SPED 8180 - Positive Behavioral Supports for Students with Disabilities

3 cr.

This course provides an overview of the research and best practices for assessing, planning, and implementing individual, classroom and school-wide positive behavior support. Students will examine evidence-based strategies for conducting an effective Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and use the results to design and implement an individual Behavior Support Plan. Students will also become more proficient in designing data collection sheets and collecting and graphing data. Systematic procedures for influencing behavior will be reviewed. Teacher candidates will look at patterns of problem behavior and examine it through a systems approach and explore ways to design and implement classroom and school-wide supports to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for the general education classrooms. Federal and state legislation and regulations are examined with particular attention to their impact on the design and implementation of educational programs for students with behavior challenges.