Archive for the 'Behavior management' Category

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First Step takes off

Hill Walker and colleagues reported that the First Step to Success program benefitted young children at risk for developing emotional or behavioral disorders. In a longitudinal study of the three-year program conducted in Albuquerque (NM, US), the researchers found substantial reductions in disruptive behavior and improvements in social functioning.

In a press release, Professor Walker said, “Albuquerque was the first opportunity we had to mount a large-scale study of the program using a randomized control group, the gold standard for research. First Step has been implemented widely, but not [studied] in this way.”
Continue reading ‘First Step takes off’

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Meds plus behavior management for Autism

Michael Aman and co-authors (and there are at least 25 of them) reported that a combination of medication and parent training in behavior management was more effective than medication alone in reducing behavior problems. They assigned families randomly assigned to receive either risperidone as well as parent management training or risperidone alone. After 24 weeks, they assessed the children’s behavior with parent-report measures. The parents who learned to use behavior management strategies reported lower levels of non-compliant behavior and irritability.
Continue reading ‘Meds plus behavior management for Autism’

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A. Duncan promotes PBIS

Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, wrote to the chief officers of education for each of the states in the US on 31 July 2009 regarding the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. He expressed concern about the testimony heard recently by the Education and Labor Committee of the US House of Representatives, and recommended that states adopt Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support.

My home State of Illinois has what I believe to be one good approach, including both a strong focus upon Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) as well as State regulations that limit the use of seclusion and restraint under most circumstances….

Several other States have also adopted effective seclusion and/or restraint policies, but there are many jurisdictions that have not, leaving students and teachers vulnerable.
Continue reading ‘A. Duncan promotes PBIS’

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Seclusion and restraint on Parade

Parade Magazine, the insert into millions of Sunday newspapers in the US, carried a brief piece about seclusion and restraint in the versions to be delivered 26 July 2009 (available on line 25 Jul 2009). The piece doesn’t present anything new, but we can hope that it helps to sustain concern about providing appropriate treatment for individuals with disabilities.

Link to the story. Flash of the electrons to Mike Kruger of the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor News of the Day: Should Schools Use Restraints on Students?. On the House Ed & Labor blog one can also see a video of Chair George Miller talking about seclusion and restraint.

For previous coverage of seclusion and restraint on EBD Blog, please use the items with that label in the “tags” section of the side rail.

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Evidence-based practices registry

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, maintains a Web site where users can search for and learn more about methods for preventing or treating some Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. It’s called the “National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices” (NREPP) and, for those who are concerned about employing or recommending evidence-based practices, it’s worth reviewing.

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable online registry of mental health and substance abuse interventions that have been reviewed and rated by independent reviewers.

The purpose of this registry is to assist the public in identifying approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance use disorders that have been scientifically tested and that can be readily disseminated to the field. NREPP is one way that SAMHSA is working to improve access to information on tested interventions and thereby reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field.

NREPP is a voluntary, self-nominating system in which intervention developers elect to participate. There will always be some interventions that are not submitted to NREPP, and not all that are submitted are reviewed. In addition, new intervention summaries are continually being added. The registry is expected to grow to a large number of interventions over the coming months and years. Please check back regularly to access the latest updates.

Although NREPP originally focused on substance abuse, its coverage is broader now. Look for resources about, for examples, Across Ages; Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders: Thinking and Acting To Prevent Violence; Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices; All Stars; Caring School Community; CASASTART; Children’s Summer Treatment Program (STP); Coping Cat; Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC)/Creating Lasting Connections (CLC); Early Risers “Skills for Success”; Families and Schools Together (FAST); Guiding Good Choices; Incredible Years; Keep A Clear Mind (KACM); Keepin’ it REAL; Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence; Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for Juvenile Offenders; Multisystemic Therapy With Psychiatric Supports (MST-Psychiatric); Positive Action; Primary Project; Project Northland; Project Towards No Tobacco Use; Project Venture; Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS), PATHS Preschool; Protecting You/Protecting Me; Right Decisions, Right Now: Be Tobacco Free; SAFEChildren; Second Step; SMARTteam; Storytelling for Empowerment; Strengthening Families Program; Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14; Success in Stages: Build Respect, Stop Bullying; Too Good for Drugs; and Too Good for Violence;

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HBOT skepticism listed

Over on Autism Street, Dad Of Cameron (“Do’C”) has assembled a list of sources that have questioned the strength of the evidence about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Autism. I’m pleased he included the resources from EBD Blog. Thanks!

