July 2015 - vol. 30 no. 1
The Janus Project: A Conversation with Steven Forness
The Janus Project: Capturing Conversations From Leaders in the Field
A Conversation with Steven Forness
Teagarden, J., Zabel, R., & Kaff, M.
Kansas State University
For nearly 10 years the Janus Oral History Project has been collecting and disseminating the professional stories of leaders in education of children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Sponsored by the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders (MSLBD) the Project takes its name from the Janus, the Roman god whose two faces looked both to the past and future. The Janus Project asks leaders to share their experiences and perspectives on the current status of the field, and to offer advice and direction for the future. To date, project has collected nearly 60 conversations in video format which may be accessed on the MSLBD website at the following URL:
http://www.mslbd.org/stories_and_information_interviews_with_profession…
Steven (Steve) Forness is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. Dr. Forness has served in a number of roles at UCLA, including Chief of Educational Psychology in the Child Outpatient Department at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Principal of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital School, and Director of the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Training Program. His research has focused on early detection and eligibility of children with psychiatric disorders for special education services. He has co-authored or co-edited 10 books on learning or behavioral disorders, published more than 200 journal articles, served on review boards of several professional journals, and he has received numerous professional recognitions for his service to the field.
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Janus: Thinking back over your professional life, what people have had an important influence?
Forness: Frank Hewett is one. He was my primary mentor. I gave a talk at the 50th anniversary of CCBD about the history of that organization. I realize that we had a wonderful history in those early years of CCBD, but it was Frank who was kind of the “marketing” person for the field. He had worked his way through a doctoral program by working at the learning disabilities school on campus [UCLA] that was run by the Psychology Department. He was then asked to open up the Neuropsychiatric Hospital School during his first year after graduation. Back in those days, school consisted of the nursing staff taking 10 emotionally disturbed kids from the locked inpatient unit, walking them down the hall, and locking them in a room with Frank Hewett for two hours. Out of that desperation, he drew from the ideas of Dick Whelan, Norris Haring, Frank Wood, and others and made them into a kind of “educational package.” As we say in California, it’s all in the marketing. Frank actually added to this package his own expertise in teaching kids with learning disabilities. I was really stunned by how many different components he was able to include and by the fact that he could put together a coherent program that teachers could take with them when they graduated. For years afterwards when I’d talk to teachers, I would ask them what kind of approach they used in their classroom and they would usually say, “Oh, I have a Hewett classroom.”
Then he and I wrote an introductory textbook together which was based partly on the Madison School Plan he developed in the public schools. The Madison Plan was a systematic approach to mainstreaming using four different levels of readiness for classroom functioning. While Frank was doing his research on the Madison Plan, I was taking some of the same ideas and applying them to the inpatient hospital school where I was principal.
Janus: How can teacher trainers provide opportunities where team members can use that interdisciplinary model?
Forness: Well, I think it’s absolutely critical in our field. You know, behavior disorders are simply the psychiatric disorders that occur in school, which is most of them. I’ve always been committed to looking beneath the behavior. If we don’t look beneath the overt behavior, I think we’re missing a big opportunity to more effectively respond or refer for additional help from psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers and to bring the family into the treatment process. One thing that would be important for people who are training in PBIS teams would be to have people who, even if they’re not a regular part of their team, are people they can refer to such as psychiatrists for medications, or school psychologists for cognitive behavioral therapy. This puts a little more of a mental health spin on the kinds of problems of kids we see. I advocate for doing the best we can first with our behavioral programs before we go to the other disciplines. But in many cases, when our kids become non-responders to our programs, I think that there are often other people out there who can carry the ball, probably better than we can.
Janus: What suggestions do you have for persons entering the field?
Forness: Well, I think that this is the best field in special education. We are in essence the “Seal Team 6” of special education, because we not only have to teach these kids like other special education teachers, but we also have to help them manage their behavior and deal with the stigma and rejection from teachers and kids in school. It really is an elite teacher who can do all that. If you want to be an elite, this is the group to be in.
