1. Preventing & Responding to Problem Behavior: Review of Best Practice
Brandi Simonsen & George Sugai
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
University of Connecticut
January 21, 2009

2. Practices & systems for responding to norm violating problem behavior.
PURPOSE
Practices & systems for responding to norm violating problem behavior.
Discipline Best Practices, Emphases, & Considerations
Understanding & Managing Escalations
Action Planning

3. Behavior Situations
“Jaime’s all over the place. He touches other kids stuff, disrupts their concentration, & always getting in fights. I don’t know what to do with him!”
“What can I do to reduce # of kids who come to class late?”
“A few kids in my 5th period class never raise their hands when they have a question…they blurt out.”
“When I tell Sasha what to do, I’m ignored. When I repeat, I’m ignored again. So, I repeat again & tell her that if she doesn’t answer, I’m sending her to the office. She gets up & leaves! I want compliance.”
“Every other word out of Margindale’s mouth is sexually or culturally inappropriate….how do I get rid of her comments?”

4. Discussion Pre-requisites
School-wide in place w/ integrity
Team meets at least monthly
Behavioral capacity in school
>80% staff participation
Active administrator participation

5. Supporting Social Competence &
Integrated
Elements
Supporting Social Competence &
Academic Achievement
OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff Behavior
DATA
SYSTEMS
SWPBS is also not just about “behavior management”
It’s about doing business in ways where there is equal and integrated emphasis on 4 key elements:
Data = Making decisions based on real and measurable data or information
Outcomes = Selecting educationally important and measurable goals and objectives that are based on the data
Practices = Selecting evidence-based behavioral interventions that have proved to achieve those outcomes
Systems = Arranging teaching and learning environments so these practices can be implemented in relevant, efficient, and accurate ways.
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behavior

6. School-wide Classroom Family Non-classroom Student Evidence-based
SWPBS
Practices
School-wide
Classroom
Family
Non-classroom
Smallest #
Evidence-based
Biggest, durable effect
SWPBS emphasizes doing the smallest number of the most effective behavioral interventions.
These interventions are organized into five main areas.
School leadership teams usually start with an action plan that focuses on the establishment of a school-wide system, and quickly enhance their action plan to include nonclassroom, classroom, and individual student behavioral interventions.
Student

7. EVIDENCE- BASED INTERVENTION PRACTICES
SCHOOL-WIDE
Leadership team
Behavior purpose statement
Set of positive expectations & behaviors
Procedures for teaching SW & classroom- wide expected behavior
Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior
Continuum of procedures for discouraging rule violations
Procedures for on-going data-based monitoring & evaluation
EVIDENCE- BASED INTERVENTION PRACTICES
CLASSROOM
All school-wide
Maximum structure & predictability in routines & environment
Positively stated expectations posted, taught, reviewed, prompted, & supervised.
Maximum engagement through high rates of opportunities to respond, delivery of evidence- based instructional curriculum & practices
Continuum of strategies to acknowledge displays of appropriate behavior.
Continuum of strategies for responding to inappropriate behavior.
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT
Behavioral competence at school & district levels
Function-based behavior support planning
Team- & data-based decision making
Comprehensive person-centered planning & wraparound processes
Targeted social skills & self-management instruction
Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations
NONCLASSROOM
Positive expectations & routines taught & encouraged
Active supervision by all staff (Scan, move, interact)
Precorrections & reminders
Positive reinforcement
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Continuum of positive behavior support for all families
Frequent, regular positive contacts, communications, & acknowledgements
Formal & active participation & involvement as equal partner
Access to system of integrated school & community resources
The most important characteristic is the relatively small number of evidence-based behavioral interventions included in each of the six areas.

8. ALL SOME FEW Tertiary Prevention: Specialized CONTINUUM OF
Individualized
Systems for Students with High-Risk Behavior
CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL &
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
SUPPORT
FEW
~5%
Secondary Prevention:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior
~15%
SOME
Primary Prevention:
School-/Classroom-
Wide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
SWPBS organizes its behavioral interventions along a continuum of behavior support.
Like the logic of “response to intervention” (RtI), SWPBS starts by providing the most appropriate and effective behavioral interventions for all students (Primary), and then provides more specialized and intensive interventions for those students whose behaviors do not respond (secondary/tertiary).
ALL
~80% of Students

