Operationally define challenging behaviors. Challenging behaviors should be defined in terms that are specific, observable, and measureable (i.e., one can see and count the behaviors). Be specific ...

“Mrs. Jones” is in the middle of the dayroom, once again engaging in verbal abusiveness that disrupts the residents, families and staff on her unit. When Rosa, the CNA, notices this, she immediately ...

This post was written with Jessica Minahan and originally appeared in the Harvard Education Letter. About 10 percent of the school population, or 9–13 million children, struggle with mental health ...

As a psychologist specializing in working with kids and adolescents with very challenging behavior, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to help kids stay “regulated,” which in essence means calm ...

Many parents of young children face behavioral concerns like children not listening, throwing tantrums, biting and more. While every situation is unique, parents can rest assured they aren’t alone and ...

Challenging behavior among preschoolers isn’t easy to navigate. It can get especially frustrating if you feel your child is being unfairly disciplined in the classroom. Here are five takeaways from a ...

The social and emotional development of young children goes through several different, specific stages. Understanding those stages and learning how to appropriately respond to behaviors is an ...

4. Think of a replacement: Also, consider a replacement behavior (an alternative behavior—preferably one the student already knows—that can replace the challenging behavior). For example, teaching a ...

Mistreatment is disrespectful behavior that interferes with the learning process. Examples of mistreatment include public belittlement or humiliation, threats of physical harm or punishment, ...

You may be familiar with the concept of the school-to-prison pipeline. The validity of this concept is built on the fact that overly punitive policies in schools towards misbehavior disproportionately ...

After appropriately identifying the behavior in a child with autism, a suitable intervention can be used to proactively, or reactively, reduce and replace it. Challenging behaviors can be difficult to ...