But, you also need to prepare yourself. Right off the bat, I think you need to start taking advantage of our great behavioral strategies, try to get a package of these, or at least put together a package for yourself, and see how the components fit in the overall scheme involving social, cognitive, and academic domains. Also, I would recommend getting very familiar with issues of psychiatric disorders so that you can not only refer appropriately, if you need to, but also get more of a sense of what help your students actually need.
I also think that being able to work with parents is critical. Teachers have to be able to counsel parents of these kids and alert them to things that need to be done. You have to be careful about that, because the school might be held responsible for paying for anything you recommend, but there are ways of saying this, such as, “We’ve done everything we can. Here’s what I’ve done that works in the classroom. There may be other things going on at home and other behaviors that you see and may be concerned about, and you may want to see what your pediatrician thinks.” If the pediatrician is on top of things, he or she will start to think of ADHD, depression, or anxiety disorders. There’s a big initiative between psychiatry and pediatrics to train pediatricians in mental health because they are the front line psychiatrists.
I think as well that this is a hopeful field, because you get so much satisfaction out of it and there’s always going to be a need for you. If I had my career in special education to do over again, I would choose this field without hesitation.
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Steve Forness’s career has influenced how we view mental health issues in schools and the ways interdisciplinary specialists working together and with parents can provide effective interventions for children with learning and behavioral challenges. The complete conversation with Dr. Forness was published in Intervention in School and Clinic (Zabel, Kaff, & Teagarden, 2014) and also can be viewed at the following URL: https://archive.org/details/SteveForness
The Janus Project thanks Dr. Forness for his contributions to understanding and treatment of children with EBD, his support for those who work with them, and his long-time leadership to our field. Future issues of Behavior Today will feature excerpts from conversations with Mary Margaret Kerr, C. Michael Nelson, and others.
Zabel, R., Kaff, M., & Teagarden, J. (2014). Promoting interdisciplinary practice: An interview with Steven R. Forness. Intervention in School and Clinic, 49, 255-260.
WE DO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AS IEP TEAM MEMBERS!
WE DO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AS IEP TEAM MEMBERS!
By Bev Johns
This regular column focuses on the positive contributions that each of us make in our profession.
In the first column we discussed how we must counter the negative statements out there about our educational careers. People must know the good work that each of us is doing every day. Policy makers need to understand the very valuable work that each and every one of us does. We all got into the field of working with students with emotional/behavioral challenges because we knew the importance of being positive and building our students up rather than focusing on their negative behavior. At the same time, we need to build ourselves up and reflect on all the good things we do daily to make a positive difference in children and their families’ lives.
From the time of an evaluation to an IEP to the implementation of the IEP to the student’s exit from the educational system, everything we do makes a positive difference in the life of a child.
The last article discussed our role in the evaluation process. This article talks about our contributions as active IEP team members. The IEP is the cornerstone of the special education services that a student will receive. When we participate in that process as an active IEP team member, we are impacting the life of a child. What is discussed in that IEP can turn a student’s life around. It can be the beginning of the services that a child needs.
We come to the IEP team as experts in stressing the positive behaviors that a child exhibits. We focus on strengths. When others may have a negative mindset, we know that our role is to point out what the child does well. We understand the challenges the parents face when raising a child with behavioral problems. We empathize and relate to the parents as participants at the IEP.
We know how to frame the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance in positive terms. We know how to pinpoint the areas of concern that need to be addressed. We know how to examine previous evaluations and how to utilize the information in those evaluations to assist the student within the classroom. We utilize functional assessment information to plan an effective and positive behavioral intervention plan.
We also understand the connection between academics and behavior. We can assist other members of the team in linking the two and providing behavior strategies that will result in improved academic performance. We are good motivators and can share what can be done in the classroom that can achieve positive results.
We know how to write goals and objectives that are written in measurable, observable, and objective terms. We know how to write realistic goals and how to involve the student in the process.
