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The study explores whether physical activity (PA) in early adolescence limits the risk of internalizing and externalizing problems in youth with difficult temperaments, from low-income families, or exposed to impaired family functioning. Participants (N = 1312; 53% girls) were drawn from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD). Results revealed that difficult temperament was associated with subsequent symptoms of anxiety among youth with low PA levels. Impaired family functioning was associated with higher levels of subsequent physical aggressivity among youth with high levels of PA. These results highlight the complex role of PA in different aspects of adjustment and the importance of the quality of PA contexts in young adolescents exposed to family adversity.

The study was carried out to determine the disciplinary problems students experienced on returning to school after the pandemic. This is a case study, one of the qualitative research designs conducted with five principals working in high schools in Turkey, who volunteered to participate in the research in the first semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. Principals were selected according to the snowball sampling method. In the research, disciplinary problems were handled as personal, against friends, and disorganizing problems. When the reasons for disciplinary problems are examined, they are psychological, technological, social-emotional, familial, academic, and school orders. The measures by principals taken are reward-punishment and positive language and approaches.

This study aims to investigate the most prevalent and unacceptable classroom behavioral issues among public secondary school students in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Moreover, the study identified the reasons for these problem behaviors and ways to address these behaviors. The sample of the study was twenty-three (23) teachers (Female: 14 & Male: 09) having minimum sixteen years of education along with professional qualification. Teachers have wide experience of teaching ranging from 10-32 years and teach students aged between thirteen to fifteen years. In this qualitative research data was collected through semi-structured individualized interviews after getting consent from the Federal Directorate of Education and from study participants. Through thematic analysis, the main themes emerged were "lack of attention, creating a disturbance in the class, disobedience, and display of aggressive behaviors." The key causes of classroom problem behaviors were "parenting style, teachers' attitude/teaching strategies, society, home environment, and social media." Moreover, teachers also think that "lack of counseling" and "character building" along with "outdated teaching strategies and a boring classroom environment" were causes behavioral problems in the class. Teachers should incorporate student-centered teaching with engaging techniques, parents should pay attention in developing good relationship with children at home. Moreover, counseling facilities about psychological issues of teenage students' needs to be provided at school level. The limited yet empirical data can form a logical foundation for management to create a policy document addressing these issues in schools, offering guidance for parents and teachers to tackle student challenges effectively. [Note: The page range (107-128) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 107-129.]

An ABAB reversal design was employed to evaluate the effect of differential reinforcement of low (DRL) frequency behavior as an interdependent group contingency on the frequency of vocal disruptions of five males, 6-14-years old, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The results showed lower frequencies of vocal disruptions during intervention conditions as compared to baseline conditions; the combination of DRL and interdependent group contingency was effective at reducing the target behavior from baseline levels. Implications of concurrent interventions for the applied setting are discussed.

High rates of teacher turnover are of critical concern for education agencies on a national level. When surveyed, teachers commonly report that student problem behavior is a primary motivator for leaving the profession. Previous research indicates that efforts to promote classroom management skills that address disruptive student behavior may alleviate some of the stress that leads to teacher burnout. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the Good Behavior Game on self-reported stress levels in teachers. The rate of academically engaged behavior in students was also assessed as a secondary outcome measure. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of teacher implementation of the Good Behavior Game within three elementary-level classrooms at a Title I school. Overall, the results indicate that the Good Behavior Game intervention procedures were effective in decreasing teacher stress levels and increasing academically engaged behavior in students.

The interprofessional, interagency model PLUSS offers education for preschool teachers on how to detect and support preschool children with neurodevelopmental symptoms. A total of 119 preschool teachers used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess behavioural problems and the Children's Engagement Questionnaire (CEQ) to evaluate engagement and social interaction in 119 preschool children, before and after their PLUSS education. After education, the preschool teachers rated fewer behavioural problems (total SDQ p < 0.001) and increased engagement and social interactions (CEQ p < 0.001). In conclusion, the PLUSS preschool teachers' education and screening with the SDQ and the CEQ facilitate assessment of behavioural problems, engagement and social interaction in preschool children. Increased understanding of neurodevelopmental symptoms seems to influence how preschool teachers manage a child's behaviour, which indirectly changes the child's engagement and social interactions for the better. The preschool teachers expressed perceived needs, especially to learn how to deal with a child's emotions and behavioural regulation, and their interactions with other children.

