The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors

by Jessica Minahan

Overview

The Behavior Code Companion delivers a helpful inventory of concrete and practical resources for the development and implementation of successful behavior intervention plans for students.

Special educator and behavioral analyst Jessica Minahan, coauthor of The Behavior Code, delivers a companion guide for educators and parents who want to better support students with challenging behaviors. Used by countless educators, the FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan has been proven to improve proactive classroom management, encourage positive teacher-student relationships, and reduce the need for school discipline.

In this book, Minahan offers a wealth of supplemental materials for each stage of the FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan—which involves determining the function (F) of the behavior, offering appropriate accommodations (A), implementing proactive intervention strategies (I), and practicing positive response strategies (R). Among other invaluable supports, she provides clear and direct exercises for brainstorming and reflection, a series of checklists to help with implementation and monitoring progress, and planning activities and templates that can be customized and put to use immediately. The author also recommends apps and other technology that can assist and simplify plan implementation.

Throughout the book, Minahan offers illustrative case studies, with a special focus on students with mental health diagnoses and those with anxiety-related or oppositional behaviors.

Filled with actionable advice, this highly useful resource gives educators and parents the tools to meet challenging behaviors with both confidence and compassion. This volume will help educators create optimal learning environments for all students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612507514
Publisher:	Harvard Education Press
Publication date:	12/01/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	115,846
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jessica Minahan, MEd, BCBA, is a board-certified behavior analyst and special educator. She is Director of Behavioral Services at Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA), in Newton, Massachusetts, as well as a behavior consultant to schools nationwide. She also holds an adjunct professor position in the special education department at Boston University.

Jessica has over sixteen years of experience in public school systems supporting students with mental health challenges who exhibit concerning behavior. She has extensive experience supporting students with explosive and unsafe behavior, anxiety, trauma histories, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and high-functioning autism. Jessica specializes in staff training and creating behavior intervention plans and systems that combine a behavioral approach with a deep understanding of the student’s psychological profile.

Jessica holds a BS in intensive special education from Boston University and a dual master’s degree in special education and elementary education from Wheelock College. She has a certificate of graduate study (CGS) in teaching children with autism from the University of Albany and received her behavior analyst training from Northeastern University. A sought-after international public speaker, Jessica has spoken on subjects ranging from effective interventions for students with anxiety to supporting hard-to-reach students in full-inclusion public school settings. She is a blogger for the Huffington Post and the coauthor of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, with Nancy Rappaport (Harvard Education Press, 2012). Her speaking schedule, other publications, and more information are available at www.jessicaminahan.com.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

CHAPTER 1
Cracking the Code 7
Embracing a New Perspective on Behavior

• REFLECT: How Do You Think About Behavior? 10
• REFLECT: Examining Your Assumptions 12
• CASE STUDY: Julian, a Student with Anxiety 13
• CASE STUDY: Malik, a Student with Anxiety 15
• PRACTICE: Reframing Our Understanding of Behavior 17

CHAPTER 2
The FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan 19
Practicing the Fundamentals

• PRACTICE: Functional Communication 23
• PRACTICE: Replacement Behavior 24
• PRACTICE: Writing Target Behaviors 28
• PRACTICE: Analyzing Stan's ABC Notes 31
• PRACTICE: Analyzing Juanita's ABC Notes 33
• PRACTICE: Analyzing Raul's ABC Notes 35
• PRACTICE: Analyzing ABC Notes for Your Students 37
• PRACTICE: Structured ABC Data Sheet 38

CHAPTER 3
Key Interventions for Successfully Supporting Students 41

• REFLECT: Supporting Student Work Initiation 47
• REFLECT: Transitions and Your Students 49
• CASESTUDY: Xavier, a Fourth-Grade Student 53
• CASESTUDY: Trevor, a First-Grade Student 54
• PRACTICE: Making a Transition Support Plan 55
• REFLECT: Evaluating Breaks in Your Classroom 59
• PRACTICE: Brainstorming Breaks 62
• PRACTICE: Evaluating Break Data 64
• REFLECT: Finding Islands of Competence 68
• PRACTICE: Planning Islands of Competence 71
• PRACTICE: Brainstorming Barriers to Alternative Lunches 71

CHAPTER 4
"Get Away From Me!" 73
Strategies and Interventions for Students with Anxiety-Related Behaviors

• CASE STUDY: Analyzing Harry’s Behavior Plan 78
• CASESTUDY: Analyzing Chandra’s Behavior Plan 80
• REFLECT: Analyzing Your Student's Behavior Plan 82
• PRACTICE: Creating a Writing Checklist 87
• PRACTICE: Creating a "How I Feel About Writing" Sheet 88
• REFLECT: Prioritizing Skills and Strategies 91
• PRACTICE: Creating a Visual Self-Regulation Sheet 99
• REFLECT: Planning a Check-In 104
• REFLECT: Creating Check-In and Check-Out Sheets 106
• CASESTUDIES: Catching It Early with Sophia and Sam 109
• CASE STUDY: Prioritizing Strategies for Omar 113
• CASESTUDY: Prioritizing Strategies for Stacey 113

CHAPTER 6
Creating FAIR Behavior Intervention Plans 147

• CASE STUDY: Aton, Grade 3 151
• CASE STUDY: Devan, Grade 6 154
• CASE STUDY: Angela, Grade K 157

CHAPTER 7
Tools for Monitoring Progress and Implementation 161

• REFLECT: Creating Data Sheets for Your Student 165
• PRACTICE: Making an Implementation Checklist 177
• PRACTICE: Putting It All Together 178

APPENDIX A
Individualized Education Program Goals and Objectives 183

APPENDIX B
Protocols: Safety, Bolting, Threat, and Self-Harm 187

APPENDIX C
Helpful Apps 207

APPENDIX D
FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan Template 217

APPENDIX E
Updated FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan for Students with Anxiety-Related Behavior 221

APPENDIX F
Updated FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan for Students with Oppositional Behavior 227

APPENDIX G
Answer Key 235

Notes 255
Acknowledgments 259
About the Author 261
Index 263

Editorial Reviews

“The Behavior Code Companion is an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, administrators, and related service providers, filled with tools that allow for effective and positive modification of challenging and interfering behaviors while preserving the child's dignity.” — Alexandre Cron, special education teacher, New York City

“Jessica Minahan translates complex knowledge about challenging behavior so that teachers and administrators have tools and strategies they can immediately implement. The Behavior Code Companion is a game changer that will help all schools that think they have run out of ideas.” — Michael Cordell, chief academic officer, KIPP DC

“Minahan provides so many creative and reasonable ways to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles that she makes me want to go back to public school teaching! What a much better place schools would be if all school personnel and mental health professionals used this book!” — Jeannie Golden, psychologist, behavior analyst, and associate professor, East Carolina University

“The Behavior Code Companion offers brilliant insight into mental health issues in the form of practical, research-based interventions teachers can actually implement.” — Vaughn C. Kauffman, former director of special education, Helena, Montana

From the Publisher