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Functional analysis is considered best practice for behavior analysts who work with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and engage in problem behavior. Unfortunately, a majority of practitioners do not complete functional analyses. The purpose of the present study was to train 10 practitioners to implement a practical functional assessment (PFA) decision making model and to evaluate the ecological validity of the model. Pre- and Post-training overall test scores increased, on average, by 38.18%. Testing subsections increased by 60.0% for foundations and concepts, 5.0% for graphical interpretations, and 40.0% for decision making. A job needs survey showed the greatest gains in reports of antecedent environmental supports, behavior supports in the environment, and antecedents related to the behavior repertoire. A post-training survey indicated that 8 of 8 trainees would recommend the training to others. Finally, at the conclusion of follow-up progress data collection, 3 of the 5 locations were progressing through the PFA model in their regular job duties whereas the other 2 locations experienced professional staffing issues that interfered with their workloads. These results indicate that the training was effective at increasing testing responses related to foundations and concepts as well as decision making. Additionally, when professional staffing was stable, participants reported using the PFA model effectively, suggesting that the model had ecological fit under these conditions.

Studies have shown that using trauma-informed strategies in the classroom positively effect students learning and academic success. However, studies have proven that educators’ lack exposure to trauma-informed care area. The purpose of the study was to 1). Investigate educators’ knowledge and uses of trauma-informed strategies in their classrooms and 2.) develop a resource of trauma-informed strategies for educators to better serve students with trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). A research design of surveying elementary teachers from a Northeast Indiana public school. The survey was administered to twenty-six elementary teachers in both the general and special education setting. Twenty participants completed the survey. The survey questions were both open and closed ended questions that gathered educators understanding of trauma and trauma-informed strategies in the classroom. Twenty educators completed the survey. Results suggested that educators lack trauma-informed Professional Development while all educators have a high percent of students with trauma within their classrooms. Results also suggested that educators may not have a good understanding of what trauma-informed strategies are or how to implement them in their classroom.

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The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the perceptions of educators regarding the potential impact of technology as a motivator to elicit desirable behaviors within students that have been identified with an educational diagnosis of emotional disturbance at the elementary school level. A review of the literature focused on key words such as (a) technology, (b) emotional disturbance, and (c) behavior management. The perceptions of educators were collected through the use of an on-line questionnaire, in addition to individual, face-to-face interviews. The study intended to collect the perceptions of classroom teachers to determine whether or not educators who work closely with elementary-aged students with emotional disturbance are more likely to exhibit desirable behaviors at school when the student is aware that access to technology is an option as a reward or even if the technology is available for general use in the classroom. The implications of the study show that the majority of teachers who participated do perceive that technology plays a role in promoting desirable behaviors within their students. Future studies can look at the role specific types of technology play in behavior management. It can be stated that the implications from this study promote the use of technology in emotional support classrooms at the elementary level. Ensuring that teachers have access to technology is an important factor that school districts will want to examine. / Educational Leadership