9. RtI Response to Intervention DATA-BASED CONTINUUM OF EVIDENCE-BASED
IMPLEMENTATION W/ FIDELITY
CONTINUUM OF EVIDENCE-BASED
INTERVENTIONS
STUDENT
PERFORMANCE
CONTINUOUS
PROGRESS MONITORING
DATA-BASED
DECISION MAKING & PROBLEM SOLVING
UNIVERSAL SCREENING
RtI
The SWPBS approach has many of the same implementation elements as the “Response to Intervention” framework that is being stressed nationally.
Implementation of SWPBS and RtI should be integrated rather than treated as separate efforts

10. RTI Continuum of Support for ALL Universal Targeted Intensive Few Some
NOTICE GREEN GOES IS FOR “ALL”
All
Dec 7, 2007

11. Discipline Handout
Steps, policies, or actions to support teaching & learning environments so likelihood of student academic & social success is promoted
Increases in likelihood of occurrences of socially appropriate behavior
Decreases in likelihood of occurrences of problem violating behavior
Decreases in intensity, frequency, & duration of severe problem behavior

12. Discipline Emphases
Teaching & reinforcing context-appropriate social behaviors or skills.
Removing antecedent factors that trigger occurrences of problem behavior.
Adding antecedent factors that trigger occurrences of context appropriate social skills.
Removing consequence factors that maintain (function) occurrences of problem behaviors.
Adding consequence factors that maintain occurrences of context appropriate social behaviors.

13. REMEMBER #1 SW discipline is for 80%
SW discipline is screener for non-responders
By definition, behaviors of “non-responders” are slow to change & require specialized local supports
SW discipline is preventive
SW discipline is balanced response for problem & expected behavior
“Getting tougher” is ineffective for non-responders

14. 1. Appropriate Behavior Look continuously for appropriate behavior
Label appropriate behavior
Appropriate positive reinforcement

15. 2. Prompts for desired behavior
Use effective signal/prompt
Label display of expected behavior

16. 3. Minor, non-interfering problem behavior
Remove attention
Wait for desired behavior, then reinforce
Positively reinforce other-student displays of desired behavior
Prompt expected behavior
Use positive reinforcement

17. 4. Minor, interfering problem behavior
Signal error or problem behavior
Remind ask student for expected behavior
Display/practice expected behavior
Positively reinforce
1 & 2

18. 5. Repeated minor problem behavior
Identify context/setting when problem behavior likely
Conduct FBA
Develop BIP
1 & 2

19. 6. Classroom managed major
Develop precorrection plan
Teach/practice desired behavior
Conduct FBA
1 & 2

20. PRECORRECTION
Identify & analyze setting in which problem behavior most likely
Triggers & function
Expected & acceptable behaviors
BEFORE
Modify setting
Check-in w/ student
(Re)teach & remind
Reinforce
Re-direct
DURING
Monitor & reinforce
Re-direct
AFTER
Reinforce
Revise, (re)teach, remind

21. 7. Office managed problem behavior
Follow school & district disciplinary procedures
1 & 2

22. REMEMBER #2 Be business like; use “teaching” voice
Stick to protocols, procedures, agreements
Work as team w/ non-responders
Use data for decisions
Anticipate & pre-correct
Reinforce at high rates, continuously

23. ESTABLISHING CONTINUUM of SWPBS
TERTIARY PREVENTION
TERTIARY PREVENTION
Function-based support
Wraparound
Person-centered planning
~5%
~15%
SECONDARY PREVENTION
SECONDARY PREVENTION
Check in/out
Targeted social skills instruction
Peer-based supports
Social skills club
PRIMARY PREVENTION
Teach SW expectations
Proactive SW discipline
Positive reinforcement
Effective instruction
Parent engagement
PRIMARY PREVENTION
~80% of Students

24. Identify existing practices by tier Specify outcome for each effort
ESTABLISHING A CONTINUUM of SWPBS
TERTIARY PREVENTION
Function-based support
Wraparound/PCP
Specially designed instruction
Audit
Identify existing practices by tier
Specify outcome for each effort
Evaluate implementation accuracy & outcome effectiveness
Eliminate/integrate based on outcomes
Establish decision rules (RtI)
~5%
~15%
SECONDARY PREVENTION
Check in/out
Targeted social skills instruction
Peer-based supports
Social skills club
PRIMARY PREVENTION
Teach & encourage positive SW expectations
Proactive SW discipline
Effective instruction
Parent engagement
~80% of Students