A comparison of workshop training versus intensive, experiential training for improving behavior support skills in early educators

Children with autism and other disabilities are often prohibited from participating in inclusive educational environments due to the occurrence of problem behaviors. In this study, a standardized model for individualizing procedures of behavior support, Prevent–Teach–Reinforce (PTR), was evaluated in general education settings with three elementary school students with autism spectrum disorders and serious problem behaviors. A multiple baseline across students design was used to test the effects of PTR on the occurrence of problem behaviors and academic engagement. Results indicated that problem behaviors were reduced and engagement was increased for all of the participants. The findings are discussed in relation to the importance and the challenges of implementation fidelity and effective behavior support in general education settings.

BackgroundLow- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately impacted by interacting epidemics of tuberculosis (TB) and tobacco consumption. Research indicates behavioural support delivered by health workers effectively promotes tobacco cessation. There is, however, a paucity of training to support LMIC health workers deliver effective tobacco cessation behavioural support. The TB and Tobacco Consortium undertook research in South Asia to understand factors affecting TB health workers’ delivery of tobacco cessation behavioural support, and subsequently developed a training package for LMICs.MethodsUsing the “capability, opportunity, and motivation as determinants of behaviour” (COM-B) framework to understand any issues facing health worker delivery of behaviour support, we analysed 25 semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion with TB health workers, facility in-charges, and national tuberculosis control programme (NTP) staff members in each country. Results were integrated with findings of an adapted COM-B questionnaire on health worker confidence in tobacco cessation support delivery, administered to 36 TB health workers. Based on findings, we designed a guide and training programme on tobacco cessation support for health workers.ResultsQualitative results highlighted gaps in the majority of health workers’ knowledge on tobacco cessation and TB and tobacco interaction, inadequate training on patient communication, insufficient resources and staff support, and NTPs’ non-prioritization of tobacco cessation in all three countries. Questionnaire results reiterated the knowledge deficits and low confidence in patient communication. Participants suggested strengthening knowledge, skills, and competence through training and professional incentives. Based on findings, we developed an interactive two-day training and TB health worker guide adaptable for LMICs, focusing on evidence of best practice on TB and tobacco cessation support, communication, and rapport building with patients.ConclusionsTB health workers are essential in addressing the dual burden of TB and tobacco faced by many LMICs. Factors affecting their delivery of tobacco cessation support can be identified using the COM-B framework, and include issues such as individuals’ knowledge and skills, as well as structural barriers like professional support through monitoring and supervision. While structural changes are needed to tackle the latter, we have developed an adaptable and engaging health worker training package to address the former that can be delivered in routine TB care.Trial registrationISRCTN43811467.

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an evidence-based approach for supporting adaptive behavior and addressing behavioral challenges. It is critical that families have access to effective evidence-based behavior support practices for both intervention and prevention because they lead to better outcomes for families, and counter-productive family management practices have been shown to further escalate children’s behavioral challenges. PBS has been demonstrated to be effective with individual children with serious behavior challenges in family homes and features of PBS are evident in common family-based intervention approaches. Unfortunately, complete application of PBS in family contexts has not been fully explored or conceptualized. The purpose of this paper is to define the core features of PBS including lifestyle enhancement, assessment-based intervention, and comprehensive support plans (i.e., including strategies for prevention, teaching, and management). Examples of how the features of PBS are currently being employed within the field of PBS and within other evidence-based parent education and support programs are provided. Suggestions for how collaboration, assessment, data-based decision making, comprehensive intervention, and tiered approaches to service delivery may be used to enhance behavioral support for families are offered. Lastly, future directions for research and practice are recommended.

