High school freshmen in accelerated courses have known risk and resiliency factors that should be considered within systematic efforts to monitor and promote student academic and emotional well-being. This study created and evaluated a multi-method approach to identify students in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses…

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) III, the purpose of this commentary is to describe school-based and school-relevant interventions and instructional approaches for children and youth with autism that have been developed and employed during that time period. The commentary begins with a brief…

Spanning the course of two decades, educational leaders have invested government finances into the social-emotional needs of adolescents. Government programs provide student questionnaires to survey the scholastic climate from students' perceptions. Previous research discusses the correlation between students' perception and their success in…

In response to requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Maine enacted a rule requiring all schools to have a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) in place by 2012 for a general education, pre-referral system of student support. The purpose of this system, generally termed Response to Intervention (RtI) by…

Because of its widespread adoption and implementation (in over 13,000 schools in the US; Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2010), there has been increasing attention to how School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) systems can be sustained. Sustained implementation can be defined as "continued use of an…

To explore the accessibility of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) for students with severe disabilities, we conducted a survey of 179 schools implementing SWPBIS during the 2015-2016 school year. Personnel from each school reported the frequency and level of importance of SWPBIS implementation across Likert-type…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy of Social, Academic, and "Emotional Behavior Risk Screener--Teacher Rating Scale" (SAEBRS) scores. Teachers (n = 68) universally screened 1,242 elementary students using two measures: the SAEBRS and the "Behavioral and…

Using a mixed-methods approach, the researcher investigated the generalization of Positive Behavior Supports Skills (PBIS) within an Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program, implemented with fidelity, as evidenced by statewide recognition for 10 years in a row, to the kindergarten setting in a Midwestern School District. Through…

Teacher nonverbal communication is important to the learning environment. The problem to be addressed throughout this study was how teacher nonverbal communication in the classroom influences student motivation and desire to learn. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to examine the impact teacher nonverbal communication has on at-risk…

Robert A. Gable is the Constance and Colgate Darden Professor of Special Education and Eminent Scholar at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. He earned his PhD from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and was on the faculty at Peabody--Vanderbilt and the University of Pittsburgh prior to his appointment at Old Dominion…

Background: Following scandals such as Winterbourne view, Department of Health, (A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital, 2012) seeks changes in challenging behaviour services. A key part of this change is ensuring people with learning disabilities who use challenging behaviour services have more personalised support and their voices are…

Quality early childhood education programs have a responsibility to provide enriched educational services to preschool students paired with parent support, education, and outreach. Pearl Buck Preschool, a non-profit organization devoted to the delivery of preschool services for children of parents with intellectual disabilities or learning…

This study aimed to assess the level of the use of positive behavioral support strategies (PBS) by teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Amman, the study sample consisted of 100 teachers (male, female) work at centers that provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) distributed on the variables (sex, the…

School Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (SWPBIS) is a broad approach providing school personnel with tools and skills to enhance student academic achievement and improve socially relevant behavior (OSEP-TAC on PBIS, 2016). SWPBIS is a 'technology' with four core features: (1) behavioral strategies; (2) integrated interventions; (3)…

Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) has been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific multi-tiered intervention for implementing effective classroom management strategies using PBIS…