Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development
Department of Teaching and Learning
Strategies for Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities
New York University Special Education Program SPCED-GE.2108
Diane Duggan, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor
e-mail: [email protected]
Spring, 2015
This course is intended to prepare educators such as teachers, administrators, clinicians,
counselors, and related service providers to work with students who have emotional and
behavioral disabilities. The course will look at the strengths, needs, and learning characteristics
of children and youth who are affected by a variety of disorders which may give rise to
challenging behaviors in a school setting. The continuum of Positive Behavior Interventions
and Supports (PBIS) will be examined in light of the needs of these students. Course
participants will learn how to utilize elements of PBIS, including school-wide routines and
incentive systems, classroom management strategies, social-emotional learning, crisis
intervention strategies, functional behavioral assessments, and individualized behavior
intervention plans to prevent and develop interventions for students’ challenging behaviors that
interfere with teaching and learning.
Course Outcomes
Course participants will:
Understand the strengths, needs, and learning characteristics of children and youth who
are affected by a variety of emotional and behavioral disorders
Be able to establish rapport with youngsters who have severe emotional and behavioral
disorders
Be able to identify elements of PBIS which can be used by educators to prevent and/or
intervene with challenging behaviors
Develop skills and knowledge to structure a classroom environment that will promote
optimum student engagement in the educational process.
Be familiar with strategies to de-escalate youngsters who are in crisis
Understand the concept of staff counter-aggression, its origin, and its effect on students
who have emotional and behavioral disabilities
Be able to explain the concept and procedures of functional behavioral assessment
Conduct a functional behavioral assessment for a student in their field placement who
demonstrates a challenging behavior in the classroom
Use forms to collect data on students’ challenging behaviors
Collaborate with classmates in developing hypotheses for the function of students’
challenging behaviors
Collaborate with classmates in developing behavior intervention plans to prevent and/or
intervene with students’ challenging behaviors
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Demonstrate understanding of the use of varying types and schedules of reinforcement
to decrease challenging behaviors and promote socially acceptable replacement
behaviors
Course Grade
Your grade will be based on:
Regular attendance
Class participation, including taking part in discussions, making relevant comments
which contribute to the class process, and asking questions as needed
Written assignments based on readings, lectures, and data collection
Functional behavioral assessment (FBA), including data collection, for a student in the
fieldwork setting who demonstrates a challenging behavior
Behavior intervention plan based on the above FBA
Contributions to classmates’ functional behavioral assessments, feedback on hypothesis,
and recommendations for behavior intervention plans
Outline of Topics
1/29/15: Session 1
Introduction to ED/BD and continuum of Positive Behavior Supports
Heading off disruptive behavior: How early intervention can reduce defiant behavior-and win
back teaching time. American Educator, Winter 2003-2004. Download at http://www.aft.org/
pubs-reports/american_educator/winter03-04/ early_intervention.html - 73.7KB or download
Word document from NYU Classes.
2/5/15: Session 2
Characteristics of children and youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Reading: Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Part 200, Students with Disabilities.
Sutherland, Amy. What Shamu taught me about a happy marriage. New York Times, 6/26/06.
Crimmins et al., pp.1-36.
2/12 and 2/19/15 Sessions 3 & 4
School-Wide Intervention Strategies
Reading: Crimmins et al, pp. 37-69.
Matrix of Behavioral Expectations across Settings due Session 4
2/25/15 Session 5
Functional behavioral assessment: Concepts and procedures
Reading: Janney & Snell, pp. 1-36.
Crimmins et al, pp. 17-36.
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3/5/15: Session 6
FBA: Defining the problem and collecting frequency data
Reading: Janney & Snell, pp. 37-60
Stating Positive Expectations assignment due
3/12/15 Session 7
FBA: Collecting contextual data with the ABC Chart
Reading: Janney & Snell, pp. 61-98
3/19/15: NO CLASS- SPRING RECESS- CONTINUE TAKING DATA
3/26/15: Session 8
FBA: Integrating data and developing hypotheses
Reading: Crimmins et al., pp 71-119.
