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2015 Alaska RTI Conference
Targeted Interventions for Students at Risk Howard S. Muscott, Ed.D, Director
New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Activity Worksheet Activity 1: Develop a draft TCCE Card for your am routines by completing the routines, expectations, and scoring on the blank card provided. (5 minutes) Share: Activity 2: Identify one routine from your TCCE card. Think up a scenario where one of your students has earned yellow circle for mostly positive behaviors with some need for reminders. Write down your feedback to the child. (5 minutes) Think:
Share:
Activity 3: Think of a young child you know who has exhibited challenging behavior. Describe the behavior. Complete a routine analysis. (5 minutes) Think: Behavior
Share: Behavior
Activity 4: Describe the desired behavior and desired consequences. (5 minutes) Think:
Share:
Activity 5 (if time permits): Using the planning sheet, identify ideas for a behavior plan in all three categories (antecedents, teaching, consequences) (15 minutes) Think: Antecedents Teaching: Consequences
Share: Antecedents Teaching: Consequences
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New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Support (NH CEBIS) Basic Behavior Support Plan Worksheet for 2015 RTI Conference
Muscott (2014)
1
Student:__________________________________ Program: _______ Class: ______________ Completed by: _____________________________________________________ Date: ______
Features Skill Set Write In Response Describe the Problem Using a Behavior Pathway Identify Desired Behaviors and Student Strengths
1. Define problem behavior in observable and measurable terms. Include frequency or rate.
2. Identify immediate triggering antecedent.
3. Identify the consequences that occur after the problem behavior.
4. Determine if the problem behavior occurs in one or more routines.
Routine 1:
Routine 2:
5. Identify desired behavior for the problem behavior for each problem routine.
Routine 1:
Routine 2:
6. Identify student strengths and interests to inform reinforcement and behavior plan strategies.
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New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Support (NH CEBIS) Basic Behavior Support Plan Worksheet for 2015 RTI Conference
Muscott (2014)
2
Feature Skill Set Write In Response
Identify Strategies For Behavior Support Plan (BSP) Develop a Plan to Monitor Progress Develop a Detailed Action Plan to Implement the Plan with Fidelity
7. Identify simple strategies/intervention that will be used to teach student skills the desired skills.
8. Identify what staff will do when the student exhibits the expected behavior(s) to strengthen them. Consider reinforcement strategies that include student’s strengths and interests.
9. Identify what staff will do when the student exhibits the problem behavior(s) to reduce the likelihood the problem behavior will reoccur.
10. Develop specific criteria for success for increasing the desired behaviors and/or decreasing the problem behaviors.
11. Develop a data collection procedure to monitor progress. Include a schedule for assessing progress.
12. Identify who will do what by when.
13. Identify how the plan will be shared with other members of the team, staff and family.
14. Identify any training necessary to support fidelity of implementation.
Adapted from Sugai, (2002) and Sugai, G, Lewis-Palmer, T, & Hagan-Burke, S. (1999-2000). Overview of the functional behavioral assessment process. Exceptionality, 8(3), 149-160.
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are introducing a new component to the Black Bear Tracks program to help children with behavior. The new technique is called ‘Teacher Check, Connect and Expect’ (TCCE). TCCE is an early response for children not responding to the Black Bear Tracks program. TCCE is offered to provide extra help to children who need more support with behavior. TCCE is a procedure in which classroom teachers provide higher rates of positive feedback, attention and encouragement by: greeting children at the beginning of the day, “touching-‐ base” at designated points during the day, and working with children to rate their behavior (‘great job’, or ‘try again’) on a chart. The teacher will review the chart with the parents/guardian and child at the end of each day and the chart will be sent home. Parents can help by providing children with acknowledgement when they have had a good day (“I’m so proud of you!”) and providing extra encouragement if they’ve had a difficult day ( “Today was hard for you, I know you can do better tomorrow, everyone makes mistakes sometimes”).
Below is an example of the TCCE chart.
If you have any questions, please talk with a member of administration.
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Pomerleau, T. M. & Muscott, H.S. (2011). Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff in Early Childhood Education Programs - New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC. Muscott, H.S., & Pomerleau, T. (2008). Behavior Incident Reporting System-NH (BIRS-NH) - New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC.
Routine Analysis of Challenging Behavior in Early Childhood
Adapted from OSEP Technical Assistance Center on PBIS Pomerleau & Muscott (2011)
New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions & Supports at SERESC
Page 1 of 1
updated - 10-26-11
Directions: List the times and activities/routines of the child’s daily classroom schedule. For each activity/routine, circle the number corresponding to the likelihood that any challenging behaviors may occur. A score of "1" indicates low likelihood and a score of "6" indicates high likelihood that any challenging behaviors may occur. Identify which specific behavior(s) are most likely to occur for any rating of 4, 5 or 6. A list of common challenging behaviors in early childhood is found on the back of this form.
Child's Name: Date: Age:
Completed by: Preschool/Program Name :
Time Activity/Routine Likelihood of Challenging
Behavior Challenging Behavior
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
Low High
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Pomerleau, T. M. & Muscott, H.S. (2011). Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff in Early Childhood Education Programs - New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC. Muscott, H.S., & Pomerleau, T. (2008). Behavior Incident Reporting System-NH (BIRS-NH) - New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC.
Page 1 of 1
updated - 10-26-11
A Project of SERESC
Challenging Behavior Definitions for Program-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
in Early Childhood Education Programs
1. Physical Aggression – forceful physical actions directed towards adults or peers that may result in physical contact and injury (e.g., hitting, kicking, spitting, pinching, and throwing objects).
2. Self-‐injury – physical actions directed towards oneself, which may result in visible injury (e.g., hitting, kicking, scratching, pinching oneself).
3. Disruption/Tantrum – an outburst or action that prevents learning or interferes with teaching and persists
despite an adult’s request to stop or attempt to provide support. 4. Inappropriate Language – the repeated use of words or phrases that are typically unexpected for the
child’s developmental age or level (e.g., swearing, profanity, sexually explicit) despite the request of an adult to stop.
