Lyndal M. Bullock

Knowledge/Skills Needed by Teachers Who Work with Students with Severe Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: A Revisitation.

The purpose of the present study was to reexamine knowledge/skills statements that reportedly have been used in teacher preparation programs for teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Knowledge/skills statements, 201 arranged by 11 categories, were rated by 102 teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders as to importance, proficiency, and frequency of use. Means for all responses to the 201 statements as well as the weighted means for each of the 11 categories are reported. In addition, items that were similar to the knowledge/skills statements recently published by The Council for Exceptional Children are highlighted. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed briefly.

Programs for Children and Adolescents With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in the United States: A Historical Overview, Current Perspectives, and Future Directions

In this article, the authors briefly review the historical development and current status of services for students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) in the United States. Drawing upon that review, the authors examine disproportionality and personnel shortages and discuss present and future options for better serving this challenging population of children and youth.

Changing Perspectives on Alternative Schooling for Children and Adolescents with Challenging Behavior.

There is increasing evidence that a mismatch exists between the structure of the schools and the cultural, social, and linguistic background of some segments of the school-aged population. This mismatch is often exemplified in the academic and behavioral expectations and performance of some students. In this article, the authors discuss the reciprocal nature and effect that learning and behavioral problems have on students. Next, the authors highlight selected programs that have impacted the course of intervention programs for children and youth. Characteristics that distinguish current alternative programs for students and variables that appear essential to qualify programming are presented. Last, the authors encourage more communication and interaction between researchers and practitioners concerning critical issues related to alternative schooling.

Job stressors and teacher job satisfaction in programs serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders

Teacher turnover is problem that continues to plague the field of special education, given the associated costs when a teacher leaves his or her job. The challenges associated with recruitment and retention of quality teachers, especially in programs serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) have been attributed to a variety of factors within the schools. This study examines the perceptions of teachers of students with E/BD regarding the different stressors that cause dissatisfaction and discontentment with their jobs. Electronic surveying and focus groups were used to accrue quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicate that stressors within and outside the classrooms were responsible for high levels of stress and dissatisfaction, which eventually translate into teacher transfers or migration to other professions. Implications for promoting retention of teachers of students with E/BD are discussed.

Digital Aggression: Cyberworld Meets School Bullies

Cyberbullying is a category of bullying that occurs in the digital realm and affects students at astonishing rates. Unlike traditional bullying, in which displays of aggression may be evident to bystanders, the ramification of cyberbullying occurs through unconventional strategies (e.g., text messaging, online Web logs, video sharing). As a result, episodes of digital aggression may be camouflaged by the advancement in technology. Nonetheless, the effects of this digital form of peer aggression can be as detrimental as face-to-face bullying.

Tracking behavior assessment methodology and support strategies: a national survey of how schools utilize functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans

Although functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) have been utilized since the 1960s, their use has steadily increased since the passing of IDEA 1997 which mandated their use in specified circumstances. References to FBAs and BIPs in No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the 2004 re-authorization of IDEA, and in positive behavioral supports programming has also expanded their use across school settings. Although much has been written about FBAs and BIPs, there is a paucity of research regarding the specific manner in which public school personnel implement mandated practices. The current study examined the variables in which schools conduct FBAs and implement BIPs not yet adequately addressed in the current literature and focused on four main areas: (a) behavioral problems encountered in the school settings, (b) common disciplinary actions taken regarding common behavioral problems, (c) how functional behavioral assessments are utilized, and (d) how behavior interventions are applied. Findings suggest that those asked to conduct, write, and implement FBAs and BIPs rarely received adequate training on the use of these mandated practices. Results from the study also suggest that on-going consultation and evaluation are critical to the successful implementation of BIPs.

Technology-Mediated Instruction in Distance Education and Teacher Preparation in Special Education

In this article, the authors examine the literature on distance education and offer a brief chronology of its past-to-present development, with special attention to the evolution of technology-mediated instruction. They document some of the major trends related to both theoretical and practical aspects of distance education. In particular, they look at the significance of the design of instruction and the importance of preserving faculty—student communication. Next, they look at the challenges as well as opportunities that distance education affords students, faculty, and institutions of higher education. Finally, the authors summarize what they believe to be major issues to be resolved if educators are to improve the quality of distance education and speculate about what the future might hold with regard to distance education and special education.

Traumatic Brain Injury: A Challenge for Educators.

In this article, the authors provide information designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of school personnel about traumatic brain injury (TBI). The authors specifically define TBI and enumerate common characteristics associated with traumatic brain injury, discuss briefly the growth and type of services provided, and offer some thoughts on ways to help ensure quality services for these students once they reenter the school environment.

Cyber bullying: practices to face digital aggression

The display of aggressive behaviours among the digital generation has modernized the traditional attributes of bullying. Cases of bullying are no longer confined to physical altercations between peers in school hallways or hostile verbal exchanges during recess periods. With the progression of technology, educators must recognize the changes of our students’ behaviours as lives become modified by the digital era. The issues of cyber bullying have gained global visibility due to the disheartening publicized cases of the victims. While the families of victims mourn the loss of their children and earnestly seek to understand the cause of each account, researchers actively examine and implement preventative measures in hopes of educating individuals (e.g., general and special educators, parents, students, community professionals) to distinguish the warning signs of aggressive behaviours in digital forms.

Principles of Positive Behaviour Supports: Using the FBA as a Problem-Solving Approach to Address Challenging Behaviours beyond Special Populations.

The Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA) is an investigative process that examines the context of challenging behaviours in the classroom. Information gleaned from the FBA process is used to develop a behaviour intervention plan to address the challenging behaviour and teach a socially acceptable replacement behaviour. However, the FBA has remained almost exclusively used with students identified with disabilities, particularly those with emotional/behavioural disorders (EBD) as a last resort before removal from the general school campus. Fortunately, there is a growing awareness of the FBA as positive behaviour support practice in the general education classroom to assist non-disabled students and early intervention for students with or at-risk for EBD. In this paper, we discuss the FBA, its place as a positive behaviour practice, and its application in the general education classroom to assist students who are demonstrating challenging behaviours prior to considering a referral for special education assessment.