Behavioural Support in Mainland China

Abstract

Learning in Regular Classroom (LRC) is an indigenised form of inclusive education in the Chinese context. Over three decades of LRC practices, children with special needs have become increasingly visible in regular schools. In recent years, behavioural support has been recognised in Chinese special and inclusive education. Educational inclusion has been acknowledged in policy-making, but policy discourses are more descriptive than prescriptive. Educational practice has used behavioural support methods to reduce problem behaviours of individual students with special educational needs (SEN), and teacher standards have referred to behaviour management, but preservice and in-service training has not been focused on building teacher capacity in behavioural support. Researchers have studied behavioural support for individual students with special needs in Mainland China and have published empirical evidence on the effectiveness of widely used Western interventions (e.g. applied behavioural analysis, functional behavioural assessment, and positive behaviour support) in the Chinese context.