Course Name: CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Course Developers: Christerralyn Brown, Rachel Kunemund, Katherine Ledbetter-Cho, Elizabeth Pokorski

Course Description: This Masters-level course covers behavior-analytic assessment strategies and intervention techniques used to prevent challenging behavior, teach prosocial behaviors, and maintain social and academic behaviors of students with disabilities.  Emphasis is placed on theoretical concepts, definitions, and practical applications. The goal for the course is for learners to become familiar with the tenets of behavior change and how its techniques can be individualized to meet the needs of different learners.

Learning Objectives: 

Students will:

1. Generate examples of antecedent, behavior, consequence (ABC) sequences (CLASS 1)
2. Identify the potential function of a behavior when provided with an ABC chain and the future frequency of the target behavior (CLASS 1)
3. Operationally define educationally-relevant behaviors (CLASS 2)
4. When provided with an operationally defined behavior, choose appropriate data collection systems (e.g., frequency, latency, interval recording) and accurately collect data using direct observation (CLASS 2)
5. Choose and apply a variety of direct and indirect assessments to determine environmental contingencies maintaining behavior (CLASS 3)
6. Students will discuss the CEC standards for identifying evidence based practices and the importance of the CEC Quality Indicators. Students will review and search expert websites such as (NCII, IRIS Center & Intervention Central) to identify research based tier II and tier III intervention (CLASS 5)
7. Identify and describe antecedent strategies for preventing challenging behaviors and promoting desired behaviors (CLASS 6)
8. Identify and describe consequence strategies for addressing challenging behaviors and promoting desired behaviors (CLASS 7)
9. Develop a behavior intervention plan (BIP) for challenging behavior which includes antecedent manipulation, teaching and reinforcing socially valid replacement behavior(s), and extinction, if appropriate (CLASSES 4 & 11)
10. Understand and identify the components of Single Case Research including: purpose, experimental control, designs, and threats to validity (CLASS 9)
11. Visually analyze graphed data and make appropriate treatment recommendations (CLASS 10)
12. Write measurable behavioral goals with appropriate criteria and determinates (CLASS 12)
13. Describe and select appropriate techniques to program for maintenance and generalization of behavior (CLASS 13)

Developed course materials include the following:

• • Syllabus for 14 weeks of instruction
  • Class PowerPoints
  • Required texts and readings as well as supplemental readings
  • Detailed assignment instructions and related rubrics
  • Quizzes
  • In-class worksheets and exit slips
  • Grading criteria

**For access to a complete set of materials for a particular course, please email a request to nclii@vanderbilt.edu.

Course citation: Brown, C., Kunemund, R., Ledbetter-Cho, K., & Pokorski, E. (2018). Scholar-designed Course: Classroom and Behavior Management for Students with Disabilities. National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention; Grant H325H140001. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Available at http://nclii.org/scholar-designed-courses/classroom-and-behavior-management-for-students-with-disabilities/.