5. Verbal Aggression – the use of threatening, offensive or intimidating words directed towards a peer or adult (e.g., screaming, name-‐calling, swearing, profanity, threats).
6. Non-‐compliance – refusal to follow a reasonable request, direction or the established routine, which persists after multiple requests and a reasonable amount of time.
7. Social Withdrawal/Isolation – non-‐participation in class activities or withdrawal from play or social interactions with peers or adults that interferes with the child’s ability to learn and interact with others which is outside the typical range of temperament.
8. Running Away – the act of leaving a designated area of supervision/boundary of play without permission and without responding to the requests of an adult to return.
9. Property Damage – purposeful actions directed towards items or property that may have destructive results (e.g., ripping of books, knocking over shelves, throwing chairs).
10. Unsafe Behaviors – physical actions which may directly or indirectly result in physical injury to self or others that (a) persists despite an adult’s request to stop and (b) are unexpected based on the developmental age and/or level of the child (e.g., climbing on furniture, running into people or things, inappropriate use of materials).
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1
The Functional Assessment Checklist for Early Childhood Education Programs (FACTS-ECE) is an efficient interview process designed to be used by early childhood professionals in developing positive behavior support plans for young children in need of secondary or tertiary level supports. The FACTS-ECE was adapted specifically for early childhood from the Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff and the Functional Assessment Interview Form1. The FACTS-ECE is intended to be an efficient strategy for conducting an initial functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and is used to either develop behavior support plans, or guide more comprehensive functional assessment efforts. The checklist provides a guided format for interviewing the caregivers who know the child best (family, teachers, staff, clinicians, etc). The FACTS-ECE can be completed in a short amount of time (5-15 min).
Step #1: Complete Demographic Information Indicate the child’s name and age, the date the assessment information was collected, the name of the person completing the form (the interviewer), and the name(s) of the individuals interviewed (respondents). Step #2: Describe the Child’s Strengths and Interests Begin each assessment with a review of the child’s strengths and interests. First, identify at least three strengths the child possesses (i.e., What is (s)he good at? What does (s)he like to do? Examples include puzzles, self-help skills, helping others, sports, computers, verbal communication, etc.). Next, identify at least three strong interests (s)he has (i.e., What would the (s)he choose to do or play on his/her own? Consider activities or items/toys the (s)he prefers most such as playing with blocks, gross motor games, computer games, board games, music, specific television shows or characters of interest, etc.). This information will be used to inform the acknowledgment/reinforcement component of the behavior support plan. Step #3: Identify the Child’s Challenging Behaviors Identify the specific challenging behaviors the child exhibits that are of most concern or occur on a regular basis. Include behaviors that disrupt the classroom environment, interfere with social development, affect peer or teacher relationships or compromise the child’s safety or the safety of others. Examples from the Behavior Incident Reporting System-NH (BIRS-NH)2 include physical aggression, verbal aggression, self-injury, property damage, disruption/tantrum, non-compliance, social withdrawal/isolation, inappropriate language, running away, and unsafe behaviors. Rank the top 2-3. Provide a brief description of exactly how the child engages in these behaviors (i.e., What the child says or does). 1 Crone, D. A., Lewis-‐Palmer, T. , Carr, E. G., March, R., Horner, R. H., Brown, T., & Todd, A. W. (2011). The Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff (FACTS). Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (2010). Functional Assessment Interview Form – Young Child, Vanderbilt University. 2 Muscott, H.S., & Pomerleau, T. (2008). Behavior Incident Reporting System-NH (BIRS-NH). New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC.
How to Complete the FACTS – ECE, Part A
Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff in Early Childhood Education Programs (FACTS-‐ECE)
Adapted by Pomerleau & Muscott (2011) New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC
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2
Step #4: Identify Where, When and With Whom the Child’s Challenging Behaviors are Most Likely to Occur A. Schedule: List the times that define the child’s daily schedule. B. Activity/Routine: For each time listed, indicate the activity/routine that the child is typically engaged in
during that time (e.g., home morning routine, arrival, free play, circle time/large group activity, centers/workshops, outdoor play, transition, clean up, quiet time/nap, etc.)
C. Likelihood of Challenging Behavior: Use the 1 to 6 scale to indicate (in general) which times/activities/routines are most and least likely to be associated with the challenging behavior(s) of concern. A score of "1" indicates low likelihood, and a score of "6" indicates high likelihood that challenging behaviors will occur.
D. Challenging Behavior: Indicate which specific behavior is most likely to occur in any time/activity/routine that is given a rating of 4, 5 or 6.
E. With Whom: Indicate with whom the child displays the challenging behavior during the selected times/activities/routines (e.g., peer, sibling, parent, step-parent, teacher, assistant teacher, paraprofessional, specialist, bus driver, etc.)
Step #5: Select Routines for Further Assessment Examine each time/activity/routine scored as 4, 5 or 6 in the Table from Step #4. Select between 1 and 3 routines for further analysis. Consider activities that have similar characteristics (i.e., unstructured vs. structured; teacher-directed vs. child-directed) and similar challenging behaviors. For each routine identified as problematic in Step #5, complete a FACTS-ECE, Part B (i.e., If you select three routines for further assessment, you will need to complete three FACTS-ECE, Part B forms to correspond with each routine).
Step #1: Complete Demographic Information Write the child’s name and age, the date that the FACTS-ECE, Part B was completed, the name of the person completing the form (the interviewer), and the name(s) of the individuals interviewed (respondents). Step #2: Identify the Routine(s) for Further Assessment List the routine and challenging behavior(s) identified for further assessment from the final page of the FACTS-ECE, Part A. The FACTS-ECE, Part B collects information about ONE routine only. Use multiple Part B forms if multiple routines are identified. Step #3: Provide Specifics about the Challenging Behavior(s) within the Identified Routine Provide more details about the characteristics of the challenging behavior(s). Specifically describe what the child is likely to say or do when exhibiting the behavior(s), how often it occurs per day, week, or month, how long it lasts when it occurs, and the level of danger or intensity when it occurs (low, moderate, high). Step #4: Identify Events that May Predict the Occurrence of the Challenging Behavior(s) Within each routine identify what related factors such as (a) distant setting events, and (b) immediate antecedents (preceding events) are likely to predict when the challenging behavior(s) will occur. What would you do to make the problem behavior(s) happen in this routine?
