The Problems with the Manage-and-Discipline Approach to PBiS

Every year I can tell how well teachers and administrators think that their school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBiS/PBiS) systems are working because there is a massive uptick in my readership stats for behavioral management related posts and, in particular, those outlining my perspective that PBiS is a failed model and in desperate need … More The Problems with the Manage-and-Discipline Approach to PBiS

External Incentives DECREASE Intrinsic Motivation: Implications for Classroom Management

This blog post is another in a relatively long string of posts describing why I do not feel reward or incentive-based management systems are appropriate models for school-wide behavioral management (previous posts here). Up until now, I have been addressing the issue from an educational perspective with a particular focus on how rewards can turn … More External Incentives DECREASE Intrinsic Motivation: Implications for Classroom Management

Nonverbal Learning Disabilitiess: an Endophenotype Across Neurodevelpmental Disorders

I started working with a student and kept finding they had a pattern of strengths and weaknesses academically that was familiar to a nonverbal disability that I had studied in many neurodevelopmental disorders. In talking to this student’s parents, I learned that what I saw made sense. The student has a genetic disorder similar to … More Nonverbal Learning Disabilitiess: an Endophenotype Across Neurodevelpmental Disorders

Defining Reinforcement and Punishment for Educators

An Educational Aside I am watching the US education system not very subtly invite punishment back into the mainstream classroom. This appears to be driven by the field of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Recently their governing body started to loosen the reins on the therapeutic application of aversive stimuli and intervention plans have since started … More Defining Reinforcement and Punishment for Educators

Moving Beyond Planned Ignore and Proximity Prase: Strategies to Address Challenging Behaviors

Why Haven’t They Done That Yet? I have been in many classrooms where the behavior specialists come in and suggest methods to overcome a persistent challenging behavior in class. I always had to work to keep my mouth shut when I hear these professionals suggest planned ignore, praise around, and behavior charts as a panacea … More Moving Beyond Planned Ignore and Proximity Prase: Strategies to Address Challenging Behaviors