Special Education Evaluation Process

The school special education evaluation process can be a time of uncertainty for many families. Some families are apprehensive and unaware of the services that can be offered to them and their children. Many are not prepared to contribute ideas or have limited knowledge of possible resources. The chapter lays out how social workers can capitalize on their understanding of systems, mental health, child development, strengths-based perspective, social justice, and equity to best serve these families and their children during this process. The chapter presents an overview of the special education process; fundamental federal, state, and local policies and procedures; eligibility requirements; functional behavioral assessments; behavior intervention plans; and measurable individualized educational program goals. It reviews the essential steps that school social workers must take to ensure a comprehensive process while collaborating within a multidisciplinary team.

Understanding Motivating Operations and the Impact on the Function of Behavior

Special educators are often considered the experts in their school when it comes to developing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP), yet rarely are they trained much beyond basic antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC). This column discusses concepts that will expand special education professionals’ knowledge to make better decisions regarding interventions for the students they serve. Specifically, the focus is on motivating operations (MO) and function-based interventions and the implications of these on behavior. Knowledge of the concept of MOs can enhance a teacher’s ability to provide evidence-based interventions and more fully developed behavioral interventions for students in their purview.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Prevent–Teach–Reinforce for High School Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Although there is a wealth of research supporting the effectiveness of using functional behavior assessment (FBA) to inform development of behavior intervention plans (BIPs), schools continue to find the FBA and BIP process challenging for implementation, particularly for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBDs) in high school settings. The current study evaluated the use of the prevent–teach–reinforce (PTR) FBA model for three high school students with EBD in self-contained settings. Results indicated that PTR was effective at reducing problem behaviors and increasing replacement behaviors for all three students. Teachers implemented the interventions with high levels of fidelity. Social validity scores obtained from both teachers and students indicated acceptability of the PTR process and outcomes. Limitations and areas for future research are suggested.

Barriers to Implementing Behavior Intervention Plans: Results of a Statewide Survey

Behavior intervention plans (BIPs) based on a functional behavior assessment are supported by a large body of research showing their potential for positively impacting student behavior; however, research also indicates that many classroom teams struggle to implement BIPs with fidelity. We conducted a statewide survey of over 600 teachers to examine teacher-reported experiences with BIP implementation, including 13 implementation barriers previously identified in the literature. Selecting from the list provided, teachers reported the most prominent barrier to be “the cause of student problem behavior cannot be addressed through a BIP.” In written comments, teachers stated that many behavior problems were at least partially caused by factors beyond teacher control, such as a difficult home life, and perceived BIPs as less effective in these cases. Teachers from urban schools and schools with higher percentages of minority students reported encountering this barrier significantly more frequently. In general, teachers from schools (a) in urban settings, (b) with higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and (c) with higher percentages of minority students reported significantly greater challenges to BIP implementation as well as lower fidelity and effectiveness of BIPs. Other prominent barriers identified by teachers included inconsistent implementation of BIPs across staff, inadequate resources to implement BIPs, and ineffective BIPs. Implications for improving implementation of BIPs in schools are discussed.

Behavioral Strategies to Promote Adherence

Children with chronic medical conditions experience a host of symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, inattentiveness, and stress, that may affect their ability to be fully participatory in school, peer, and family activities. Nearly half of individuals with chronic conditions display some noncompliance to treatment recommendations for their condition that may adversely affect educational, social, health, and other outcomes. This chapter addresses the promotion of adherence and positive health behavior through adoption of behavior intervention plans. It includes an overview of the social significance of treatment compliance and positive health behaviors and then identifies how behavior intervention plans can be used to address these issues in the school setting. It includes a review of factors that promote development and implementation of successful intervention plans (e.g., specific goals and targets, behavioral expectations, and measurement of treatment response). A sample interview to guide behavior intervention planning is provided.

Digital Behavior Intervention Plans: Effects on General Education Teacher Fidelity of Implementation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of digital behavior intervention plans (DBIPs) with multimedia anchored instruction on general education teachers’ fidelity of implementation while teaching students with disabilities. A multiple probe design was used to investigate the effects of DBIPs across six teacher–student dyads. The effects on student desirable and undesirable behaviors were also examined across all phases of the study. Data for all six teacher participants suggest a functional relationship and show that all teachers increased their fidelity of implementation of BIPs. In addition, the teachers’ fidelity of implementation of the BIPs showed a moderate to high effect on increasing desirable student behavior and neutralized undesirable student behavior. Further results and implications for fidelity of implementation and research are discussed.