How to Complete the FACTS – ECE, Part B
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3
Step #5: Indicate What Strategies have been Tried to Prevent/Control the Challenging Behavior(s) In most cases, early childhood staff will have tried some strategies already. List the responses that have been tried, and organize these by (a) attempted strategies to prevent the challenging behavior, (b) attempted consequences to respond to the challenging behavior (or reward alternative behaviors).
Step #6: Identify the Maintaining Consequence and Likely Function of the Challenging Behavior(s) What consequences appear to maintain the challenging behavior? Consider that the child may be trying to get/obtain something they want, or that they may be trying to escape/avoid something they find unpleasant. Identify the most powerful maintaining consequence with a "1", and other possible functions with a "2" or "3." Do not check more than three options. Focus on the consequence that has the greatest impact. Step #7: Build a Behavior Pathway and Summary Statement The behavior pathway and summary statement identify the distant setting events, immediate antecedents (triggers), challenging behaviors, and maintaining consequences. The summary statement is the foundation for building an effective behavior support plan. Build the summary statement from the information in the FACTS-ECE, Part A and FACTS-ECE, Part B (Especially the information in Steps #3, #4, #5 and #6 of the FACTS-ECE, Part B). Step #8: Determine “Level of Confidence” Use the 1-6 scale to define the extent to which the interviewer or the team feels "confident" that the summary statement is accurate. Confidence may be affected by factors such as (a) how often the challenging behavior occurs, (b) how long you have known the child, (c) how consistent the challenging behaviors are, (d) if multiple functions are identified, and (e) if multiple behaviors occur together. If you are confident that the summary statement is accurate enough to design a plan (e.g., a rating of 4, 5 or 6), then start plan development. If you are less confident (e.g., a rating of 1, 2 or 3), then continue the functional behavior assessment by conducting direct observations and collecting more data.
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Child Name: __________________________________ Child’s Age: ____Years ___Months Interviewer: ___________________________________ Date of Interview: _______________ Respondent(s): __________________________________________________________________ Identify at least 3 strengths and 3 strong interests of the child:
Strengths Interests Identify and rank the challenging behavior(s) of most concern: Identify Where, When and with Whom Challenging Behaviors are Most Likely: Time Activity/Routine Likelihood
Low High Challenging Behavior(s) With Whom?
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff in Early Childhood Education Programs (FACTS-‐ECE, Part A)
Adapted by Pomerleau & Muscott (2011) New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC
_____Physical Aggression _____Verbal Aggression _____Running away _____Self-injury _____Non-compliance _____Property damage _____Disruption/Tantrum _____Withdrawal _____Inappropriate Language _____Unsafe Behaviors _____Other Describe Challenging Behavior(s): ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
10
5
Select 1-‐3 routines for further assessment. Complete the FACTS-‐ECE, Part B, for EACH routine identified below.
Routines Identified for Further Assessment 1. 2. 3.
Step 5
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6
Child Name: __________________________________ Child’s Age: ____Years ___Months Interviewer: ___________________________________ Date of Interview: _______________ Respondent(s): __________________________________________________________________ Which Routine (pick 1) from the FACTS-‐ECE, Part A is being assessed? Total routines: 1 2 3
Routine/Activity/Context Challenging Behavior(s)
Fill in the following details about the challenging behavior(s) within the identified routine: Behavior
Example: Withdrawal
What the Child Says/Does hides under table in fetal position; refuses to speak or comply
How Often? 2-‐3 x/day
How Long? 20-‐30 mins
How Intense? Moderate
1.
2.
3.
What events are likely to predict that the challenging behavior(s) will occur?
Distant Setting Events (“Slow Triggers”) Immediate Antecedents (“Fast Triggers”) ____Illness ____Hunger ____Lack of sleep ____Medications ____Home situation ____Attention span ____Lack of interest ____Sensory sensitivities (boredom) ____High energy level ____Task too difficult ____Task too easy
____Reprimand/correction ____Teased by peers ____Structured activities ____Staff directive ____Unstructured times ____Transitions ____Ending preferred ____Task demand activity ____Length of task ____Change in routine ____Un-‐preferred activity
Other: Other: What efforts have been used to address the challenging behavior(s) to date?
Prevention Strategies Response/Consequence Strategies ____Schedule change ____Pre-‐corrections ____Visual schedule ____Modify activities ____ Visual directions ____Teach new skill ____Offer choices ____Designate seating ____Reminders ____ Warnings/Pre-‐alerts ____Increased attention ____Increased help ____Practice desired skill/behavior
____Remove from area ____Reprimand ____Remove from activity ____Hold/restrain ____Physical guidance ____Take break ____Loss of item/privilege ____Thinking chair ____Remove from classroom ____Family Contact ____ Extra rewards for positive behavior
Other: Other:
Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff in Early Childhood Education Programs (FACTS-‐ECE, Part B)
Adapted by Pomerleau & Muscott (2011) New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC
Step 2
Step 1
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
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What appears to be the most likely maintaining consequence or function of the child’s behavior(s)? Check up to three; label “1” as the most likely function and other possibilities with “2” or “3”
Things the child may Get/Obtain Things the child may Avoid/Escape ____Peer attention ____Adult attention ____Preferred activity/task ____Desired item/toy ____Sensory stimulation
____Peer attention ____Adult attention ___Un-‐preferred activity/task ____Undesired item/object ____Sensory Overload
Build a behavior pathway and summary statement by completing the following information:
_________________________ engages in _________________________________________________________________ (Child’s Name) (Challenging Behavior) when _________________________________________________________________ in order to GET or AVOID (Trigger) (circle one) __________________________________________________________________________. This behavior is more likely to occur (attention/activities/tangibles/sensory) when _________________________________________________________________________________________________ (context/setting event) How confident are you that the Summary of Behavior (above) is accurate? Not very confident Very confident 1 2 3 4 5 6
Updated 8/31/2011
Step 6
Step 7
Function/Maintaining Consequence:
Summary Statement/Hypothesis:
Step 8
Specific Routine/Context:
Setting Events “Slow Triggers”
Antecedents “Fast Triggers”
Challenging Behavior
Consequence
13
Teacher:__________________ Classroom:_________________
Name:_____________________ Date:______________________
I earned _______ Green Lights
Tomorrow is a new day. I will try again tomorrow. !
