Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

Teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disability (ASD/IDD) report managing challenging behavior as one of the most difficult aspects of their work. Evidence-based practices (EBPs) in behavior management can assist teachers in increasing positive behavior in their students with ASD/IDD; however, evidence suggests that teachers may not use EBP effectively. To support teachers in integrating EBP into their practice to increase positive behavior in their students, we developed Communities of Research and Practice (CoRP). In CoRP, classroom teams and researchers in a Mid-Atlantic U.S. state met monthly to discuss how specific EBP could be combined with teachers’ practical expertise to meet the unique needs of their students. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, no significant pre–post differences were found between CoRP and a business-as-usual comparison group on teacher-reported knowledge and use of EBP; however, CoRP participants reported significantly greater decreases in student conflict and challenging behavior. In addition, participants found CoRP valuable and feasible, with high attendance and completion rates. Implications for reducing the research-practice divide are discussed.

Individuals with developmental disabilities sometimes lack functional skills such as asking for help. Sometimes these deficits can extend into the adult years. Although there is an abundance of research on teaching such skills to children, there is a dearth of such research involving adults. Three adult participants diagnosed with disabilities that impaired independent functioning were taught to request help when needed using an electronic activity schedule using a multiple-baseline across participants design conducted in the U.S. state of New York. Each participant was given two electronic activity schedules delivered via PowerPoint on an iPad tablet. The activity schedules were based on tasks that resulted in naturally occurring reinforcers for the participants. While participants independently navigated the activity schedules and completed steps in the activities, they did not request help during steps when materials were unavailable. The addition of interactive prompts to the activity schedules increased help requests from all participants. These prompts consisted of questions with interactive choices for answers that lead to prompts to ask for help as needed. Generalization of asking for help was shown across tasks for one participant, and within tasks for two participants. The implications for continued future research on using electronic activity schedules to present choices for greater independent functioning are discussed.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an evidence-based classroom management intervention shown to reduce disruptive classroom behavior in a variety of academic settings. In typical application, the GBG utilizes an interdependent group contingency, and the teacher explains to the students which contingencies are in place and how they relate to behavior (i.e., a rule statement is provided). Given this approach, behavior may change for at least two reasons. First, behavior contacts the reward contingency in place during the GBG. Second, student’s behavior occurs as a function of rule governance (i.e., previous experience with rule statements). In an effort to evaluate which mechanism may be responsible for behavior change during the GBG, the current study used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design to evaluate behavior during the GBG in the presence and absence of a reward contingency (i.e., rule statement plus contingency or rule statement only) across four second grade classrooms in the Southeastern U.S. Results of the study indicated the reward contingency was a necessary component to yield maximum behavior change. Results are discussed as they relate to implementation of the GBG and its component parts.

Paraeducators play an important role supporting students who receive special education services under the guidance and direction of educational professionals. Although paraeducator guidelines articulate the importance for paraeducators to have knowledge and skills to support students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs, paraeducators and those who supervise them consistently identify student challenging behavior as a high-priority training area for paraeducators. To explore paraeducators’ training experiences specifically in relation to challenging behavior, we conducted a convergent mixed-methods study that involved surveying and interviewing administrators, teachers, and paraeducators in the United States. Findings provide insights into paraeducator training content, delivery, and adequacy related to challenging behavior. We also share barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to paraeducator training to support the behavioral needs of students receiving special education services. We discuss limitations, connect findings to existing literature, and share implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Multi-tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) is a framework for organizing and providing school-based support in various areas such as academics, behavior, social and emotional development, and mental health. A foundational aspect of MTSS is evaluation, including the fidelity of alignment. For over a decade, scholars have proposed frameworks for school counselor (SC)/MTSS alignment. However, the extant literature is missing an assessment with valid scores for measuring SC/MTSS alignment. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to develop and validate scores on the School Counselor/MTSS Alignment Scale (SC/MTSS-AS), a newly developed assessment for measuring SC/MTSS alignment among three independent U.S. national samples of SCs. The three following aims of this study included: (a) testing the dimensionality of scores on the SC/MTSS-AS, (b) confirming the emergent factor structure with a second independent sample of SCs, and (c) testing the convergent validity of scores on the SC/MTSS-AS. Results of internal structure validity testing revealed and confirmed a five-dimensional MTSS alignment model, including a higher-order latent factor of total MTSS alignment. Convergent validity testing also supported the psychometric properties of the SC/MTSS-AS.

In this 5-year prospective study, we identified practice, school, and district variables predicting sustained implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), a widely implemented framework for improving social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Uniquely, the study captured implementation before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Personnel from 595 schools across 22 U.S. states completed a validated measure of implementation strategies during the 2018–2019 school year. Analyses included a multilevel logistic regression of school and district fidelity of implementation data, as well as school characteristics and district PBIS data. Results showed that most schools had sustained implementation after 5 years, and adequate fidelity of implementation and better team use of data for decision-making in Year 1 were the strongest predictors of sustained implementation in the 2022–2023 school year. School grade levels served and school locale were also predictive of sustained implementation. We discuss implications for how teams can improve sustained implementation of evidence-based practices through massive school disruptions.