This brief helps educators implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, like positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), organize classroom supports for preventing, teaching, and responding to students' social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs across the continuum. In classrooms, each educator implements,…

Functional communication training (FCT) is a strategy to address problem behavior for students with various disabilities that is supported by a broad evidence base. Despite this support, multiple factors continue to dissuade educators from utilizing FCT in their classrooms. This article outlines the process of developing and implementing FCT plans…

Lead is a naturally occurring element that is extremely toxic to human beings. When children inadvertently ingest lead, their bodies confuse it with calcium, iron, and other nutritional essential metals, causing toxicity. School psychologists more than ever are in perfect positions, with the proper training, to possibly identify children who are…

Many educators across the country are implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in their schools and classrooms. While PBIS primarily focuses on proactive and preventative approaches to improve behavior, one of the essential elements of PBIS is the consistent use of consequences when students do not meet behavioral…

Students often arrive at school not ready to learn due to stress and trauma. In order to thrive in school, students need to know that within the school is an intentional, multi-layered system of caring. This manuscript details strategies at the individual, classroom, and school level. Having targeted strategies to assist students is essential in…

The number of students manifesting learning, behavior, and emotional problems far outstrips the ways schools deal with these matters. As school board members and administrators know, existing programs, services, and special initiatives tend to be fragmented and often engender fights over turf and counterproductive competition for sparse resources.…

Students eligible for special education services for learning disabilities and emotional and behavior disorders often display characteristics that create obstacles to their learning. Mindful breathing, a mindfulness technique, can help students with these disabilities regulate their attention, thoughts, and emotions during academic instruction.…

To address the daunting behavioral and mental health needs of Kansas' rural and underserved communities, Telehealth ROCKS (Rural Outreach for the Children of Kansas) Schools project partnered with school-based health centers, school districts, and special education cooperatives to provide a range of telebehavioral health intervention services and…

Challenging behaviors can happen to children with a variety of abilities in all kinds of settings, and children's early experiences as members of classroom communities serve as the foundation on which lifelong patterns of social behaviors are constructed. Therefore, helping children with challenging behaviors become fully included is essential for…

The quality of the relationship that develops between a student and teacher has been connected to pivotal instructional and behavioral outcomes for students. The student-teacher relationship can specifically be harnessed to reduce minor behavioral infractions. However, it is an element of the learning environment that is often overlooked. This…

Educators who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders may seek instructional strategies that are effective yet practical in the classroom. These strategies need a research base to support them and minimal time and/or effort to prepare or implement. One research-based option for educators across a variety of contexts is…

Students who are actively engaged in learning have a higher probability of academic and behavioral success in the classroom. One effective teaching practice that increases student engagement is providing students with frequent opportunities to respond (OTR). This article provides practitioners with a range of OTR strategies that include verbal,…

Classroom behavior is a source of anxiety, stress, and distraction for many teachers and is a key reason teachers give for leaving the profession. This often raises questions regarding the extent to which teacher preparation programs and initial teaching placements prepare pre-service teachers for working with students who display challenging…

Students who exhibit externalizing behaviors may impede learning in the classroom and lead to cycles of negative teacher-student interactions. Positive relationships among students, peers, and educators serve as a protective factor against childhood adversity and are a predictor of academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. By incorporating…

Statistics on K-12 students with mental health challenges almost guarantee that teachers will encounter these students in their classrooms. Educators will be more prepared and successful if they have feasible strategies to promote student well-being and avoid exacerbating existing problems. This article presents research-based classroom practices…