!
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Handout 2.7: Social Emotional Teaching StrategiesModule 2
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign csefel.uiuc.edu H 2.7(p. 1/5)
Rev. 5/06
Gail E. Joseph, Ph.D. & Phillip S.Strain, Ph.D.
Center on Evidence Based Practicesfor Early Learning
University of Colorado at Denver
As a result of his teachers’ carefulselection of toys, materials, andplay themes, 3 year old Eduardo
now is able to benefit from his activeparticipation in a full range of freeplay activities. Yet, it is still the casethat without this level of planning andsubsequent, ongoing praise, Eduardowould spend most days playing alonewith a particular Tonka truck. On thisday the truck has been retired fromservice due to a broken and nowdangerous part. Visibly upset,Eduardo begins to whimper as histeacher explains the situation with thetruck and promises to get it replacedsoon. She offers Eduardo other playideas and begins to play with othertrucks herself encouraging him to joinin. The disappointment is toooverwhelming, however, and Eduardojust sits passively, shaking his head,No. His teacher next prompts severalof his usual play partners to, “AskEduardo to help with their building.”When asked, Eduardo screams “No,”stomps over their building project andgets a predicable response from hispeers. The teacher intervenes at thispoint to protect Eduardo, his peersand the ongoing program.
Mattie, a 4 year old in a localHead Start classroom is always thefirst to organize fun play when thewater table comes out each Friday.She often talks with great anticipationand excitement (especially onThursday) about what she is going todo at the water table with her friends.
On this Friday, the water table hasbeen borrowed by the class next doorand is not available. When Mattierealizes that the water table is notavailable she seeks out her teacher forhelp. She does this with a clearexpression of frustration anddisappointment. Her teacher explainswhat happened and asks Mattie todescribe how she is feeling. She saysshe is frustrated. Her teacheracknowledges the legitimacy of herfeelings and asks her if she can thinkof what she and her classmates havepracticed when they feel frustrated.With some prompting, Mattie recallsthe plan—takes three deep breaths,tell yourself to calm down, and thinkof some solutions. Mattie and theteacher generate some options at thispoint, including; a) playing with hernext favorite toy; b) asking her bestfriend what she wants to play; and c)pretending to use the water table. Shechooses b, and has a fun freeplay.
As young children gain a betterunderstanding of emotions, theybecome more capable of emotionalregulation. Controlling anger andimpulse is perhaps the most difficulttask of emotional literacy. In real lifesituations that are upsetting,disappointing and frustrating it is atough undertaking to remain calm.Remaining calm in the presence ofadverse situations is not about thesuppression of emotions, but thedynamic engagement of affective,cognitive and behavioral processes.In order to regulate emotions onemust bring into play the rapid andaccurate recognition of physiologicalarousal, the cognitive processrequired to think, for example, “Ineed to calm down” and, the
behavioral pretense of taking a deepbreath and reacting calmly. Childrenwho learn to cope with their emotionsconstructively not only have an easiertime with disappointments,aggravation, and hurt feelings that areso ubiquitous in the lives ofpreschoolers but they also have aneasier time relating to other childrenand adults at home, in school or childcare, and on the playground (NationalResearch Council and Institutes ofMedicine, 2000).
On the other hand, young childrenwho have failed to master the earlyregulatory tasks of learning tomanage interpersonal conflict andcontrol aggressive and disruptiveimpulses are more likely than theirself-regulated peers to display earlyconduct problems. Children withconduct problems and poor impulsecontrol are more likely to be peer-rejected and do more poorly in schoolthan children who are more capableat emotional regulation and problemsolving (Strain, Kerr, Stagg &Lenkner, 1984). Before children caneffectively manage interpersonalconflict, they need to be able torecognize and regulate their ownemotional responses and stress level.Teachers can play a significant role inhelping children learn to control theiranger and impulses and to handledisappointment in appropriate waysby identifying and intervening withchildren who need extra help indeveloping these competencies.Some teaching strategies includemodeling remaining calm; cognitivebehavioral interventions; preparingchildren for disappointing situationsbefore they occur; recognizing andreinforcing when children remain
Helping Young Children Control Angerand Handle Disappointment
15
calm; and involving parents and othercare providers.
Model remaining calmTeachers can model how to
manage anger and handledisappointment for young children.For example, a teacher can share withher class how she felt angry whensomeone hit her car in the parking lot– but then she decided that feelingmad wasn’t helping her think of goodsolutions – so she took three deepbreaths and thought about somethingrelaxing and then when she felt calmshe thought of some solutions forfixing her car. In addition to recallingincidents when one felt angry butremained in control – teachers canalso model remaining calm asnaturally occurring disappointing,scary, frustrating and difficultsituations happen throughout the day(e.g., a fire drill; being yelled at;having something break, etc.).
Teach children how to controlanger and impulse
While it may be true that childrenoften hear adults telling them to“calm down,” it is very unlikely thatthis simple direction will result in anychanges in children’s affect orbehavior. In some instances this kindof command may even escalate achild’s angry response. Cognitivebehavioral intervention (CBI)strategies can provide children withthe requisite skills to control angerand handle disappointment. CBIsoffer strategies for teachingappropriate replacement skills toangry outbursts and aggression. CBIsengage a relationship betweeninternal cognitive events andbehavioral change through teachingstrategies that guide performance andreduce inappropriate behaviors.Using CBI, teachers can provideyoung children with strategies to
modify their thoughts and promoteself-regulation. With preschooler,many accidents occur in classrooms(e.g., children bumping into oneanother; children knocking overothers’ constructions) and somechildren interpret these accidents aspurposeful, hostile acts. An essentialingredient of CBI is to help childrenreframe and modify their processes inorder to substitute more neutralinterpretations of others’ behaviors.The “turtle technique” is a CBIstrategy that has been usedsuccessfully with preschool andkindergarten age children (Greenberg,Kusche & Quamma, 1995;Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1997).