Research is essential for identifying behavior management procedures as evidence-based and employing these procedures in a classroom is vital to create the optimal environment for students. Group contingencies can be easily implemented across classroom settings as they aim to manage the behavior of a group via operant behavior change procedures. While systematic literature reviews have been conducted on group contingencies, one has not been completed with a focus on elementary through high school general education classrooms. Therefore, this paper extends previous systematic literature reviews focused on preschools (Pokorski et al. "Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 36"(4), 230-241, 2017), problematic behavior (Maggin et al. "Remedial and Special Education, 38"(6), 353-370, 2017), the good behavior game (Bowman-Perrott et al. "Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18"(3), 180-190, 2016), and school aged children across all academic settings (Little et al. "Behavior Modification, 39"(2), 322-341, 2015) to concentrate on the use of group contingencies in the general education setting. Because (Little et al. "Behavior Modification, 39"(2), 322-341, 2015) conducted a comprehensive review through the year 2010, this paper will focus on the literature base between 2011 and 2021. Articles were obtained via electronic databases and included studies with an independent variable of a group contingency, students in kindergarten through 12th grade general education classrooms, and studies set in any school location. Results yielded 53 articles, which were coded across participant demographics, independent variables, dependent variables, limitations, and future research with IOA collected by a graduate student on 35% of the articles. Results indicate the majority of studies included participants in elementary school, implemented an interdependent group contingency, measured disruptive behavior, and assessed the intervention in the classroom. Findings suggest common limitations within the current literature include generalizability, maintenance, applicability of rewards, and assessment of academic performance. Future research should focus on assessing feasibility of implementation, evaluating long-term effects, and obtaining social validity.

The purpose is to test the applicability of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to Chinese children with intellectual disabilities. The study was done by distributing the questionnaire to the parents through teachers online. Asked the parents to fill out the scale based on their observations of their children's daily life. The correlation coefficients between each item and the total score of the corresponding dimension ranged from 0.52 to 0.77. Factor analysis confirmed the establishment of the PA-NA two-factor structure of affect. A significant positive correlation existed between the NA and the challenging behavior. The Cronbach's a coefficient and split-half reliability of the PA scale were 0.87 and 0.85, and the Cronbach's [alpha] coefficient and split-half reliability of the NA scale were 0.85 and 0.83, respectively, higher than 0.80. It was concluded that PANAS has good applicability in Chinese children with intellectual disabilities.

Autism is associated with significantly higher rates of internalizing and externalizing disorders compared to neurotypical (NT) individuals. Emotion dysregulation (ED) is prevalent in autistic individuals and has been proposed to underlie both internalizing disorders and behavioral challenges in autism. This study sought to use a meta-analytic approach to examine the magnitude of ED severity in autistic samples compared to NT and other clinical (OC) samples. Following a review of the literature, a total of 35 studies were included in the analyses. In general, when comparing autistic to non-autistic individuals, findings suggest a medium magnitude of difference in ED severity between autistic and comparison groups overall. Subgroup analyses indicate that autistic individuals experience significantly higher ED severity when compared to NT peers. However, when compared to OC peers, the effect is small, suggesting the severity of ED may be more similar between OC and autistic groups. Moderators were also explored, including autistic traits, age, and sex composition. These findings provide integral information about the severity of ED in autistic populations compared to other non-autistic populations, assisting in further clarifying the presence of mental health challenges in autistic youth.

Schools face an unprecedent demand for mental health services. Student mental health problems can be addressed via a continuum of mental health evidence-based practices (EBPs) integrated within school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). However, integrating mental health interventions with PBIS can be challenging. The purpose of this study is to examine the integration of mental health interventions with PBIS in a group of schools in Pennsylvania. We describe the extent to which schools implementing PBIS with fidelity were using mental health EBPs at tiers 2 and 3, examine recommendations about how to achieve further integration, and identify school professional needs for training and support. The study is based on a statewide sample of 48 K-8 schools. Members of the leadership team completed questionnaires and participated in qualitative interviews. Most schools had established advanced tiers of support and offered EBPs for externalizing behavior problems at tier 2. However, few schools reported offering mental health EBPs at tier 3, or interventions for internalizing problems. Qualitative analyses of interview transcripts revealed key recommendations regarding characteristics of interventions students should receive, who should provide the extra supports to students and the type of training that should be made available to school personnel and providers of tier 2 and tier 3 interventions. Participants indicated school mental health personnel did not receive adequate technical assistance to implement EBPs.

Fostering a supportive and productive classroom environment for students is an essential goal for most teachers and schools in general. In addition, teachers' behavior management practices have been an important topic of research due to the relationship between behavior management strategies and student success and well-being. Previous research has shown that punitive discipline techniques (e.g., office referrals, suspensions, expulsions) are likely to unintentionally increase misbehavior, as opposed to correcting it. Factors such as teachers' perceptions of their school climate, occupational stress, and self-efficacy have been found to contribute to teachers' selection of disciplinary methods. This study seeks to expand upon previous research of which factors are associated with positive and punitive behavior management techniques. Thus, latent profile analysis (LPA) and linear regression analysis examined K-12 teachers' (N = 112) perceived school climate, self-efficacy, and stress in association with their use of punitive and positive techniques. The 3-profile solution was observed as the best fitting model following examination of fit indices and likelihood ratio tests. Moreover, linear regression revealed that the covariates were not significantly correlated with their use of punitive discipline techniques. However, perceptions of school climate and self-efficacy were significantly positively associated with the use of positive behavior management strategies. These findings provide insight into the continued use of punitive techniques despite their known ineffectiveness in rectifying student misbehavior. Furthermore, a better understanding of the patterns of teachers' usage of behavior management strategies can inform recommendations for more effective ongoing professional development and ultimately promote positive outcomes for students.

