Evaluating the Effectiveness of Prevent–Teach–Reinforce for High School Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

Although there is a wealth of research supporting the effectiveness of using functional behavior assessment (FBA) to inform development of behavior intervention plans (BIPs), schools continue to find the FBA and BIP process challenging for implementation, particularly for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBDs) in high school settings. The current study evaluated the use of the prevent–teach–reinforce (PTR) FBA model for three high school students with EBD in self-contained settings. Results indicated that PTR was effective at reducing problem behaviors and increasing replacement behaviors for all three students. Teachers implemented the interventions with high levels of fidelity. Social validity scores obtained from both teachers and students indicated acceptability of the PTR process and outcomes. Limitations and areas for future research are suggested.