Using Self-Regulation Strategies and Functional Assessment-Based Interventions to Provide Academic and Behavioral Support to Students at Risk Within Three-Tiered Models of Prevention

Abstract

Some students exhibit behavioral issues as early as preschool and kindergarten. Conventional wisdom suggests waiting to see whether students outgrow these difficulties. However, there is extensive evidence that early detection and intervention is preferred to the wait-and-see approach because it is more likely to result in better academic and social outcomes later in students’ school careers. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support is a multitiered model that uses primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of support to provide an instructive approach to behavior, as opposed to more reactive models. This article introduces suggestions for secondary and tertiary supports—self-regulation strategies and functional assessment-based interventions, respectively—to meet the multiple needs (academic, behavioral, and social) of students at risk for negative outcomes caused by behavioral issues.

Keywords:

• at risk
• behavior problems
• emotional disturbance
• response to intervention
• Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

Notes

1. Interactive modules on how to implement each of these strategies are available at the IRIS Center Web site and can be accessed at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/index.html.