In this mixed-methods experiment, we examined the impacts of an externally provided rationale and teachers' own beliefs on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to student misbehavior. Teachers (N = 120) viewed a video describing three instances of a student's misbehavior, then were randomly assigned to receive one of three explanatory rationales for the misbehaviors, including intentionality, cognitive deficits, adverse childhood experiences, or a comparison condition that offered no new information. Teachers reported causal attributions, emotional responses, perceived self-efficacy, and disciplinary strategy. Results suggest that teachers' attributions are independently predicted by their own beliefs about the student's misbehavior and the provided rationale. Further, both sources of information predicted teachers' feelings, self-efficacy, and disciplinary strategies. We discuss implications for changing teachers' attributions of misbehavior and increasing the use of positive behavior management strategies.

The FRIENDS Resilience programs provide cognitive-behavioral skills across the developmental spectrum and can be applied as a universal or selective prevention program. In the current study, we assessed whether, relative to the schools' existing counseling curriculum ("guidance"), FRIENDS improved social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence in a sample of 650 students in kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade in a rural community in the northeastern United States. Student, parent, and teacher reports were obtained pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 4 months later. Analyses examined FRIENDS as a universal prevention program in the general school population and as a selective intervention for at-risk students (those with elevated existing symptoms). Teachers reported improvements in social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence, and parents reported improved problem behaviors immediately post-intervention for all students receiving FRIENDS and guidance. However, at-risk students who received FRIENDS experienced significantly greater improvements in teacher-reported problem behaviors compared to those who received guidance. When assessing changes over time once all students had received FRIENDS, teacher-rated social skills and academic competence improved, and student- and parent-rated problem behaviors decreased from pre- to post-FRIENDS and 4-month follow-up. Effects were consistent for the overall sample and at-risk students, with stronger effects for those at-risk. These small yet significant effects of FRIENDS as universal prevention may be more limited relative to usual guidance curriculum, but preventative effects may be enhanced for those students in more immediate need of support. Directions for future evaluation of FRIENDS are discussed.

Early identification of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (SEBDs) in children is essential to provide support and reduce the risk of negative outcomes. Schools are considered ideal settings to identify SEBDs, and in many countries special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) play a pivotal role in this respect. Although SENCOs may contribute to improving school-based identification of SEBDs by adopting a more systematic approach, they have a multitude of tasks and considerable professional discretion. As a result, there are differences between SENCOs in the quality of their identification practices in terms of the frequency of observations, the maintenance of a four-eyes principle, and the utilization of specialist knowledge, affecting whether and when SEBDs are identified. The aim of this study was to examine what factors can explain differences in these practices for early identification of SEBDs. Using a narrative qualitative approach, we interviewed 34 primary school professionals, studied school policy documents and observed team meetings. Thematic analysis revealed that an interplay of the factors: (1) (conformity to) school regulations, (2) team continuity, and (3) personal characteristics, explains why SENCOs decide differently on who conducts observations, and when. Generally, SENCOs are more likely to conform to frequent observations by at least two observers utilizing specialist knowledge, when schools have regulations that clearly define by whom and when observations should take place, with competent, committed, proactive school staff conforming to those regulations, within a stable team. Although each factor is important but not essential to ensure these practices, personal characteristics of the SENCO can compensate for a lack of clear school regulations or team discontinuity. Implications for school policy and practice are discussed.

Burnout is an increasing concern among working professionals; however, relatively little research has examined burnout among those in the childcare field. This is a major gap, given high demand for childcare services in the United States coupled with high rates of turnover in the field. Between February 2019 and January 2020, 320 home- and center-based childcare professionals completed an online survey about their experiences, which included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and questions about perceptions of child behaviors. Organizational/administrative challenges emerged as a significant predictor of burnout. Burnout was significantly related to childcare professionals' perceptions of how difficult it was to effectively respond to relatively common challenging child behaviors. Results underscore the importance of enhanced supports for childcare professionals at risk of burnout.

Students with extensive support needs are at risk of demonstrating challenging behavior due to inadequate support of their individual needs or class-wide factors such as low quality of instruction. Students with extensive support needs are also among the students who are most likely to experience aversive interventions and be placed in segregated educational placements. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate behavior intervention plans (BIPs) written for students with extensive support needs to understand their structural features and technical adequacy, trends across components of plans, and the alignment of the BIP with the student's individualized education program (IEP). We analyzed BIPs that were developed by IEP teams including a teacher candidate enrolled in a master's program, a mentor teacher, or a colleague. We found BIPs were of low technical adequacy with patterns of errors reflecting harmful assumptions about students, lack of operational definitions, and intervention procedures that were not aligned with other components of the plan. BIPs and IEPs were not well-aligned, a finding that reflected overall poor planning for students with extensive support needs. Implications for research and practice are presented with a focus on the critically important nature of effective behavior supports for students with extensive support needs.