We know what types of specially designed instruction that will result in improved academic and behavioral outcomes. We also have a good understanding about the options that are needed for our students.
Teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders know how to stand up for the rights of their students and do that as they advocate throughout the IEP for what is needed for the student. We are not afraid to speak up for what is needed, even if others don’t agree with us. We know we must do what is right, not what is convenient or easy.
We serve as an important contributor to the child’s IEP process as we inform, stress the positive, and advocate for the needs of our students.
Dear Ms. Kitty
How to Deal with my Students’ Defiance
Dear Ms. Kitty:
Help! I am an elementary school teacher in an inclusive classroom. In my classroom, there is one special education teacher, one general education teacher (Me), and one paraprofessional. We have roughly 28 students. Half of our students are receiving special education services. For the most part, these students are labeled (a) learning disabilities, (b) other health impaired – attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, (c) and emotional disturbance/behavior disorders. Roughly one third of our students are openly defiant to the adults in the classroom. We do have a classroom-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework implemented. Our students earn “dynamite dollars” for various tasks related to academics and behavior. All students can also lose their “dynamite dollars” for various behavioral infractions. Can you please share some insight on how we teach and maintain respectful behaviors in our classroom?
~ Baffled in Baltimore
Dear Baffled in Baltimore:
Thank you for reaching out for help! As an educator in the field of special education, I want to also commend you for implementing the PBIS framework in your classroom. Thank you for sharing your wonderful concept of the “dynamite dollar,” too.
It seems the struggle may be appropriately managing your students’ issues of defiance. Here are some strategies which may help:
You can have your students model defiance and discuss what typically happens after these disrespectful acts (e.g., escape/removal). You can then have a peer demonstrate appropriate alternatives that are more acceptable in the classroom. Have fun with age, gender, and culturally relevant ways to disagree with authority or obtaining respect without violent mutual respect.
You will need to consider what triggers the students’ defiance. Ask yourself: Do your students have enough choice? Are the task demands and academic requests interesting and meaningful? Be sure to minimize requests likely to be met with defiance.
You can incorporate student-led classroom norms and expectations. One idea would be to use a theme such as the western theme with the Wild West. In your classroom or the West Wild, you have Sheriffs, who rotate. This theme is wonderful for your dynamite dollars, too. Classroom sheriffs ticket disrespectful or defiant behaviors. To pay off a ticket = restitution is needed (e.g., classroom job or apology). Sheriff also picks next Sheriff from students without tickets.
As educators we need to be cognizant of the difference between punishment and token economy. There are various pros and cons to punishment, which include (a) immediate effects but less long term, (b) may negatively impact classroom climate and teacher-student relationship, (c) can escalate behaviors, and (d) punishers lose value and require increasing intensity to maintain effectiveness. If punishment is used for home, then school consequences may seem pale in comparison, may model inappropriate behavior or teach inappropriate responses or unintended lessons to students. An example may be “I am taking away your points for an entire day because you messed up.” What is the lesson here? What does the term ‘messed up’ mean? Why should the students earn points when they can be lost so quickly? It also doesn’t teach the skill. Hope this helps!
Please contact Ms. Kitty via [email protected] if you have further questions/concerns. Thank you for all you do for students with exceptionalities!
~ Ms. Kitty [email protected]
Helpful resources for your students and classroom may include:
https://www.pbis.org/
http://www.pbisworld.com/
http://www.pbis.org/school/primary-level
Ms. Kitty has worked with children and youth with challenging behaviors for nearly 20 years. She has educated students with behavior disorders in several different states and taught students from all grades, except 7th grade. Ms. Kitty has also earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in special education, specifically emotional disabilities and behavior disorders.
Please contact Ms. Kitty about any questions you
have about your students in your classroom [email protected]
Thank you!
