schedules of reinforcement are typically programmed following FCT. In this review, we meta-analyzed 28 studies…

Early intervention and prevention services for students at risk of emotional and behavioral problems are increasingly plentiful in the schools. However, recent reviews have revealed gaps in the literature regarding supports for students with internalizing problems. This gap has set precedent for the development of novel Tier 2 interventions that…