The turtle technique was originallydeveloped to teach adults angermanagement skills then wassuccessfully adapted for school agechildren (Robin, Schneider &Dolnick, 1976; Schenider, 1974).Since then, the turtle technique hasbeen adapted and integrated intosocial skills programs for preschoolers(PATHS, Dinosaur School). The basicsteps of the turtle technique are:
Recognizing that you feel angryThinking “stop”Going into your “shell” and taking
three deep breaths and thinkingcalming, coping thoughts, “It was anaccident. I can calm down and thinkof good solutions. I am a goodproblem solver.”
Coming out of your “shell” whencalm and think of some solutions tothe problem.
Teaching the turtle technique toyoung children can happen at largeand small group times. A turtle puppetis helpful and keeps children engagedduring the lesson. The teacher canbegin by introducing the turtle to theclass. After the children get a chanceto say hello and perhaps give a gentlepet, the teacher shares the turtle’sspecial trick for calming down. The
turtle explains a time he got upset inpreschool (selecting an incidentfamiliar to the children is best). Hedemonstrates how he thinks to himself“STOP,” then goes in his shell andtakes three deep breaths. After hetakes three deep breaths, he thinks tohimself “I can be calm and think ofsome solutions to solve my problem.”When he is calm, he comes out of hisshell and is ready to problem solvepeacefully. The teacher can theninvite the children to practice turtle’ssecret. Children can “go in theirshells” as a group and together takethree deep breaths. Then anindividual child can model the “turtletechnique” in front of the class.Practice small group activities caninclude making paper plate turtleswith moveable heads and arms that“go in their shell.” Children can thenrehearse the steps with the paper plateturtle.
Preparing children to handledisappointment
Teachers can help children byrehearsing some strategies to handledisappointment before a potentiallydisappointing incident occurs. Forexample, Elizabeth knows that somechildren will be disappointed becauseshe can only choose one “helper” tofeed the pet goldfish. Before sheannounces who the helper will be shesays to the class, “Remember, I willonly be able to select one fish feedertoday, and that may make some of youfeel disappointed. What can you do ifyou feel disappointed?” The childrentogether snap their finger and say, “Ohwell, maybe next time.” Elizabethsays, “That is right you can say –‘Maybe next time.’” After she selectsthe fish feeder, she reinforces thechildren who remained calm andhandled their disappointment.Similarly, a teacher can prepare asingle child for a disappointing
Handout 2.7: Social Emotional Teaching StrategiesModule 2
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign csefel.uiuc.edu H 2.7(p. 2/5)
Rev. 5/06
16
situation before it occurs. Elizabethknows that Jordan will be disappointedif someone else is on his favoriteswing on the playground. Before theyleave for outside, she pulls Jordanaside and says, “When we go outside,someone else might be on yourfavorite swing. And you might feeldisappointed. But, what can you do tostay calm?” She supports Jordan toremember his “turtle technique” andhelps him think of some solutions suchas asking for a turn, saying please andfinding something else to do while thechild finishes swinging. For addedsupport, because Jordan may notremember when he is in the moment,Elizabeth gives him a small plasticturtle to hold. The turtle promptsJordan to keep calm and think ofsolutions.
Posting pictures of the turtletechnique (see Box 1 ) can remindchildren of the steps to calming down.These can be posted in several placesaround the room. Visual cues can beparticularly helpful for very youngchildren, children who are easilydistracted, and children withcommunication delays. Strategicallyplaced, the visual cues can serve as:a) a permanent reminder forchildren—that is, children don’t haveto remember the steps of the process,b) an efficient prop for teachers suchthat they can simply point to the nextstep and not disrupt the ongoing classactivity with lengthy dialogue, and, c)a clear, concrete way to communicatewith children the specific behavioralsteps for which they are beingreinforced.
Recognize and comment whenchildren remain calm
There are four key features of areinforcement system that are likelyto help strengthen children’smanagement of frustration and anger.First, it must be recognized thatcontrolling one’s emotions andsubsequent behavior is hard work. Assuch, reinforcement needs to befrequent and powerful. As frequencydepends on the occurrence ofbehavior, teachers need to be equallyvigilant about planning as manyopportunities for practice as possible.Teachers may also find that theirimpact is enhanced when they areespecially vigilant to “catch thosechildren being good” who may needthe most support. A second keyfeature is to provide naturallyoccurring, vicarious reinforcementopportunities. For example, theexchanges that adults have with eachother can be planned to achieve thisaim. For example, Elizabeth mightsay, “Wow, Steven you really stayedcalm when your watch broke. I’mproud of you.”
Third, we recommend thatchildren be provided the opportunitiesfor self-reinforcement.
For example, children can chooseamong several favorite items and theycan forecast at the beginning of theday what they would wish to acquirefor managing anger and frustration.Finally, we recommend keepingreinforcers varied and fun. Box 2outlines some favorite ideas toconsider. This system, whenimplemented with a high degree offidelity, sends a clear message toyoung children that handling angerand impulse in constructive andpeaceful ways is greatly valued.
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Box 1. The Turtle Technique
The Turtle Technique
Step 1 Step 2
Step 3 Step 4
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communication system in which adaily report card is sent home that: a)highlights how children havesuccessfully negotiated a frustratingsituation and b) suggests ways thatfamily members might furtherrecognize and encourage theseaccomplishments. An example homereport is found in Box 3. In this samespirit of regular communication,teachers may also wish to phone hometo report any extraordinary examplesof positive child behavior. For manyfamilies this can be a most welcomechange from the usual events thatoccasion phone calls from serviceproviders.
For families that are interested inmore directed and purposefulintervention in the home, teachersmight choose to share a video ofthemselves modeling strategies,directly teaching a techniques, andreinforcing children for successfullycalming down. Moreover, teachersshould consider the possibility ofarranging opportunities for families toshare with each other the ways theyhave been able to encourage theirchildren’s self-regulation.
