Table of Contents

About This Book vi

About the Authors vii

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword by John W. Maag xxiii

Preface xxv

Part One A Positive, Proactive Approach to Behavior Management

1 A Case for Change 3

What’s Wrong with Kids Today? 4

What Happened to the Good Old Days? 4

I Didn’t Sign Up for This! 5

Students with Behavior Problems Should Just Be Suspended! 6

Punishment Works for Me! 7

What Can We Do? 8

Remove the Words Should and Shouldn’t from Your Vocabulary 8

Limit the Time Spent ‘‘Admiring the Problem’’ 8

Strive to Understand the Perspectives of All Team Members and Stakeholders 8

Let Go of the Old Way of Doing Things 9

Expand Your Behavior Management Toolbox 10

Key Points to Remember 10

Discussion Questions 10

2 Positive Behavior Support and Functional Behavioral Assessment for Educators 12

What Exactly Is Positive Behavior Support? 13

Research-Validated Practices 13

Enhancing the Capacity of Environments 13

A Three-Tiered Model 14

What Exactly Is Functional Behavioral Assessment? 15

Three Key Concepts of FBA 17

Setting Events 17

Triggering Antecedents 17

Maintaining Consequences 18

Common Functions of Problem Behavior 18

To Get Attention or a Reaction 19

To Get Something Tangible 20

To Obtain a Sense of Power or Control 20

To Meet a Sensory Need 20

To Communicate Feelings 20

As a Result of a Lack of Understanding 21

To Escape or Avoid Something 21

The Bottom Line on Functional Behavioral Assessment 22

Our Model of Intervention 22

Key Points to Remember 23

Discussion Questions 24

Part Two Social Skills Instruction

3 Teaching Social Skills: The Basics 27

Traditional Approaches to Social Skills Instruction 27

A Three-Tiered Approach to Social Skills Instruction 28

Types of Social Skills Deficits 30

Skill Deficits 30

Performance Deficits 30

Fluency Deficits 32

Self-Management: The Ultimate Goal 33

Key Points to Remember 34

Discussion Questions and Activities 35

4 Group Social Skills Instruction 36

Schoolwide and Classwide Social Skills Instruction 36

Class Meetings 37

Mini-Lessons 37

Frequent Positive Feedback 37

Schoolwide and Classwide Expectations or Rules 38

Schoolwide and Classwide Routines 39

Important Schoolwide and Classwide Lessons 41

Small Group Social Skills Instruction 43

Choosing Curricula: A Case Study 43

Key Points to Remember 46

Discussion Questions and Activities 47

5 Individualized Social Skills Instruction 57

What Behaviors Should Be Focused on During Individualized Instruction? 57

‘‘So What?’’ Behavior 58

Identifying Replacement Behavior 60

Other Target Behaviors 61

Who Should Provide Individualized Instruction? 62

When Should Individualized Instruction Take Place? 62

Embedded into Existing Structures and Therapies 62

Check-In 63

Precorrection 63

Behavior Tutoring Sessions 63

Incidental Teaching 63

How Should Individualized Instruction Be Delivered? 64

Video Modeling 64

Social Stories 64

Commonly Overlooked Replacement Behaviors 65

Taking Appropriate Breaks 65

Negotiating Assignments 65

Key Points to Remember 66

Discussion Questions and Activities 66

Part Three Preventing Challenging Behavior

6 Preventing Challenging Behavior: The Basics 71

Targeting Setting Events and Triggering Antecedents 71

Identifying Sources of Frustration 72

Developing a Positive Relationship 73

Be Consistent 73

Develop a Partnership 74

Focus on Frequent Positive Feedback 76

Key Points to Remember 76

Discussion Questions 77

7 Assisting with Executive Functioning Tasks 78

Using Visual Supports 80

Organizational Helpers 81

Behavior Prompts 81

Visual Schedules 84

Transition Helpers 85

A Final Word About Visual Supports 88