In this article, we explore how educational leadership, administration, and special education students can effectively use Coordinated Early Intervening Services (34 CFR §300.226) funding. These funds, available under IDEA Part B, aim to address racial disproportionalities in educational opportunities. Through a case study, we examine how a school principal navigates the complexities of using IDEA Part B funds for academic and behavioral support services. It highlights the challenges school leaders face and suggests activities to help educators address the root causes of racial/ethnic disproportionality in student identification, placement, and disciplinary actions.

Research suggests that a cycle of misbehavior can escalate quickly from corrections over minor rule infractions to threats of serious disciplinary consequences. There is also evidence that Black youth may be especially at risk for these escalations due to subtle or implicit racial bias, or cultural mismatches that may lead teachers to believe that minor rule violations, especially those that require subjective judgments, convey willful defiance or disrespect. In this article, we provide a brief overview of data confirming that Black students experience disproportionate disciplinary outcomes, explore the idea that one contributor to disproportionality may be cultural disconnects between adults and the student population, and consider the idea that many punitive disciplinary actions evolve from relatively minor classroom conflict, disruption, or rule violations. We argue that fairly simple, low-intensity antecedent strategies that show promise in defusing problems rather than exacerbating them may offer mitigation against disproportionate disciplinary outcomes.

Socio-emotional school behavior and learning are both fundamental aspects of children's development influenced by cognitive control processes named Executive Functions (EF). Yet, research on school-age children has often focused on the relationship between EF and learning skills overlooking that of EF and school behavior, which has usually been examined among preschoolers. The current study investigated the contribution of EF in both school behavior and learning in school-age children. One hundred forty-six III--V graders were assessed using text comprehension and EF tasks and evaluated by teachers-rated inventories on behavioral difficulties and EF within the school context. The results suggested a different involvement of direct and indirect EF measures in the two domains considered: controlling for socioeconomic level and age, an EF direct measure, predicted reading comprehension whereas teacher-reported EF related to both behavior and text comprehension. The results contribute to defining the role of cognitive control processes on school behavior and learning in school-age children.

Increasingly, scholarly journals have begun retracting published articles for reasons other than those described by advisory organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Numerous research articles have been retracted of late due to political concerns. Additionally, some articles have been retracted for behavioral misconduct, which was also the subject of a recent COPE discussion forum. 'Behavioral misconduct' denotes harmful or immoral behavior of one or more authors that is unrelated to the article's findings or content. We investigated whether federally funded research scientists considered behavioral misconduct a valid reason for retracting published findings and whether the type of behavioral misconduct involved, the level of the expected scientific impact of the article in question, or the kind of editorial action taken affected their support of retraction. Of the 464 participants who took our survey, we found that researchers largely oppose retraction of a published article or removing an author when scientists commit behavioral misconduct, regardless of the type of misconduct involved. However, there was greater support for retraction when the misconduct was financial as compared to racial or sexual misconduct. Not surprisingly, researchers were more likely to use the published information in question in their own work when its impact was high. Future studies should investigate the extent to which these findings are moderated by researchers' editorial experience and other demographic factors.

Background: There has been significant focus in the past decade on reducing admissions to assessment and treatment units for people with intellectual disabilities experiencing mental health or behavioural concerns. This has included the development of intensive support functions of National Health Service Learning Disability services to bolster community support and treatment for people at risk of admission. However, in recent years, there has been increased consideration of service development to include rehabilitation functions which would aim to proactively provide medium-term additional input to individuals with a complexity of need. This input would aim to improve future trajectories and support the individuals to remain living a good life in their own community. This review focuses on community and in-patient approaches to meeting a complexity of need. Method: A scoping review was carried out according to established best practice guidelines. Papers returned from the search were screened by the following inclusion criteria (a) Models or Outcomes of Rehabilitation; (b) Intellectual Disability Population; (c) Sample being 18 or above and (d) longer than short-term stay/treatment, defined as 6 months or longer; and (e) Mental health and/or behaviour complexities. The search was conducted in electronic databases CINAHL, PsycInfo, Medline, Embase and Social Policy & Practice. Here, 3790 articles were initially identified and 27 were ultimately included in the review. Findings: There are few studies evaluating rehabilitation for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health or behavioural concerns. There was some evidence that accessing assessment and treatment inpatient provision resulted in clinical improvements. Some studies demonstrated initial evidence that longer term rehabilitation was beneficial as a step-down from inpatient care. Some key principles were identified in terms of rehabilitation approaches: the need for person-centred creative approaches, suitable staff training, focus on building skills, and a focus on increasing quality of life. Conclusion: There are some indicators of what good rehabilitation services might comprise for people with an intellectual disability, who have rehabilitation needs. However, far more research and guidance are required in this area. In particular, it is unclear whether rehabilitation is best provided within an inpatient or community model, and further detail is required about optimal components of such rehabilitation.