Rainbow in the Rain assignment due
4/2/15: Session 9
FBA: Developing, implementing and evaluating behavior intervention plans
Reading: Crimmins et al., pp. 121-177.
Analytic Memo due
4/9/15: Session 10
Classroom management strategies
Reading: Proactive classroom management. School Psychology Review
Volume 17, No. 2, 1988, pp. 227-242
4/16 & 4/23/15: Sessions 11 & 12
Case conferences: Class collaborations on FBA’s and BIP’s
Reading: Research for individual plans
4/30 & 5/7/15: Sessions 13 & 14
The Conflict Cycle and Crisis Intervention Strategies
Reading: Long, N. & Morse, W. (1996) Promoting responsible student behavior: Essential
concepts and skills for effective classroom discipline. Conflict in the Classroom. Pro-Ed pp. 237273.
Conflict Cycle assignment done in class
Required Texts
Janney, R. & Snell, M. (2007). Behavioral Support. (2nd Edition). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
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Crimmins, D., Farrell, A., Smith, P., & Bailey, A. (2007) Positive Strategies for Students with
Behavior Problems. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Other readings and forms will be posted on NYU Classes or link provided for retrieval from the
Internet.
Functional Behavioral Assessment Project
Please use a pseudonym for the child. DO NOT USE THE CHILD’S LAST NAME. Data
gathered through direct observation and discussion with school staff are for educational
purposes only. All information is to be kept confidential.
• Description of child: Age, gender, grade, physical characteristics.
•
Description of challenging behavior(s) and selection of one priority behavior:
descriptions should be specific, observable, and measurable and should answer the
questions: what, where, when, how and with whom.
•
Data collection on behavior in context: ABC Chart and Frequency Chart. Interview Form
as applicable
•
Data collection on setting events: history, educational performance, student’s attitudes
and beliefs, medical conditions, medications, history of behavior, family issues, etc.
•
Integration of data and hypothesis formulation: in collaboration with a small group of
your colleagues during class
•
Development of behavior intervention plan based on functional behavioral assessment:
o Plan to decrease challenging behavior
o Plan to teach alternate behavior(s) to meet student’s needs
o Response plan to manage challenging behavior when it occurs
•
The functional behavioral assessment is to be written up in a clear, concise, and
professional manner. Spelling and grammar count.
YOUR FINAL GRADE IS BASED ON YOUR COURSE PORTFOLIO.
THE PORTFOLIO IS DUE ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.
HARD COPY ONLY
NO E-MAIL SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
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PLEASE ARRANGE PAPERS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER WITH THE
PORTFOLIO COVER SHEET ON TOP.
•
•
•
•
•
•
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
•• RULE MATRIX
•• POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS
•• FINDING THE RAINBOW IN THE RAIN
•• CONFLICT CYCLE
FBA DATA SHEETS
•• FREQUENCY CHARTS
•• ABC CHARTS
•• INTERVIEW FORM (if applicable)
ANALYTIC MEMO
FINAL ABBREVIATED INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION FORM
FINAL 2-3 PAGE SUMMARY OF FBA AND BIP IMPLEMENTATION
“POST-IT” NOTE COMMENTS FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES-staple on to separate page
PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERY PAGE. FASTEN PAPERS WITH A BINDER CLIP.
NO STAPLES, BINDERS OR FOLDERS, PLEASE.
IF YOU WANT YOUR PAPER RETURNED PLEASE INCLUDE
A LARGE SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE WITH SUFFICIENT POSTAGE.
Any student attending NYU who needs an accommodation due to a chronic,
psychological, visual, mobility and/or learning disability, or is Deaf or Hard
of Hearing should register with the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities
at 212 998-4980, 240 Greene Street, www.nyu.edu/csd.
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