Assistance with Other Executive Functioning Skills 88

Breaking Long Projects into Steps 88

Waiting to Be Called On 89

Staying on Task 90

Key Points to Remember 93

Discussion Questions 94

8 Providing Appropriate and Engaging Academic Instruction 99

Differentiated Instruction 100

Providing Choices 101

Embedding Interests and Preferences 101

Writing Strategies 102

Scheduling 107

Learn How to Make a Table in a Word Processing Program 108

Schedule Things That Are Absolutely Inflexible First 108

Schedule the Major Core Academic Areas 109

Use Paraprofessionals Wisely and Appropriately 109

Make Sure You Get a Planning Time 111

Maintaining Academic Engagement 112

Failure Is Not an Option 112

Honor Roll 113

Key Points to Remember 113

Discussion Questions and Activities 114

Part Four Reinforcing Desired Behavior

9 Reinforcing Desired Behavior: The Basics 117

Reinforcement Versus Rewards 117

Focus on Common Unintentional Reinforcers: Attention and Escape 118

Reinforcement Versus Bribery 119

How to Determine What Is Reinforcing for Students 120

Interviews and Surveys 120

Observations 120

Reinforcement Journals 121

Reinforcement Menus 121

Reinforcement Schedules: Determining How Much and How Often 123

Differential Reinforcement of Zero Rates of Behavior 126

Differential Reinforcement of Lower Rates of Behavior 127

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior 127

Other Issues Surrounding Reinforcement 128

Setting Appropriate Criteria 128

Pairing Educators and School with Reinforcers 129

Deprivation 129

Teaching Peers to Reinforce Appropriately 130

Key Points to Remember 130

Discussion Questions and Activities 131

10 Group Reinforcement Systems 132

Interdependent Group-Oriented Contingencies 132

Student Teams 133

Interdependent Group-Oriented Contingency Games 134

The Classwide Peer-Assisted Self-Management (CWPASM) Program 135

Independent Group-Oriented Contingencies 136

Lottery Systems 137

Token Economies 137

The Importance of Tier 1 Reinforcement 138

Key Points to Remember 138

Discussion Questions and Activities 139

11 Individual Reinforcement Systems 140

Target Behavior Sheets 140

Use Positive Language 141

Limit the Number of Skills 141

Individualize the Target Skills 144

Be Specific 144

Embed Visual Supports and Special Interests 146

Partner with the Student to Help Develop 146

Set Realistic Criteria 146

Let Students Keep Their Sheet with Them (If They Wish) 146

Review Regularly with the Student 147

Use Turnaround Points 147

Use Bonus Points 147

Allow Students to Self-Monitor When Ready 148

Communicate to Parents What Constitutes a Successful Day 148

Dependent Group-Oriented Contingency 150

Level Systems 150

Structured Behavioral Skills Program: Daily Level System 151

Climbing the Ladder of Success 152

A Warning About Using Point and Level Systems 154

Token Boards 154

Contracts 155

Punch Cards 158

Positive Attention Trackers 158

Key Points to Remember 160

Discussion Questions and Activities 161

Part Five Using Undesirable Consequences

12 Using Undesirable Consequences: The Basics 165

Problems with Punishment 165

Punishment Does Not Work in the Long Term 166

Punishment Does Not Teach the Student What to Do Instead 166

Punishment Encourages Negative Attitudes Toward School and Educators 166

Punishment Reduces Motivation to Learn Other Techniques 166

Natural and Logical Undesirable Consequences 167

Natural Undesirable Consequences 167

Logical Undesirable Consequences 169

The Three R’s of Logical Consequences 169

Related 169

Reasonable 170

Respectful 170

Punishment Versus Logical Consequences 171

Key Points to Remember 172

Discussion Questions and Activities 173