App Review: Class DoJo
App Review: Class DoJo
Class DoJo
Class DoJo is a classroom management tool for teachers to instantly track students’ behaviors and is compatible with any device: laptop, smart boards, iPads, Android tablets, iPhones, and Android phones. Teachers can customize behaviors for their students and give instant feedback during class. Students can be set up with a Dojo avatar or even create their own. Students have the ability to review their own performance at school or home. Additionally, Class DoJo allows parents to see how their child is doing in real-time. Teachers are able to communicate with parents by sending broadcast reminders or through private instant messaging. Class DoJo has great reviews, and the best part is that it’s FREE!
Common Misconceptions about Applied Behavior Analysis
Common Misconceptions about Applied Behavior Analysis and My Response
By Kelly M. Carrero, Ph.D., BCBA
For my first column in Behavior Today, I would like to clear up some common misconceptions about applied behavior analysis (ABA). Our field has a rich history in using ABA with students who have challenging behaviors. In addition, we have quite a bit of research that supports the effectiveness of using ABA techniques to teach desired behaviors and skills, as well as decrease undesired behaviors. Let’s examine some common misconceptions around ABA.
Misconception #1: ABA is just used when working with people identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
My Response: ABA is most often associated among practitioners as an intervention technique used to help people with ASD. While it is true that ABA and its various technologies have shown great effectiveness for people with ASD, ABA is so much more and has a long and active history of effectiveness for many people and organizations. Common techniques used with youth identified with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) that seek to increase compliance, increase engagement, decrease self-injurious behaviors, and implement function-based interventions are often built upon the basic tenets of ABA. It is important to note the reason ABA is so closely connected with ASD—grassroots organizations advocating for ASD services (mainly comprised of parents and families) have done an outstanding job getting insurances and schools to pay for ABA services. I encourage us, advocates for youth with EBD, to lobby just as vehemently for doctors and schools to prescribe ABA services to youth identified with disorders that are often served under the EBD educational label (e.g., oppositional defiance disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.) and for insurances to pay for these services.
Misconception #2: We don’t use ABA at our school, we use Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
My Response: PBIS was built on the foundational tenets of ABA (Baer,1968). Specifically, for a practice to be considered an “ABA practice,” it must hit each of the seven dimensions of ABA: applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, and display some generality. When applying the seven dimensions to a practice to determine if it is in fact ABA, you can ask the following questions:
Applied: Is this practice something that would actually benefit the student and the people in his or her life?
Behavioral: Does this practice lend itself to observing and measuring change in the student’s behavior? Perhaps it lends itself to observing and measuring change in the behavior of the teacher or peers?
Analytic: Does the practice allow for systematic control over its effectiveness in producing desired behaviors?
Technological: Are the practices and methods for implementation clearly identified and described in such a way that others would be able to replicate them in another setting and/or with another student?
Conceptually systematic: Does the practice lend itself to being understood from a broad, conceptual framework? Further, does the specific practice contribute to an overall concept that could be applied systematically in other situations and produce similar effects?
Effective: Does the practice produce results that improve student performance and/or overall quality of life?
Generality: Do students exhibit the desired behaviors, which were learned as a result of the practice, in a variety of settings and/or with a variety of different people?
An acronym often used to remember this checklist of dimensions is GET A CAB. Although not in the same order as traditionally presented, the acronym GET A CAB is often used to remember the seven dimensions of ABA
If you go back through the checklist of dimensions and apply what you know about PBIS, you will see how very clearly PBIS is a practice or framework build around the principles of ABA. Moreover, I hope you will review the list a third time and think about your students. They deserve professionals who are critically analyzing our practices and providing only the best services and education for the individual student and based on data generated by the individual student. His behavior is crying out for an advocate and his data corroborates his story. Sharpen your pencils, analyze the data, and adjust your practices to meet your students’ needs.
I have only listed two common misconceptions about ABA—there are many, many more. I encourage you to check back in to future issues of Behavior Today to see learn more about ABA and how it can be implemented in classrooms and programming for youth identified with EBD.
References:
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risely, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.