During a school day, children make several transitions between activities, which can take away from instructional time and result in challenging behaviors. This study investigates the impact positive engagement and behavioral supports have on children's behavior while transitioning. Participants (N = 40; 77.5% Male; 92.5% Hispanic) were enrolled in the Summer Treatment Program for Pre-Kindergarteners, a school readiness program for children with externalizing behavior problems. Using a between-group, cross-over design, classrooms were randomly assigned to three conditions: (a) silent monitoring (i.e., children and counselors transitioned silently or quietly), (b) positive monitoring (i.e., counselors provided praise and children were allowed to talk), and (c) positive monitoring and engagement (i.e., counselors provided entertainment and praise). Results demonstrated significant differences in rule violations based on the transition condition, where groups receiving positive monitoring or engagement displayed fewer violations than those receiving silent monitoring. Implications for educator practices and school policies are discussed.

School-based day treatment is an intensive mental health service for children with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Research on day treatment is scarce and descriptions of program models are lacking. We used stimulated recall interviews to explore the moment-to-moment processes and strategies of classroom staff in a day treatment program for children in kindergarten and Grade 1 in Canada. Several processes and strategies used by staff emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews. These included a process of individualized intervention, characterized by a continual and cyclical process of attunement, responsiveness, assessment, and evaluation, using a team-based approach, noticing positives about children, a climate of positive relationships, staff regulating their own emotions, being flexible while also being firm and consistent, and seeing children from a developmental perspective. More specific strategies used by staff (e.g., token economy) also emerged from the interviews. Implications for future research and teacher training are discussed.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder experience feeding difficulties that can lead to increased health risks (e.g., severe nutrition deficiencies, obesity-related illnesses) if left untreated. Intensive feeding programs that use behavior-analytic interventions have reported positive outcomes for treating challenging behavior associated with pediatric feeding disorders at discharge and up to 1 year post discharge. Whether these children achieve and maintain long-term goals is unknown. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate outcomes of behavior-analytic intervention for pediatric feeding disorders among children with and without autism spectrum disorder in an intensive feeding program post discharge. Caregivers of former patients reported on the positive and negative impact of the program and their child's growth and diet variety at follow-up. 85% of caregivers reported the program had a positive impact. Increases in height-for-age z scores were significant from admission to discharge from the intensive program, and progress in growth and diet variety remained the same or improved for most children at follow-up. Results suggest that behavior-analytic intervention in an intensive feeding program produced positive short- and long-term outcomes for children and their families.

Autistic children show higher rates of co-occurring emotional and behavioural difficulties compared to other children in the general population. However, the environmental factors which contribute to the development of emotional (internalising) and behavioural (externalising) difficulties in autistic individuals are poorly understood. This study sought to investigate the association between harsh parenting (smacking, shouting, telling off) and the trajectories of emotional and behavioural difficulties in autistic children from ages 3 to 7. A sample comprising of 349 autistic children participated from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study. Associations between harsh parenting and child emotional and behavioural difficulties were modelled using multilevel growth curve models. In autistic children, harsh parenting was associated with total emotional and behavioural difficulties and behavioural (but not emotional) problems concurrently. Moreover, harsh parenting was not associated with changes in emotional and behavioural difficulties over time. Harsh parenting may have an important role in externalising problems in young autistic children indicating the need for public health strategies which educate parents on its effects.

A rapidly growing body of research indicates that the quality of children's relationships with teachers can affect students' emotional, behavioral, and school related adjustment. The vast majority of this research has relied on measures that assess teacher--rather than student--perceptions of these relationships. In this study, we administered a student self-report measure of teacher-student relationships (TSR) to 185 children, all of whom had emotional and behavioral problems. Children's special education teachers (N = 76) also completed a validated measure of TSR. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis of child ratings confirmed a model that included three TSR factors: Communication, Trust, and Alienation. Analyses of similarities between student and teacher views of their relationship with one another suggested limited concordance, however, student perceptions of TSR were robust predictors of their emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment even after controlling for teacher perceptions of TSR. These findings provide preliminary support for the importance assessing student perceptions of TSR and initial evidence for the construct validity, reliability and criterion-related validity of a child report measure of teacher-student relationships among students with emotional and behavioral problems.

This study used data from 435 teacher-child dyads in early childhood classrooms to examine the extent to which teachers' use of behavior specific praise (BSP) with children screened for elevated rates of externalizing behaviors was influenced by the intensity of child challenging behavior and gender. Observational assessments indicated that teachers used BSP infrequently. A multiple regression model revealed a significant association between the interaction of child challenging behavior and gender and teachers' delivery of BSP. An examination of the simple slopes revealed a disordinal interaction where the relation between challenging behavior and teachers' delivery of BSP differed as a function of child gender. These findings point to an increased need for training to support teachers' use of BSP and understanding of the influence of child gender and behavior on the use of BSP.