13 Common Logical Undesirable Consequences 174

Common Undesirable Consequences Continuum 175

Three Strikes 175

Response Cost or Fines 176

Wasted Time 176

Behavior Tutoring 177

Think Time 178

The Importance of Problem Solving 178

Consequence Maps 179

Alternatives to Out-of-School Suspension 181

In-School Suspension 184

Red Schedule 184

Advantages of Alternatives to Out-of-School Suspension 187

Key Points to Remember 188

Discussion Questions and Activities 189

Part Six Putting It All Together

14 Conducting Effective and Efficient Functional Behavioral Assessments 193

Step One: Operationally Define the Problem and Replacement Behaviors 195

Step Two: Collect Information 195

How Much Information Is Needed? 195

How Do I Collect the Data? 197

Step Three: Develop Hypotheses About Why the Problem Behavior Is Occurring 199

Key Points to Remember 202

Discussion Questions and Activities 203

15 Designing and Implementing Effective and Efficient Behavior Intervention Plans 204

Step 4: Design a Behavior Intervention Plan Based on the Functional Behavioral Assessment 204

Step Five: Monitor and Adjust the Behavior Intervention Plan as Needed 205

Was the Plan Implemented as Written? 205

Did Behavior Improve, and Was This Improvement Maintained over Time? 206

Key Points to Remember 209

Discussion Question 209

16 Example Success Stories 210

Example 1: Joey 211

Functional Behavioral Assessment Worksheet 211

Behavior Intervention Plan Worksheet 212

Joey’s Safe Note for Home 214

Joey’s Target Token Board (Front) 214

Joey’s Target Token Board (Back) 215

Joey’s Fidelity Checklist 216

Joey’s Data Sheet 217

Joey’s Data Graphs 217

Example 2: Susan 218

Functional Behavioral Assessment Worksheet 218

Behavior Intervention Plan Worksheet 220

Susan’s Self-Monitoring Target Behavior Sheet 223

Susan’s Reinforcement Menu 224

Susan’s Consequence Map 225

Susan’s Target Skill Progress Computation Sheet 225

Susan’s Fidelity Checklist 226

Susan’s Data Graphs 227

Example 3: Taylor 228

Functional Behavioral Assessment Worksheet 228

Behavior Intervention Plan Worksheet 230

Taylor’s Stoplight 233

Taylor’s Tower of Success 234

Taylor’s Data Sheet 235

Taylor’s Fidelity Checklist 235

Taylor’s Data Graphs 236

Example 4: Malik 237

Functional Behavioral Assessment Worksheet 237

Behavior Intervention Plan Worksheet 238

Malik’s Data Sheet 241

Malik’s Consequence Map 242

Malik’s Fidelity Checklist 243

Malik’s Data Graphs 243

Part Seven What About Dangerous Behavior? Managing Crises

17 Intervening During the Escalation Cycle 247

Stage One 248

Stage Two 248

Stage Three 249

Stage Four 250

Stage Five 250

Stage Six 251

Key Points to Remember 253

Discussion Questions and Activities 254

18 Physical Restraint and Seclusion 255

Definitions 256

Historical Overview 256

Roots of the Problem 257

Current School Culture 257

Lack of Regulation 257

Lack of Training 258

Lack of Research 259

Concern About Increase of More Aversive Options 259

Lack of Options 259

What Can Educators Do? 260

Be Informed 260

Provide or Ask for Training 260

Commit to Positive Behavior Support in Philosophy and Practice 262

Monitor Use of Restraint and Seclusion 262

Key Points to Remember 262

Discussion Questions and Activities 265

Part Eight Reproducible Tools

1 Positive-to-Negative Ratio Data Sheet 268

2 Break Pass 269

3 Countdown Strips 270

4 Chart Moves Frame 271

5 Peer Comparison Direct Observation Form 272

6 Consequence Map Template 273

7 If-Then Chart Template 274

8 Notes Template for Functional Behavioral Assessment 275

9 Functional Behavioral Assessment Summary Worksheet 276

10 Behavior Intervention Plan Worksheet 278

Glossary 281

Notes 287

References 293

Index 299