This intervention study examined teachers' use of verbal praise and reprimands as specific components of teacher behavior management that can promote children's development in schools. The impact of teacher praise and reprimands on children's development was examined in the context of a teacher-mediated, classroom intervention. The sample involved 570 children and 30 teachers from second grade classrooms in 15 primary schools. The Good Behavior Game was implemented in half of the classrooms based on random assignment within schools. Teacher behavior management (praise for appropriate behavior and reprimands for inappropriate behavior) was observed during regular classroom lessons. Hyperactive, disruptive, and withdrawn child behavior were assessed using teacher and peer reports, global self-concept and emotional engagement were assessed using child self-reports. All variables were assessed at the beginning (pre-test) and at the end (post-test) of the school year. Multilevel regression models accounted for the nested structure of the data. The results suggested positive effects of fewer reprimands and more praise on child outcomes (except emotional school engagement), although the results differed by informant. We also found indirect effects of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on child outcomes via teacher praise and reprimands. Overall, the study suggests that teachers' use of praise and reprimands is a malleable classroom factor that influences children's behavioral and socio-emotional development.

Functional behavior assessment and function-based support have increasingly been used in school settings in the past decade. This increased use has come under scrutiny from some experts who have argued in the past that function-based support has not yet been proven to be effective in typical school settings with students without severe disabilities. But recent research has demonstrated its effectiveness in general education settings, and current research is providing insight into procedures that can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of functional behavior assessment and function-based support in typical school settings. In this article the authors provide six guidelines for effective functional behavior assessment and support in school settings.

This study examines the behavioral supports utilized by teachers for learners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and analyzes their effectiveness as the empirical basis for developing a targeted training program for educators in selected schools within the Division of Caloocan City during School Year 2022-2023.Employing a descriptive-correlation design, the research involved 50 educators (4 master teachers and 46 regular teachers) chosen through purposeful sampling.Seven behavioral support domains were investigated: structure and routine, clear instructions and positive reinforcement, minimizing distractions and organizational strategies, behavioral interventions, self-regulation techniques, physical activity and healthy lifestyle, and social skills training.Learners' behavioral outcomes were evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).Findings showed that teachers rated clear instructions and positive reinforcement most highly, with reward systems identified as particularly effective in practice.However, correlation results indicated that different domains, such as self-regulation techniques, physical activity and healthy lifestyle, and social skills training, were the strategies significantly associated with improved CBCL outcomes.Teachers also identified major challenges in supporting ADHD learners, particularly the difficulty of applying universally effective approaches and managing impulsive behaviors.Based on these insights, a targeted training program was developed and evaluated as acceptable by both master teachers and SPED teachers.The study concludes that strategic professional development should prioritize the domains that demonstrated significant associations with behavioral improvement, such as self-regulation, physical activity, and social skills training, to strengthen educators' competencies in implementing effective supports for learners with ADHD.

Most people in business now recognize the need for effective workplace behavioral health support services. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has emerged as a prime resource to help address this need. However, due to the growth of the EAP field, it has become challenging for employers and the business consultants who advise them to determine what is the right kind of EAP program, how to confidently select the right provider of EAP services, and how to best implement an EAP program so it is effective and delivers value to the organization. There are now a variety of resources that can support EAP purchasers and program managers in making these kinds of decisions. This article identifies five employer guides for EAP and other guides for related topics of behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse and misuse. An in-depth summary is provided of the 2009 report from the Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA), called Selecting and Strengthening Employee Assistance Programs: A Purchaser's Guide. Also summarized are the first 10 issues of the new series of brief reports from EASNA called Research Notes. All of these publications from EASNA are available to the public at no cost from the association's Web site (www.easna.org).

In order to provide culturally competent care to children and adolescents that have been subject to forced migration, clinicians must first understand the unique trauma these individuals experienced. Victims of forced migration frequently experience trauma pre-displacement, typically resulting from the same factors that led to the forced migration. They then often experience trauma during the migration itself and post-migration as they settle in a new environment, sometimes without their families if they are unaccompanied minors. An increased risk of developing complex PTSD (C-PTSD) correlates with the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as those experienced by children and adolescents that experience forced migration. Understanding the nuances of these traumas and their specific manifestations for the individual child or adolescent is critical for effective behavioral health support. Trauma signature (TSIG) analysis offers clinicians a method to understand the relationship between traumatic events and the physical and psychological consequences to best support these victims.

