Interventions for Behavior Problems

Abstract

Several effective techniques are presented in this chapter that educators can use with an individual student, with a small group of students, or with an entire classroom. While many students learn and flourish in a well-structured classroom and do not require specific or intensive intervention to behave appropriately, students with behavior problems and/or emotional disabilities will require more support and may require more extrinsic motivation to develop appropriate academic, social, and compliant behaviors. The goal of these interventions is not simply behavior management or using rewards to control behavior, rather it is to help students improve behavior and develop internal motivation to succeed. Based on the definition of the term intervention described in Chapter 2, the research-validated procedures presented in this chapter include methods of teaching new skills, and/or manipulation of antecedents and consequences. They include a range of effective or combination of effective positive interventions such as group contingencies, self-management, differential reinforcement, token economies, peer tutoring, as well as some mild reductive techniques such as response-cost and time-out from reinforcement. A complete list of behavioral intervention terms, definitions, examples, and cautions for each are provided in Appendix B. When selecting an intervention, it is always important to try the most direct or simple approach first. When classroom disruption is the result of only one or two student’s misbehavior, the most appropriate intervention may be an individual intervention. When several students are misbehaving, class-wide interventions or group contingencies may be more effective. Most of the following interventions can be adapted for use with an individual student, a few students, or with the entire class.