ConclusionEmotional regulation is fostered
not only by the interventions andstrategies described in this article, butalso by the confidence and securitythat a warm, responsive relationshipwith a caregiver provides youngchildren. Trusting relationships allowchildren to cope with emotions that,initially without even a feelingvocabulary to describe them orstrategies to regulate them, can beoverwhelming. Moreover this kind oftrusting relationship, by definition,means that children will be moreattuned, attentive, and responsive asadults model appropriate self-regulation and praise examples thatoccur throughout the day.
Strategies like the turtle techniqueand accompanying teaching supportscan clearly offer children thecognitive and behavioral repertoireneeded to be good managers of theirfeelings—particularly thoseoccasioned by frustrating and anger-provoking circumstances. However,for children to be truly competent inthe regulation of their emotions theyoften need additional teaching aimed
Super Turtle Award: Acertificate is given out at the end ofthe day noting how a childcontrolled their anger and impulse.
“Turtle Power” Necklace: Aplastic turtle on a string is awardedto a child who was able to remainclam in an upsetting situation.
“Turtle Token Jar”: Theteacher has a collection of smallplastic turtle counters (or greenpom-poms). Every time the teachercatches a child remaining calm andhandling disappointment – a turtletoken is placed in a clear jar. Whenthe jar is full the class gets to have aturtle celebration.
“Turtle Stack”: Teachers havea supply of construction paper,turtle cut-outs. Each time a child iscaught remaining calm in anupsetting or disappointing situation,the teacher puts a paper turtle on thewall. This turtle can have thechild’s name on it. The next turtleearned is stacked on top of the first,and so on until the criterion isreached. The class then gets to havea turtle party.
“Turtle Tote”: The teacherselects a child who has done aremarkable job of controlling angerand impulse and sends them homewith a stuffed turtle puppet for theevening. The child can then re-tellhow they used the turtle techniqueto their parents.
Box 2: Fun, Reinforcing Activities
Turtle Technique ReinforcingActivities
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Involving parentsGiven that there is great variation
in child rearing practices specific toteaching children how to deal withfrustration and anger, it is essentialfor teachers to establish effectivehome-school collaboration. At aminimum we suggest an ongoing
GOOD BEHAVIOR REPORT CARDEric Young
4/10/02Dear Parent:Today Eric did a great job of handling frustration and notgetting angry when we ran out of his favorite cookies at snack.Instead of getting upset, Eric took three deep breaths and wetalked about other good things to eat.
You can help Eric by:Asking him to explain how he calmed downCommenting on what a great job that wasTelling him that you hope he can do that again
when he is frustrated.
Thank you so much,Mr. Phil
Box 3: Sample letter to parents
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at helping them build a strategy forgenerating solutions or alternativebehaviors to troubling events.
REFERENCESGreenberg, M. T., Kusche, C. A.,
Cook, E. T., & Quamma, J. P. (1995).Promoting emotional competence inschool-aged children: The effects ofthe PATHS Curriculum. Developmentand Psychopathology, 7, 117-136.
Kusche, C. A., & Greenberg, M. T.(1994) The PATHS Curriculum.Seattle: Developmental Research andPrograms.
Robin, A., Schneider, M., &Dolnick, M. (1976). The turtletechnique: An extended case study ofself-control in the classroom.Psychology in the Schools, 13, 449-453.
Strain, P. S., Kerr, M. M., Stagg, V.& Lenkner, D. (1984). An empiricaldefinition of elementary schooladjustment. Behavior Modification,8, 311-47.
Schneider, M. (1974). Turtletechnique in the classroom. TeachingExceptional Children, 7, 21-24.
Webster-Stratton, C. (1991). Theteachers and children videotapeseries: Dina dinosaur school. Seattle,WA: The Incredible Years.
Webster-Stratton, C., & Hammond,M. (1997). Treating children withearly-onset conduct problems: Acomparison of child and parenttraining interventions. Journal ofConsulting and Clinical Psychology,65(1), 93-109.
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PRESCHOOL BEHAVIOR EDUCATION PROGRAM
Adapting the Behavior Education Program for Preschool Settings
ELIZABETH A. STEED, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
In the past decade, researchers andinterventionists have applied theprinciples of positive behavior
intervention and supports (PBIS) toearly learning environments, such aspreschool classrooms, childcarecenters, and Head Start. Thetranslation of PBIS to early childhoodclassrooms has evolved so that wenow know much more about howvarious strategies need to be adaptedfor young children and early learningcontexts. For example, we know thatpreschool children benefit fromhaving very simply stated classroomrules, that PBIS efforts with youngchildren should involve collaborationwith families, and that somestrategies, such as the use of tokens orexternal reinforcement, may not fitwithin the developmentallyappropriate practice framework earlychildhood teachers use (Stormont,Covington-Smith, & Lewis, 2007).
Research thus far on program-widePBIS has included the implementationof PBIS in Head Start classrooms,childcare centers, and state-fundedpreschool classrooms. These effortshave focused on implementing Tier 1 oruniversal supports for all children(Benedict, Homer, & Squires, 2007;Stormont et al., 2007) and Tier 3 orindividualized interventions forparticular children who exhibitchallenging behavior (Duda, Dunlap,Fox, Lentini, & Clarke, 2004). Very littlework has yet been done on adaptingsecondary or targeted interventions forpreschool classrooms.
The most researched targetedintervention that is used inschoolwide PBIS is the BehaviorEducation Program (BFP; Crone,Homer, & Hawken, 2004). The BFP isa daily check-in and check-out systemin which students receive extraattention for positive social behaviorthroughout their school day. This
extra attention is intended to preventchallenging or disruptive behaviorfor children who require additionalsupport to be successful in school butwho do not require intensiveindividualized interventions. TheBFP's generality makes itcontinuously available for studentswho need it and possible for teachersto start a student on the BEP quickly,once he or she is referred for theintervention. In addition to itsefficiency, the BEP has a growingresearch base to support its use as atargeted intervention (e.g., Fairbanks,Sugai, Guardino, & Lathrop, 2007;Filter et al., 2007).
