Instructional Accommodations for Adolescent Students with Severe Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

A three-phase functional assessment was conducted to develop and test hypotheses about the relation between instructional accommodations in academic areas and behavior problems for three adolescents with severe behavioral disorders. In Phase 1, the researchers conducted descriptive analyses to identify when most behavior problems occurred at schools, and to interview teachers and students concerning those behavior problems. From the results of descriptive analyses, individualized hypotheses were developed regarding instructional accommodations that might result in improved academic and classroom behavior. Phase 2 included experimental analyses within alternating treatments designs to test these hypotheses within the classrooms. Phase 3 included extended interventions of the instructional accommodations within multiple-baseline (across academic subjects) designs for each participant. Implementation of one or more of the instructional accommodations resulted in improved academic productivity and accuracy, and behavior problems were reduced during the classes in which the instructional accommodations were implemented. In addition, for two participants behavior problems decreased throughout the school day.