Media Review: Interventions for Children with or at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

* Interventions for Children with or At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders grew from the recognition that many of the current books about students with E/BD fail to offer readers a balanced look at academic and behavioral interventions. This text contains chapters on identification, assessment, education, and intervention strategies and procedures and represents the collective thinking of experts who provide a multidisciplinary perspective on research-based best practices. The content is divided into four main sectionseach of which contains several chapters outlining research-based practices and programs-and a conclusion. The first section synthesizes what is known about the identification of students with E/BD; it contains an integrated review of a threetiered approach to prevention and intervention. A unique quality of this section is its focus on student academic failure. It includes a practical chapter by Daly, Duhon, and Witt on Proactive Approaches for Identifying and Treating Children at Risk for Academic Failure that provides information for looking at the learning situation (i.e., the child within the classroom, the curriculum, the instructional format) rather than just focusing on the child when problems occur. The technology advocated is similar to that used to conduct functional behavioral assessments; it provides a process for looking at the variables that influence academic achievement in a manner that will allow practitioners to self-evaluate and develop effective interventions. Academic instruction is the focus of the second section. As the editors point out, the research addressing the academic or instructional needs of students with E/BD is limited. This is underscored in succeeding chapters on academic instruction (e.g., reading, writing, mathematics). Instead of specialized information about teaching academics to students with E/BD, the chapter authors (many of whom are leaders in their field) offer a perspective on methods to teach academics as well as research-based guidelines for doing so. This section begins with a chapter by Howell and Kelley on Curriculum Clarification, Lesson Design, and Delivery that outlines a practical approach to determining curriculum, including setting behavioral and social goals, designing lessons, and teaching students. It provides guidance on what constitutes effective instruction. The authors emphasize that teaching students to be compliant is not the same as promoting the social skills that enable students with E/BD to move to least restrictive classroom environments and beyond. The chapter by Sabornie on Homework and Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders should also be of particular value to preservice and inservice teachers in special education, as well as general education teachers, since it addresses information seldom covered in textbooks and largely ignored in many teacher preparation programs. Sabornie does an excellent job of tying traditional problems associated with classroom assignment and completion of homework to the diverse needs of students with E/BD. The strength of this chapter lies in the way Saborine translates the research on homework into a series of practical suggestions for teachers. The section ends with a chapter by Colvin on Designing Classroom Organization and Structure. The author discusses the importance of the physical layout of the classroom, as well as ways for establishing schedules and expectations. This chapter is especially useful because Colvin addresses the special issues that secondary schools present (e.g., block scheduling) as well as elementary and middle school instructional issues. The chapter provides valuable strategies for preservice and veteran teachers who are having difficulty managing their classrooms. The third section discusses the issues of managing challenging behaviors. It opens with a thoughtful discussion by Walker and Severson of what is currently known about the role of developmental prevention and early intervention when working with students who are at risk for antisocial behavior. …