The BEP involves several corecomponents, including (a) check inwith an appointed adulf at thebeginning of the school day; (b) apoints sheet (daily progress record)with behavioral expectations and ascoring system; (c) repeated check-inswith teachers throughout the day toreceive points and positive feedback;(d) check out with the appointedadult at the end of the day to tallypoints; (e) reinforcement for goalsmet in the form of activities,privileges, and/or preferred items; (f)family involvement with pointssheets sent home each day to besigned and returned to school thenext day wifh the student; (g)frequent evaluation of BEP data bythe PBIS leadership team to reviewprogress toward behavioral goals;and (h) referral of new students to theBEP using data from office disciplinereferrals (Crone et al., 2004).
There are several aspects of theBEP program that must be adaptedfor it to be effectively andappropriately used in the preschoolclassroom (Hawken & Johnston,2007). First, the numeric scoringsystem on the daily progress recordshould be changed to a simplified
graphic system such as the onesuggested by Hawken and Johnstonusing happy, neutral, and sad faces.Second, feedback typically providedto a student on a BEP that occurs atthe end of each academic period maybe given to young children inbetween each change in classroomroutine (e.g., circle time to snack time)in a preschool classroom. Finally,another suggested change involveseliminating the use of tangiblereinforcement in a typical BEPprogram. Early childhood teachersmay prefer to use reinforcement inthe form of activities and privileges(e.g., walk around the school, lineleader for the bus) instead of tangibleitems when a child has attained her orhis behavioral goals. This change maybe a better fit for teachers who usedevelopmentally appropriate practicein their classrooms.
The following case studyprovides an illustration of how amodified version of the BEP, theThumbs Up program, can be used asa targeted intervention in a preschoolsetting. Following this illustration, wedescribe additional potentialmodifications to the BEP that may beappropriate for early childhoodcontexts. Lastly, we discuss potentialfuture directions for research andpractice in adapting the BEP foryoung children.
Case Study
Gregory is new to the EdgewoodPines Early Chikihood Center. Thecenter has four classrooms total: twothat are half-day and two that arefull-day Head Start programs. Undertheir preschool director's guidance,the center is in its 3rd year ofimplementing program-wide PBIS.Edgewood Pines has program-widerules fhat guide teacher and child
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PRESCHOOL BEHAVIOR EDUCATION PROGRAM
behavior, which include "listen toothers," "be a good friend," and "be ateam player." Each classroom has arules poster that includes text andvisual pictures of children acting outthe rules. Preschool teachers reviewthe rules with children during circletime with examples and nonexamples,provide opportunities for the childrento practice the rules, and reinforce therules throughout the day whensituations arise. All of the preschoolteachers also use a teaching matrix tofurther translate the rules into routine-based behavioral expectations (seeFigure 1). Other Tier 1 universalsupports that Edgewood Pinesteachers have implemented includethe use of visual schedules, organizedtransitions, and the use of frequentpositive communication with childrenand their families to developencouraging and collaborativerelationships.
After 2 weeks of observingGregory in the preschool classroom,his teachers, Mr. Hughes and Ms.Valencia, have noticed anddocumented that Gregory engages ininappropriate social behaviors, suchas yelling at other children, takingtheir toys, hiding toys and otherchildren's belongings, and crying.He's had an average of 23 instances ofmisbehavior per day, even with theuniversal supports in place. Mr.Hughes and Ms. Valencia try to dobrief rehearsals of the classroom ruleswith Gregory following each instance,but this is taking too much of theirtime away from class instruction. Theydecide to start Gregory on the Tier 2targeted intervention, the Thumbs Upprogram, which is being used withthree other children at EdgewoodPines.
The Thumbs Up programinvolves six key steps. First, Gregorychecks in with the center director, Ms.Wickham (or "Ms. W"; Step 1). Ms.W gives Gregory a blank Thumbs Upsheet and reviews the rules with him(see Figure 2). She asks Gregoryquestions to ensure that he knowswhat is expected of him in each of hisclassroom routines. Ms. W also
reviews Gregory's goal, which is toget more thumbs up than thumbsdown at the end of the day. Ms. Wasks Gregory if he has his Thumbs Upsheet from the previous day. IfGregory has this in his backpack, theyreview it and discuss how he did andwhat changes he might want to makein his behavior today. Ms. W remindsGregory that he will be able to choosea special activity if he has a thumbs-up day.
Next, Gregory takes his ThumbsUp sheet to his classroom and gives itto Ms. Valencia (Step 2). Ms. Valenciauses a timer on her watch to remindher to check in with Gregory rightbefore each change in routine forapproximately 30 s. When she checksin with Gregory, Ms. Valencia circleseither the thumbs-up or thumbs-down picture for the precedingactivity and gives Gregory verbalfeedback about the specific behaviorshe engaged in (Step 3). If Gregoryreceives a thumbs down, Ms.Valencia also reminds Gregory of thebehavioral expectations. At eachfeedback session, Ms. Valencia alsotells or asks Gregory about theclassroom routine that is coming nextand the expectations for that routine.After the last centers of the day, Ms.Valencia gives Gregory his lastthumbs up or thumbs down. Gregorypacks up his backpack with hisbelongings and goes to Ms. W'soffice. Ms. W reviews Gregory'sThumbs Up sheet with him and hashim count all of the thumbs up andthumbs down that are circled (Step 4).She writes the numbers on Gregory'ssheet and then talks to him aboutwhether or not he had an overallthumbs-up or thumbs-down day.
If the majority of his day waspositive, Gregory picks from a choiceboard of special activities that he doesin the last 10 min of school before hismom or grandmother arrive to pickhim up (Step 5). Possible choices onthe choice board are a nature walkwith Ms. W around the school,getting to help Mr. Gonzalez (hisfavorite staff member) dry and stackthe clean lunch trays, or doing Starfall
on Ms. W's computer. All of theactivities on Gregory's choice boardare easily available and based onGregory's preferences and interests. IfGregory does not earn enoughthumbs up for his special activity, hespends the last 10 min of schoolwriting in his journal, reading alibrary book, or sitting and waiting,which are all neutral (neitherespecially positive or punishing) forGregory. Gregory's Thumbs Up sheetis sent home with Gregory's mom orgrandmother with the reminder forthem to review it and return a signedcopy with Gregory the next day (Step6).
