The Special Educator’s Guide to Behavior Management

Joseph B. Ryan is the Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professor of special education at Clemson University. He has taught students with special needs from grades K through 12 across a variety of educational settings, including resource and self-contained classrooms, special day schools, and a residential treatment center. He is the founder and Executive Director of Clemson LIFE (Learning is for Everyone), a postsecondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Ryan has over 100 publications and is presently a three-term editor of the journal, Beyond Behavior. His research interests focus on behavioral interventions and enhancing post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities. He is a Fulbright Scholar, and has been interviewed by Anderson Cooper, CNN, Headline News, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other leading periodicals. He has provided several U.S. Congressional Briefings on behavioral crisis interventions for schools. Paul Mooney is a professor and director of special education programs in the Louisiana State University (LSU) Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education. He presently teaches and directs licensure programming for preservice and inservice candidates at the main LSU campus. Dr. Mooney has co-authored more than 40 scholarly publications, including the book Instructional Practices for Students with Behavioral Disorders: Strategies for Reading, Writing, and Math (2008) with Drs. J. Ron Nelson and Gregory Benner. A former practicing school psychologist and present editor—with Dr. Ryan—of the practitioner-focused behavioral education journal, Beyond Behavior, his research interests include effective dissemination methods for research- or evidence-based academic and behavioral assessments and interventions.

Section I Preventing Problem Behaviors from Occurring 1 Creating a Positive Learning Environment 2 Legal Considerations for Disciplining Students With Disabilities 3 Preventive Measures: Incorporating Effective Educational Practices Into Your Classroom Section II Addressing Problem Behaviors 4 Using Positive Behavior Interventions in Your Classroom 5 Effective Ways to Address More Challenging Student Behaviors Section III Dealing with Serious Problem Behaviors 6 Identifying the Function of Problem Behaviors 7 How to Manage Aggressive Behavior Safely Section IV Other Factors and Considerations 8 Working as Part of a Team 9 Challenges and Tips for Working With Special Disability Populations 10 Considerations for Working in an Early Childhood Setting 11 Increased Use of Psychotropic Medications to Manage Behavior 12 Best Practices for Dealing with Bullying and the Increasing Threat of Cyberbullying 13 Assessing Problem Behaviors 14 Avoiding Problematic and Abusive Disciplinary Practices Appendix A: Data Collection Forms