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CCBD on seclusion and restraint

The Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (CCBD), an international group concerned about children and youths with EBD, published statements about the use of seclusion and restraint with students. Although the documents appear to be in preliminary form, they began circulating on the Internet today, so I’m posting copies of the PDFs here. Watch for an update of them.

Link to the CCBD Web site.

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US Congress hearings on seclusion and restraint

Over on Behavior Mod Info readers can find several entries about the hearings regarding US schools’ use of seclusion and restraint. The hearings were conducted by the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor.

(Apologies for the cross-posting to those who read Teach Effectively.)

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Remembering seclusion and restraint

Over on her Ed Week blog, Christina Samuels posted an entry entitled, “Use of Seclusion, Restraints on Students at Issue: Watchdog agency preparing report on practices.” She reports not only about current efforts to keep awareness of the issue high, but also about the sometimes-tragic background on the issue.

In my view, paddling and spanking should also be on the list. These are not appropriate, let alone effective, methods.

Because students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders are probably more likely to experience seclusion and restraint, it is important for the special education and mental health communities to help in sustaining awareness of the issue.

Read Ms. Samuels’ post.

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Taser incident investigated

Jack Leonard and Richard Winton reported that a California police department will investigate whether an officer who used a taser stun gun to subdue a boy with Autism acted according to police guidelines. The investigation was prompted by a complaint from the boy’s parents. Under the headline “Hawthorne police review use of Taser on middle school student,” Mr. Leonard and Mr. Winton recount the incident from September of 2008 when Officer Vincent Arias tased the 12-year-old boy who had assaulted a teacher and a school security guard.

Lt. Michael Ishii said police were called to Hawthorne Middle School after a student grabbed a counselor in a threatening manner and punched and kicked a security guard who intervened. The boy, described as about 5 feet 7 and 130 to 150 pounds, threatened to kill staff members and continued assaulting the guard, who tried to protect other staffers, Ishii said.

“He bore the brunt of the assault,” Ishii said of the guard, who was knocked to the ground at one point. “He was doing his best to block the kicks and punches.”

Officer Vincent Arias arrived at the school about 11:30 a.m. The boy, whose name was not released, continued behaving violently and kicked Arias in the groin as about 200 students looked on from the school grounds, Ishii said.

School officials called the boy’s adult sister to the site but she was unable to calm him, Ishii said. Arias, he said, fired a hand-held X26 Taser when the boy dashed toward the school’s exit and the area where the other students were in a physical education class.

Link to Mr. Leonard’s and Mr. Winton’s story from the Los Angeles (CA, US) Times. Read previous posts on EBD Blog about use of force by police to subdue children with Autism from 21 September 2007 and 22 August 2006.

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Pending workshop

Later this month Ronald Leaf and Mitch Taubman of Autism Partnership will present a workshop in the Los Angeles area, and it is likely to be of interest and benefit to some readers of EBD Blog. The session. entitled “It Has To Be Said! ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore,’” promises to discuss contemporary topics such as causes, alternative treatments, inclusion, effectiveness, and more. It’s slated for 8:30 AM -2:30 PM 26 February 2009 in Seal Beach (CA, US). Here’s a special plus: Unlike many workshops, this one will not costs $100s—It’s only $90 per person ($75 for parents)!

I wonder what they’re mad about. Could it be the lunchmeat that is served as fine food in the Autism world? I hope someone who attends will report back to me by dropping a comment.

Download an announcement (PDF) of the workshop.

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Behavior mod and Autism

Over on Behavior Mod Info I posted an entry about CNN covering brief, intensive intervention for a family with a child who has Autism. The story covers work done by the Autism Partnership. Here’s the link.

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