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.

Urban middle school students experience poor self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward school climates after being retained.Previous research has indicated that grade-level retention in primary and secondary education might cause long-term achievement gaps, school failure, and high school dropout rates.However, current research has yet to examine relationships between archival data retrieved on retained middle school students' achievement outcomes and perceptions of school climate.The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to assess the relationships between retained middle school students' self-efficacy as measured by the School Climate Survey and their performance outcomes as measured by PowerSchool ® .Bandura's theory of self-efficacy maintains that an individual must have the belief, motivation, determination, and drive to persevere when challenged.The archival data was collected from one Northeastern urban middle school in the United States representing underachieving participants (N = 45) enrolled in the Postive Academic and Behavioral Support Program during the academic school years of 2017 and 2018.Population groups of females and males students ranged in age between 11-14 years old.A repeated measure design analyzed the same participants over 6 months by measuring archival data on achievement (grade point average [GPA]); attendance; and demographics (sex and age).Results showed significant increases in GPAs and significant increases in males' positive perceptions of school over the school years of 2017 and 2018.The results of this study could be useful for education professionals working in urban school districts providing support services to at-risk students facing school failure.

The article presents the theme of the competitiveness of Peru and the factors that determine it. These factors are called the pillars of competitiveness since they determine competitiveness. We have selected those that we considered most relevant given the particular situation of the country. Below is presented the four aspects that support this article The first aspect is devoted to an explanation of the framework with a brief description of the background of competitiveness. The second aspect outlines competitiveness in Peru within the current context. The important variables of competitiveness for the country and selected for essay are : health and primary education, and institutions. The third aspect focuses on a more detailed explanation of the fourth pillar of competitiveness: health and primary education. The fourth aspect is devoted to institutions, the first pillar of competitiveness. Finally, the conclusions and recommendations are intended to strengthen the before mentioned competitiveness factors and thus move toward a perspective of economic and social growth sustainable.

Challenging behaviors are one of the most common concerns of early educators, and preschool teachers continue to report feeling unprepared to meet the needs of children displaying challenging behaviors. Overall, traditional standardized classroom assessments have evaluated global classroom quality, but they may not capture the reciprocal and recursive nature of interactions present in preschool classrooms in a manner that can be easily quantified. The current investigation presents initial psychometric information for the Student Behavior Teacher Response (SBTR) observation scheme, a measure that captures instances of challenging behavior and the teacher’s response to the behavior. In a sample of 88 Head Start teachers, the observation system exhibited preliminary evidence of inter-rater score agreement and reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for educators and early childhood assessments are discussed.

Objectives: In this study, we investigate the implementation of positive behavior support (PBS) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the current practices and expectations of specialists. With a prevalence rate of 1 in 40 children diagnosed with ASD in Riyadh, the research highlights the critical need for effective behavior support strategies. Methods: Utilizing a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 ASD specialists at the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders. To achieve data saturation, we applied a purposive sample of 12 child specialists with ASD. We analyzed data using thematic analysis. Results: Practitioners lack formal knowledge of PBS despite applying its principles. Participants emphasized the importance of proactive measures, individualized interventions, and collaboration among families and professionals. Conclusion: Enhanced training and community awareness of PBS are essential for improving outcomes for children with ASD, alongside recommendations for further research to better understand and implement PBS in the region. Greater awareness of PBS among families who have children with ASD is needed. We recommend drawing the attention of directors of centers handling ASD to advocate for further research on the use of PBS for children with ASD.

Chapter 9 discusses the seventh training program session on designing and implementing the behavior support plan. This includes how to integrate different components of comprehensive behavior support, ensuring the plan is appropriate for the child and the context, promoting positive lifestyle changes, and creating an action plan for implementing behavior support strategies.

Writing pedagogy in the early years: A study of teacher beliefs, classroom practices and influences