This study used latent transition analysis to examine the stability and change in perceived threats in youth's primary social contexts--neighborhoods, schools, and families--and associations with emotional and behavioral problems when youth transitioned from childhood to adolescence. The sample included 8208 racially and ethnically diverse youth enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (47.4% female, M[subscript age_Baseline] = 9.83, M[subscript age_Timepoint3] = 11.99). Results revealed that while perceived threats in youth's neighborhoods were considerably stable, perceived threats in youth's families fluctuated in relation to stressful life events. Further, subgroups of youth characterized by elevated perceived threat experiences in different contexts showed differential associations with emotional and behavioral problems. Overall, findings highlight the importance of considering the stability of perceived threats to direct appropriate interventions.

School rules, classroom norms, and social and emotional learning (SEL) modules carefully define, hone, and regulate what counts as "appropriate" and "inappropriate" behavior from students. While the stated intention behind these practices is typically to promote a sense of safety, well-being, and productivity in schooling, behavioral rules can also uphold racist, ableist, and neoliberal practices that pathologize and exclude children's bodily expressions. The line between behaviors that are "dangerous" versus "different" is laden with hegemonic power dynamics, and teachers must be encouraged to recognize these dynamics and resist them. I collaborated with six elementary-school teachers in the northwest United States to speak critically and self-reflectively about educational practices including SEL and classroom management. This paper explores instances in which the teachers grappled with where and how to draw lines around acceptable and unacceptable behavior, resisting an immediate exclusionary response to any behavior deemed undesirable. The teachers' affective dialogue demonstrates that reconsidering the limits of appropriate behavior is crucial yet complicated. I call for greater value and support to be placed on opportunities for teachers to openly discuss where lines should be drawn and where they might be loosened in ways that advocate for children's agency, diversity, and social-emotional wholeness.

Sleep problems are common in children with autism spectrum disorder. Although previous research has shown the positive effects of parent-based sleep intervention, it was mainly focused on face-to-face modality, which might limit accessibility. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a telehealth-delivered parent-based sleep-focused intervention in treating insomnia in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 62 parents/caregivers with a child with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid insomnia (aged 3-6 years) were randomized to receive either three weekly group sessions of sleep-focused intervention via Zoom with telephone support (n = 30) or treatment as usual (n = 32). The intervention group had significantly greater improvements in overall sleep problems (Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire total score; p < 0.05), bedtime resistance (p < 0.05), and sleep-onset delay (p < 0.05) at post-treatment as compared to the treatment as usual group. The intervention group also showed significant improvements in overall behavioral and emotional problems (p < 0.05), especially externalizing problems (p < 0.05) as measured by Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and parental stress level (p < 0.05) as measured by Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 as compared to the treatment as usual group (partial [eta][superscript 2] = 0.081-0.101). The findings supported the feasibility and promising effects of a brief parent-based sleep intervention delivered via telehealth.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder commonly co-occurs with autism. Research characterising the interplay between restricted, repetitive behaviours, activities and interests related to autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms has used theory-driven, bottom-up methodology. This study aimed to interview autistic adults about the subjective experience of differentiating between these phenomena. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 autistic adults experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and repetitive behaviours, activities and interest. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis from a critical-realist, inductive orientation. Three overarching themes are presented. Participants viewed repetitive behaviours, activities and interest as intrinsic to their identity, while obsessive-compulsive disorder remained ego-dystonic and a perpetuator of anxiety. Conversely, repetitive behaviours, activities and interest was present across various emotions, often serving as a method to manage anxiety. Routinised behaviours and focused interests were considered by participants to be vulnerable to obsessive-compulsive disorder exploitation. Although participants reported masking both phenomena, the methods and motivations to mask differed. This research demonstrates the importance of delineating these experiences, with suggestions offered in how to explore this with autistic clients. Future research could explore narratives of masking obsessive-compulsive disorder across autistic and non-autistic people and investigate simultaneous co-occurrence of obsessive-compulsive disorder and repetitive behaviours, activities and interest; including how focused interests may influence obsessive-compulsive disorder and how repetitive routines may be intensified by obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: Aggressive behaviour (AB) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are common in people with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning, leading to adverse consequences for themselves and those around them. Method: We investigated the relationship between AB (both total and physical in particular) and NSSI and risk factors in 125 residents in a treatment clinic using incident reports and standard clinical measurements. Results: There was a weak correlation between AB and NSSI, as well as between impulsivity and total AB, and between coping and AB and NSSI. However, NSSI, impulsivity and coping skills did not predict AB. Conclusion: Results do not corroborate those of other studies in this area. In future studies impulsivity, coping, aggression and NSSI may be measured using other instruments, and differences between people with and without intellectual disability regarding these variables may be explored.

