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SPED 5110/6110: Behavior Support Strategies for Students with Mild/
Moderate Disabilities
Who I am...
Who you are...
What I’m planning to do (syllabus)
What would you like to do?
Course website materials http://155.97.51.14/users/robert.o’neill/
Other issues/questions?
Additional context: The Behavior Analyst Certification Board
o Task/content list
Review for the day (BCBA content)
Positive reinforcement
N____________________________ reinforcement
o NPR story
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o Unconditioned and c__________________________ reinforcers
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Describing/defining problem behavior
o Different labels over time
o How would you define? (In-class Activity #1 – 5 pts.)
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Definition of challenging behavior (Univ. of Minn.)
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Where do problem behaviors come from?
o And why should we care?
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Describing/defining emotional/b__________________________ disorders
o How would you do it? (In-class Activity #2 – 5 pts.)
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Federal: P.L. 94-142/IDEA
National Mental Health and Special Education Coalition (1993?)
DSM???: Conduct Disorder
Utah Special Education Rules (2011)
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Some possible characterics
o Hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness)
o A__________________________________________ or self-injurious
behavior (acting out, fighting)
o Withdrawal (failure to initiate interaction with others, retreat from
exchanges of social interaction, excessive fear or anxiety),
o Immaturity (inappropriate crying, temper tantrums, poor coping
skills)
o Learning difficulties (academically performing below grade level)
o Distorted thinking
o Excessive anxiety
o Bizarre motor acts
o Abnormal mood swings
o P__________________________________
o Schizophrenia
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“Emotional disturbance”is used as a generic term to cover two types of
behavior difficulties which are not mutually exclusive but which adversely
affect educational performance:
o (1) E_____________________________________ refers to behavior
problems that are directed outwardly by the student towards the
social and physical environment and are usually considered
behavioral excesses.
Some Utah data (50,000?)
o .5% of children with disabilities ages 3-5 have EBD as their primary
disability
o 7.9% of those ages 6-11
o 7.7% of those ages 12-17
o 5.2% of those ages 18-22
o 7.2% of students with disabilities ages 6-22 have emotional
disturbance as their primary disability.
o (2) Internalizing refers to a class of behavior problems that involve
more “internal” challenges and issues and often involve what are
considered behavioral deficits.
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Classification over time (Walker, et al.)
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Other approaches to defining or classifying
o Models of social/behavioral competence
o More functional (our focus...)
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Approaches to assessment/ eligibility
o Before classifying a student as emotionally disturbed, it must be
determined that the student is not behaving as an emotionally
disturbed student because of: (a) an inappropriate classroom
discipline system, (b) breakdown of classroom discipline, (c)
inappropriate academic instruction or materials, (d) vision or hearing
impairments, or (e) other m___________________________
conditions.
o Disclaimer information may include data in cumulative records,
interviews, classroom observations and/or evaluation.
o Multiple measures of behavioral, social, and academic areas.
 Documentation that behavior has occurred over long period to
a marked degree and adversely affects performance
 3 observations on behavior pinpoints.
 Academic performance.
 Social/adaptive behavior √list or rating scales.
 Document referral behaviors.
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National Trends and Issues (Osher, 1994)
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Outcomes
o Academic: lowest grades, most often retained, lowest GPA (1.7)
o Student placement: 17% in regular classes vs. 33% for all kids with
disabilities
o Graduation rates
 42% of youth with E/BD obtain diplomas
 57% of all youth with disabilities
 76% of the general population
o Dropout rates
 55% of youth with E/BD
 36% of all youth with disabilities
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 24% of all students
Encounters with juvenile justice
 20% arrested at least once before leaving school
 74% of dropouts arrested within 5 years of leaving
Identification and SES
 Some ethnic minority and lower SES groups overrepresented
 Females underrepresented?
Longitudinal outcome research
 Poor with regard to social/marital relationships, substance
abuse, criminal activity, psychiatric diagnoses, vocational
outcomes, etc.
The glass is half full! (or partway at least!)
 R___________________________________, etc.
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Newest federal definition of E/BD
o “Mad, bad, sad, and can’t add…” 
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National Strategic Targets (Osher, 1994; CEC)
o Expand positive learning outcomes and results
o Strengthen school and community capacity
o Value and address d_________________________________
o Collaborate with families
o Promote appropriate assessment
o Provide ongoing skill development and support
o Create comprehensive and collaborative systems (“wraparound
services”)
Cross-cutting themes
o Focus on prevention
o Support in culturally sensitive and respectful manner
o Services must empower all s________________________________
o School-related challenging trends and issues?
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Let’s talk...
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Perspectives from Arthur Levine (2006)
o Education schools are blamed for the students they recruit…
o Education schools are expected to turn out “finished products”…
o Education schools are expected to rescue failing school systems…
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Components of effective behavioral support in schools
Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
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Changes in the way we look at providing behavioral support
o Paying attention to broader o___________________________
o Understanding why problem behaviors are happening (functional
assessment and analysis - IDEA)
o Assessment-based support plans with multiple strategies
o Separating “crisis management” from behavioral support
o Strategies that are “doable” in real settings (goodness-of-fit)
o Support with humility...
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Being Proactive: General Classroom Organization and Management
 Overall flow of behavioral support process
Important aspects of classroom organization and management
o Let’s talk…
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Student perspectives on helpful and unhelpful teacher behavior
o Teacher-student communication
o Openness, humor, clear academic and behavioral expectations
o Flexible academic programming
o Content, extra credit, presentation style, homework
o Flexible behavioral programming
o Tolerance, rewards, “repair”
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Teacher r____________________________
o Procedural rigidity, rigid academic and behavioral expectations,
content and presentation
o Punitive discipline
o Overuse, negative affect