EDU200W: Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviors

Using the framework of positive behavioral support, Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviors teaches the knowledge and skills needed to support children in the classroom with challenging behaviors. Students in the course learn the basic assumptions about the context and function of behavior. They learn how behavior influences people and events, how certain behaviors enable children to obtain basic needs, and how other behaviors allow them to avoid unpleasant situations. By understanding the effects of various behaviors, students in the course can develop effective classroom strategies for supporting children with challenging behaviors. By focusing on these new skills of support (as opposed to intrusive interventions that rely on eliminating challenging behaviors), the course inculcates effective positive approaches that respect the dignity of the individual and facilitate social inclusion. This course includes field study.