Background: Active Support is a staff practice that aims to increase engagement of people with intellectual disabilities. This study seeks to: (1) identify the outcomes of staff using Active Support and how these are measured; (2) identify how the views of people with intellectual disabilities have been included in Active Support research. Method: A scoping review was conducted of peer-reviewed articles about Active Support published between 2009 and 2023. Results: Sixteen articles were identified. Outcomes included engagement, the quality of staff support, choice and challenging behaviour. Structured observations were the most frequently used measurement method. Only two studies explored people with intellectual disabilities' perspectives about Active Support. Conclusions: Consistent use of similar measures is a strength of Active Support research. Including perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities may provide insight into dimensions of support not been measured and assist in further developing these measures and Active Support practice.

This study was designed to increase our understanding about characteristics and the impact of sensory symptoms (SS) and signs of hyperarousal (HA) in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) from childhood through early adulthood and by gender. Data derived from the Fragile X Online Registry With Accessible Research Database (FORWARD), a natural history study of FXS, were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate linear and logistic regression models to examine SS and signs of HA, their impact on behavioral regulation and limitations on the subject/family. The sample (N = 933) consisted of 720 males and 213 females. More males were affected with SS (87% vs. 68%) and signs of HA (92% vs. 79%). Subjects who were endorsed as having a strong sensory response had more comorbidities, including behavioral problems. The predominant SS was difficulty with eye gaze that increased with age in both genders. As individuals age, there was less use of non-medication therapies, such as occupational therapy (OT)/physical therapy (PT), but there was more use of psychopharmacological medications and investigational drugs for behaviors. Multiple regression models suggested that endorsing SS and signs of HA was associated with statistically significantly increased ABC-C-I subscale scores and limited participation in everyday activities. This study improves our understanding of SS and signs of HA as well as their impact in FXS. It supports the need for more research regarding these clinical symptoms, especially to understand how they contribute to well-known behavioral concerns.

The diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5-TR features the option to designate levels of support for social communication (SC) and restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRB). These levels are conceptual in nature, but research indicates standardized assessment outcomes correspond with clinician-assigned levels of support. The purpose of the present study was to identify factors that influence designated levels of support for SC and RRBs when diagnosing autism. Standardized assessment scores across intellectual functioning, adaptive skills, and ASD symptomology were analyzed to determine corresponding levels of support in SC and RRBs assigned by clinicians for 136 autistic children following a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. At diagnosis, approximately 46% of participants were described as needing substantial support (Level 2) for SC and 49% were described as needing substantial support (Level 2) for RRB. There was a consistent pattern of higher to lower intellectual and adaptive functioning needing Level 1-Level 3 support. Autism assessment results followed a gradient of fewer to greater autism symptoms from Level 1 to Level 3 support. Findings indicated clinician-assigned levels of support for SC and RRB were associated with intellectual functioning, adaptive functioning, autism symptomology, and age, but not sex.

Purpose: Restricted and repetitive behaviours are a core feature of autism diagnoses but have not been widely studied in adulthood. This study examined the rates of and associations between repetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivity in autistic and non-autistic adults; and whether repetitive behaviours described as "stimming" impacted coping with difficulties (self-efficacy). Methods: Diagnosed autistic (n = 182), undiagnosed autistic (n = 163) and non-autistic (n = 146) adults completed online measures of repetitive behaviours, sensory sensitivity, and self-efficacy for when able and not able to stim. Results: Repetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivity correlated significantly in each group, although ratings were higher in autistic compared to non-autistic groups. When people were able to stim, no differences between the groups were observed on self-efficacy ratings. However when unable to stim, autistic people reported lower self-efficacy than non-autistic people. Conclusions: Results suggest that repetitive behaviours are significantly associate with sensory sensitivities. Rather than repetitive behaviours being viewed as negative, stimming was associated with increased self-efficacy. Results suggest that stimming may have beneficial effects. Further work is needed to better understand how repetitive behaviours and stimming manifest in adulthood, how they change over time and their effects for autistic adults.

The present study investigated the longitudinal associations of self-control and parental involvement with prosociality and internalizing problems from early to mid-to-late adolescence, within a risk and resilience and a developmental cascade framework. We used a panel design (i.e., four measurement times at 2-year intervals from 2008 onwards) to examine data on 1523 Swiss adolescents when they were aged about 11, 13, 15, and 17. A cross-lagged analytical approach was used to respond to our purpose. Results showed that parental involvement promotes later levels of prosociality from early to mid-to-late adolescence. Furthermore, we observed that parental involvement predicted later improvements in self-control and that prosociality and internalizing problems mutually and positively predicted each other during the same period. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting positive parental involvement with their offspring may contribute to later adolescent prosociality and self-control and that health professionals should consider encouraging a healthy balance between self-interest and concern for others.

