Timothy J. Landrum

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in the New Millennium: The Future Is Now.

In assessing the prospects for the future of the field of behavioral disorders, we examine our current knowledge base related to two critical areas: (1) early intervention for prevention and (2) inclusion and the preparation of teachers. We consider these against the backdrop of two issues that have limited our progress: (1) establishing appropriate expectations and realistic outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and (2) the changing relationship between science and education. We conclude with several suggestions for directions in which movement may hold promise for the future of our field. In particular, we call for action based upon our current knowledge and increased attention to scientific, data-based decision making in the areas of early intervention, teacher preparation, and the establishment of realistic expectations.

Chapter 1 Evidence-Based Practices in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities: The Search for Effective Instruction

The gap between research and practice in special education places an artificial ceiling on the achievement of students with learning and behavioral disabilities. Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are instructional practices shown by bodies of sound research to be generally effective. They represent a possible means to address the research-to-practice gap by identifying, and subsequently implementing, the most effective instructional practices on the basis of reliable, scientific research. In this chapter, we provide a context for the subsequent chapters in this volume by (a) defining and describing EBPs, (b) recognizing some of important limitations to EBPs, (c) introducing a number of ongoing issues related to EBPs in the field of learning and behavioral disabilities that are addressed by chapter authors in this volume, and (d) briefly considering a few emerging issues related to EBPs that we believe will become increasingly prominent in the near future.

Classroom Behavior, Contexts, and Interventions

Intended to be of interest to clinicians, teachers, researchers, graduate students, and others who work with students with learning and behavioral disabilities, this book focuses on identify and review issues and outcomes associated with behavioral concerns of students with learning and behavioral disabilities.

Chapter 11 Evidence-Based Practice in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Given the complex and chronic nature of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), the search for and use of evidence-based practices may be hindered by the way we frame questions of what works. Instead of asking “what works in EBD?” – a question that is framed around an eligibility category and not specific behavioral and academic needs – we argue that the question should be contextualized around the targets of intervention. With the right question in mind – “what works for addressing this problem?” professionals in the field must reach consensus on ways to evaluate the current knowledge base and provide guidelines for future research to answer the question. Interventions that address specific behavioral and academic needs, are simple to implement, explicit in their execution, and predictable in their outcomes are most likely to be useful to teachers and to contribute to an evidence base for EBD.

Instructional Practices with and without Empirical Validity: An Introduction

Abstract Educators’ decisions regarding what instructional practices they use have significant consequences for the learning and life outcomes of their students. This is especially true for students with learning and behavioral disabilities, who require highly effective instruction to succeed in school and achieve their goals. In this volume of Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities chapter authors provide readers with accessible information on theory, critical elements, and research for instructional practices that are and are not supported by bodies of scientific research as effective in critical outcome areas. Educators can use this content to inform and enhance their instructional decision making. To contextualize subsequent chapters, in this introductory chapter we discuss the research-to-practice gap in special education, the importance of considering scientific research when making instructional decisions and considerations for interpreting and applying research findings on instructional practices. We conclude with a preview of the chapters in the volume.

Special Education Past, Present, and Future: Foundational Concepts and Introduction to the Volume

Abstract We present and explain several reasons that special education as a field has not been served well by the lessons of our history, but has the extraordinary opportunity, if not responsibility, to learn from history and use these lessons to guide practice. Our premises include (a) special educators may be less aware of their past than professionals in other disciplines, and thus less likely to build on this past; (b) given the relatively short history of the field as we know it today, we have access to many leaders who shaped policy and practice in special education; and (c) special education faces crossroads in many respects, and these have the potential to drastically re-shape or re-define special education. As such, we believe that contextualizing our present and future direction in an understanding of our past is critical now more than ever.

Classroom Behavior, Context, and Interventions: The Search for Solutions to Complex Problems

Several questions guide our analysis of behavioral concerns. First, are there in fact differences in children that predispose them to difficult behavior in school? For example, are there endogenous learning or behavioral characteristics, or learned behaviors that children bring to school, which make some children more likely to succeed in navigating the complex social and academic environments they will encounter? If so, can these characteristics be altered, can behaviors be changed, or can their impact be ameliorated through intervention? Reid (this volume) addressed many of these questions in his chapter on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), especially as the questions relate to academics. Using Barkleys (2006) theoretical work as a framework, and recent descriptive and longitudinal data, Reid discusses the academic status and trajectory of students with ADHD. Looking closely at possible causal factors for academic problems, Reid identifies and describes promising interventions, such as computer-assisted instruction, peer tutoring, and strategy instruction.