Archive for the 'Behavior management' Category

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A. Duncan promotes PBIS

Published on 3 August 2009 in Behavior management, News, Policy, Prevention, The press and Treatment. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

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

Published on 25 July 2009 in Behavior management, News, Policy, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

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

Published on 20 July 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, ADHD, Behavior management, Bi-polar, Bullying, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, Depression, News, Prevention, Research, The press and Treatment. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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

Published on 21 June 2009 in Autism, Behavior management, News, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

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

Published on 22 May 2009 in Autism, Behavior management, Families, News, Policy, Professsional development, The press and Treatment. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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

Published on 19 May 2009 in Acting out, Autism, Behavior management, News and Policy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

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

Published on 21 April 2009 in Behavior management, Families, Musings, News, Policy and The press. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

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

Published on 2 March 2009 in Autism, Behavior management, Families, News, Policy and The press. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

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

Published on 7 February 2009 in Assessment, Autism, Behavior management, Causes, Families, News, Professsional development, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments

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

Published on 4 February 2009 in Autism, Behavior management, News, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

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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Tantrum management

Published on 31 January 2009 in Acting out, Autism, Behavior management, Causes, News, Prevention, Professsional development and The press. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Over on FAQAutism, Cathy Knoll has a pair of posts advising a student teacher about handling outburst by a student with Autism. The student teacher described the situation in this way:

The student teacher wrote that she is in an elementary classroom this semester, and is concerned about a youngster in the class. The student teacher reported the details of an episode that involved changing the regular classroom routine. She said, “One day I let the class vote on our reading activity. Their choices were (1) I would start a new book for our regularly scheduled ‘Read Aloud’ time, or (2) the students would read their new Scholastic News magazine independently at their desks. The class voted to read at their desk and finish a writing project for our bulletin board from earlier in the day. The girl with autism had voted for me to read aloud like I normally do at that time of day. However, the majority won. She couldn’t handle it and started yelling. I asked her quietly and calmly if she would like me to show her the new book that I would start reading to the following day. She screamed at me, ‘No. Never in a million years will I look at that book. I never want to hear you read anything ever again!’ Then she ran across the room and hid in a corner and started rocking back and forth.”

Ms. Knoll characterized the situation in terms of inflexibility and anger management. After remarking that she would not have students vote on activities, she makes a couple of sensible suggestions: (a) “The most effective way to prevent emotional meltdowns for an inflexible student is to develop a regular, predictable classroom routine” and (b) “Jot down quick notes every time he has a tantrum: the time it starts and the time it stops.”

I was pleased to see this tip-toe toward an antecedent-behavior-consequence analysis. Too bad that the recommendations do not go all the way to a functional behavior analysis. There are plenty of good resources on how to affect such analyses. It would be helpful to guide teachers to these methods of ascertaining what environmental features are sustaining a students “tantrums.”

Link to the two posts (#1 and #2) on FAQAustim advising a student-teacher about addressing tantrums.

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WORKING WITH TROUBLED CHILDREN (book available soon)

Published on 8 January 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, Behavior management, Bookshelf and Treatment. 2 Comments

Just a note to readers that a new little paper back (about 160 pages) that I authored with Rick Brigham (now of George Mason University) will be available before long. It might be used as a text in teacher education (special or general education) or as a resource by parents or anyone who works with children with emotional or behavioral problems. The reference is:
Kauffman, J. M., & Brigham, F.J. (in press). Working with troubled children . Verona, WI: Attainment.

It’s now available in an Advance Reader’s Edition (bound but uncorrected proofs), and we expect it’ll be available in final form in early spring. You may find Attainment Company at http://www.attainmentcompany.com/xcart/home.php . Here’s a Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 Recognizing Early Signs of Behavior Problems: An Overview of Early Intervention and Prevention
Cases in Point
Nathan
Pauline
Larry
Typical Responses to Early Signs of Behavior Problems
Understanding Normal Development and Differences
The Concept of Normal
Differences That Are Not Normal
Definitions of Disorders for Special Education
General Guidelines for Judging Signs of Behavior Problems
Signs of Problems in Infancy
Signs of Problems in Toddlerhood
Signs of Problems in the Early School Years
Signs of Problems in Middle Childhood
Signs of Problems in Adolescence
The Need for Early, Accurate Labels
The Dimensions of Early Intervention and Prevention
Summary
Chapter 2 Understanding Causes
Cases in Point
Mark
Tommy
Increasing and Decreasing Risk
Major Causal Factors
Biological Factors
Genes
Temperament
Brain Malfunction
Other Health-Related Issues
Family Factors
Family Definition and Structure, Including Substitute Parents
Family Interactions
School Factors
Insensitivity to Individuality
Inappropriate Expectations
Inconsistent Management
Instruction in Nonfunctional or Irrelevant Skills Ineffective Instruction in Critical Skills
Undesirable Models
Destructive Contingencies
Social and Cultural Factors
Mass Media: Television, Movies, and Music
Peers
Neighborhood and Urbanization
Ethnicity, Social Class, and Poverty
Summary
Chapter 3 The Dilemma of Early Identification: To Identify or Not to Identify
Cases in Point
Esther P. Rothman
Edith
True and False Identification: Trying to Get Labels Right
At-Risk and Response to Intervention: What Do They Mean?
The “At-Risk” Label
Meanings of Response to Intervention
What’s the Problem? A Caution
Spoiled Identity: Dealing with Pride and Prejudice
Expectations: Setting Them Not Too High and Not Too Low
Social Rejection and Isolation: Facilitating Peer Affiliation
Going From Bad to Worse: Facing The Ultimate Horror
Summary
Chapter 4 Why Responding to Trouble Immediately Is Important
Cases in Point
Dean
Larissa
Behavior Change Is Easier
Chances for Better Life Outcomes Are Enhanced
Academic Progress Is More Likely
Social Acceptance Among Helpful Peers Is Possible
Summary
Chapter 5 General Ideas for Making Things Better
Cases in Point
Derrick
Joshua
A Class That Is Separate and Better
The Centrality of Effective Instruction
The Help of School-Wide Discipline
The Usefulness of Structure and Routine
A Focus on the Positive in Behavior and Consequences
The Importance of Clear Communication
Why Consistent Follow-Through Is Essential
Understanding Cycles of Behavior and Implications for Prevention
Seeing the Cycle or Pattern
Responding Effectively to the Stage or Level
Anticipating the Next Level or Stage
The Use and Abuse of Medication
Summary
Chapter 6 Using Incentives Intelligently
Cases in Point
Rewards Versus Bribes
Andy
Try the Simplest Things First
Telling
Showing Examples
What to Use as Rewards
How to Use Rewards
Getting Started and Moving On
Being As Good As Your Word: Follow-Through
Thinking About Our Fears and Struggles
Summary
Chapter 7 Using Deterrents Deftly
Cases in Point
A Boy with Behavior Problems
Eddie
Commentaries on Punishment
The Necessity of Punishment
Punishment As Part of Teaching
Self-Perception
Keeping Punishment Nonviolent and Matter-of-Fact
Uses and Abuses of Time Out
Exceptions and Evidence Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Making Punishment Consistent, Informative, and Instructive
Making Punishment Stick: Follow-Through
Summary
Chapter 8 Finding Help
Parents as Sources of Support
Working with Consultants
Finding Help in the Literature
Summary

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