Systematic reviews of single-case experimental research (SCER) in special education often use the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Standards to assess the methodological rigor of studies within a given literature base. While significant changes were made between the two most recent versions of the WWC standards, no research to date has evaluated the extent to which these standards would result in different evaluation outcomes. To examine potential differences, we applied version 4.1 and 5.0 of the standards to a sample database of SCER addressing the challenging behavior of students with autism in general education settings. Systematic search, screening, and review procedures resulted in a total of 20 articles included for this review. Findings indicated a 27% change in overall ratings across the studies, with version 5.0 leading to lower ratings than version 4.1, due to factors such as a lack of assessment of procedural fidelity, therapeutic baseline trends, and insufficient data points in the first baseline phase. We discuss implications for research based on our findings and recommend future directions for SCER in the field of special education.

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to investigate adherence to honor culture, which values personal reputation and defense of such, as well as traits of callousness among students in three different placements of high school English (advanced placement/college prep, general, and special education resource). Two existing instruments were combined into a single self-report survey designed to indicate adherence to each of the two traits among the groups of students in a rural and low-socioeconomic New England high school. Analysis of variance indicated that the groups did not differ significantly on measures of honor culture but did so on indicators of callousness. Implications for schools and future research needs and for the above outcomes in this population are discussed.

This study highlights the importance of incorporating subjective measures of identifiable problematic money issues in financial education workshops conducted by extension specialists. Addressing problematic money behaviors such as overspending, financial infidelity, and financial enabling empowers individuals to overcome harmful financial habits and improve basic money management practices such as paying bills on time and saving. The distinction between problematic money issues and money disorders, as well as overspending and compulsive buying, is clarified. The study uses empirical testing on problematic money behaviors and their association with fundamental money management practices to inform the development of comprehensive financial training and counseling programs.

This study attempts to explore the teachers' beliefs on the causes of learners' misbehavior in language classrooms. To do so, 23 language teachers completed a narrative frame in which they discussed a misbehavior experience they had in the class and why they thought it happened; they, then, attended semi-structured interviews where they discussed their experiences regarding learners' misbehavior. A thematic analysis was employed and the data was analyzed with an eye on the study's theoretical underpinning, i.e., Activity Theory (AT). The results indicated that there are different sources of misbehavior on different interconnected components of AT. In the "tool" component, the emergent themes were materials constraints, technological challenges, and hobbies interventions. In the "rules", some themes such as teaching methodology, socio-cultural norms, and political, and ideological intolerance or disobedience emerged. It was in the "community" component of AT that the data revealed social phenomena, colleagues and authorities, and learners heterogeneity. Finally, in the "division of labor" the emerged themes were overwhelming responsibilities, family issues, and executives' dereliction. The findings suggest a new look at language learners' misbehavior and inform teacher education programs in which teachers are trained on this issue to manage learning in their classrooms effectively.

Little is known about OCD in people with learning disabilities (LD) in general and in terms of current and professional support. In this study, we examined caregivers' perceived challenges and strategies practiced in institutionalized settings in managing OCD in people with LD and derived implications for research and practice. We studied individual cases of people with LD (n = 7). Each case included group discussions (n = 28) and semistructured interviews with caregivers (n = 20). We used qualitative content analysis to analyze the data. Our findings reveal the following challenges for caregivers: recognizing and classifying ambiguous behaviors, recognizing emotional well-being and needs through nonverbal signals, finding and applying effective strategies, being unqualified regarding additional needs, managing inappropriate institutionalized conditions, and lacking external specialization. We identified five strategies for dealing with compulsive behavior: tolerating and allowing, accepting and supporting, involving, limiting the compulsive act, and stopping the act. Collaboration among psychiatric, therapeutic, and caregivers in institutionalized settings is critical for early identification and support of OCD. Challenges arise from caregivers' lack of training on the additional needs of people with LD and OCD, highlighting the urgent need for disorder-specific guidelines for identification and support.

The increasing number of students who lack proficient reading skills is well known in Germany, as well as globally. Students with learning disabilities (LD), problem behavior, and German as a second language (L2) may face even greater hurdles. However, it is essential for teachers to provide adequate support to maintain equal educational opportunities. Word recognition is fundamental to reading, and thus, we designed lexical and sub-lexical unit training through a peer-tutorial repeated reading racetrack and evaluated the effects on student proficiency with trained and untrained words. A multiple-baseline design was implemented (N = 8), and the intervention took place three times a week over six weeks. The results show promising indications that the intervention is an effective tool to improve reading in a short time, yielding moderate to strong effects on trained and untrained words.

This study compared the outcome of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention when supervision was given over videoconference for half of the meetings. This started after 3 months of intervention. The participating children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and were randomly placed in either the videoconference group or in the onsite group. The dependent variables were autism severity, preferences for socially mediated stimuli and problematic behaviors. The independent variable was supervision onsite or by videoconference. The results showed no significant differences between the groups on any of the outcome measures. A limitation of this study was the small group sizes, which limits generalization of the results to other children and settings. Furthermore, the onsite group received some supervision sessions via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, our tentative conclusion is that supervision via videoconference has the potential to replace onsite supervision at least partially, but that larger scale research in a variety of settings is needed.