After just 1 'A weeks of Gregorybeing on the Thumbs Up program,his preschool teachers have noticedand documented that Gregory isengaging in more rule-followingbehaviors. His disruptive orinappropriate behaviors havedecreased to just one to two instancesof misbehavior per day and noinstances in the past 3 days. Gregoryis excited each day to check in withMs. W at the beginning and end ofthe school day and enjoys earning hisspecial activities for having thumbs-up days. Gregory's family isappreciative of the extra positiveinput that they are now receiving.The sheet also has been influential forfamily members who have startedreminding and reinforcing Gregoryfor listening to others and being ateam player at home. The use of thistargeted intervention appears to haveincreased specific social behaviors forGregory with limited teacher timeand attention. Three months later,Gregory is maintaining goodclassroom behavior and interactingmore positively with his peers. Ms. Whas faded Gregory's reinforcement toa special activity just on Fridays whenhe has a thumbs-up week. Gregory'steachers still enjoy using the targetedintervention and feel like theyprevented a situation in whichGregory's problem behaviors mayhave escalated, warranting a Tier 3intensive and individualizedintervention.
38 BEYOND BEHAVIOR
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Other Preschool BEP Applications
There are alternative ways thatthe BEP may be modified and used asa targeted intervention in earlychildhood settings. For example, thepreschool program may elect to haveteachers provide feedback andattention at regularly timed intervals(e.g., every hour) rather than betweenchanges in classroom routines. Thisalternative may be easier toimplement, as changes in classroomroutines in early childhood settingscan require significant teacherattention to direct all of the childrenthrough the transition. Providingattention at an alternative, but regulartime, such as at the top of the hourwhen signaled by a watch or timer,may be more manageable forpreschool teachers.
Another potential adaptation tothe BEP program for young childrenmay include the use of graphicimages for the child to color in foreach interval of positive behavior,thereby eliminating the use ofnegative graphic images (e.g., sadface, thumbs down) on the BEP dailyprogress record. One possibility forsuch an approach is a Super Star dailyprogress record, in which the childhas a targeted number of stars that heor she is attempting to earn for theday. When the teacher checks in withthe child at the regularly scheduledfeedback session, the child wouldcolor in the star if she or he engagedin positive behavior. A star would notbe colored in if any inappropriatebehavior was exhibited in that timeperiod. This simplified version inwhich only images that are colored inare counted (as opposed to differentfaces or different thumbs) may beeasier for some young children tounderstand and follow.
Finally, as noted in the case studyat Edgewood Pines, most earlychildhood programs make decisionsregarding PBIS implementation at theclassroom level (i.e., among theclassroom teachers), with guidanceand approval from the preschooldirector. For targeted interventions to
be implemented effectively andefficiently program-wide, a PBISleadership team should beestablished that oversees the use of alllevels (universal, targeted, andindividualized) of PBIS interventionsin the center. This leadership teamwould develop the particularstrategies of the BEP to be used in thepreschool program, train teachers onits use, develop data-based decision-making rules for moving children onand off the BEP program, andmonitor and evaluate behavioral datafor children on the BEP program.
Discussion
The BEP is an efficient targetedintervention that may be adapted andused with young children who wouldbenefit from extra teacher attentionand feedback on their socialbehaviors. The case study presentedhighlights how specific features of theBEP may be adapted for a preschool-aged child and the specificorganizational structure of a preschoolsetting. With creative problem solvingand attention to developmentallyappropriate practice, the BEP is anappropriate Tier 2 intervention thatmay be used within an earlychildhood program's PBIS efforts.
Regarding future research intothe modified BEP, the current paucityof literature on targeted interventionsfor young children warrantsbeginning investigations with a singlecase design (e.g., multiple baselinedesign across children or centers).Whether or not an effective, modifiedversion of the BEP can be applied andused in a preschool program is thefirst research question to evaluate. Itmay then be appropriate to askwhether a modified BEP program,such as the Thumbs Up program,may be appropriate for youngchildren in kindergarten or firstgrade. Further research questions andareas for practical applications of theBEP in preschool include whethercertain adaptations (e.g., use of twoversus three choices for feedback) aremore effective than others, methods
to assess young children'sunderstanding of the BEP, andguidelines (e.g., number of behaviorincidents) for making data-baseddecisions about when young childrenmay benefit from the BEP. Research isclearly needed in this area ofprogram-wide PBIS as the fieldmoves forward with implementationof PBIS in increasing numbers ofearly childhood settings.
REFERENCESBenedict, E. A., Horner, R. H., & Squires, J.
K. (2007). Assessment andimplementation of positive behaviorsupport in preschools. Topics in EarlyChildhood Special Education, 27,174-192.
Crone, D. A., Horner, R. H., & Hawken, L.(2004). Responding to problem behaviorin schools: The Behavior EducationProgram, New York: Guilford Press.
Duda, M. A., Dunlap, G., Fox, L., Lentini,R., & Clarke, S. (2004). Anexperimental evaluation of positivebehavior support Ln a communitypreschool program. Topics in EarlyChildliood Special Education, 24,143-156.
Fairbanks, S., Sugai, G., Guardino, D., &Lathrop, M. (2007). Response tointervention: An evaluation of aclassroom system of behaviorsupport for second grade students.Exceptional Children, 73, 288-310.
Eilter, K., McKenna, M., Benedict, E. A.,Homer, R. H., Todd, A. W., & Watson, J.(2007). Check-in/check-out: A post hocevaluation of an efficient secondarylevel intervention for reducing problembehaviors in schools. Education andTreatment of Children, 30,69-84.
Hawken, L., & Johnston, S. (2007).Preventing severe problem behaviorin young children: The BehaviorEducation Program. Journal of Earlyand Intensive Behavior Intervention, 4,599-613.
Stormont, M., CovLngton-Smith, S., &Lewis, T. J. (2007). Teacherimplementation of precorrection andpraise statements in Head Startclassrooms as a component ofprogram-wide positive behavioralsupport. Journal of BehavioralEducation, 16, 280-290.
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