A Descriptive Analysis of Disruptive Behavior During Pre- and Post-Unsupervised Self-Management by Students with Serious Emotional Disturbance

Abstract

A descriptive analysis of disruptive behavior was generated from filmed observations prior to and following training in self-management skills. Two junior high students with serious emotional disturbance (SED) were covertly videotaped during in-classroom and between-classroom performance in the absence of supervision. Videotapes were analyzed by descriptive analysis of conditions associated with disruptive/off-task behaviors. Descriptive analysis revealed that maladaptive behaviors were self-initiated in unsupervised settings. It also is apparent from this analysis that maladaptive behaviors were correlated with provocation by peers and with continuing disruptive interaction between students once an off-task/disruptive episode had begun. Treatment procedures were applied by way of a multiple baseline across settings design and included instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and rehearsal in the apparent absence of supervision. Self-management training features included self-assessment, self-recording, and self-reinforcement for correct approximations of on-task and socially appropriate behavior. Outcomes suggest that the descriptive analysis was predictive of the conditions correlated with problem behaviors and that on-task/socially appropriate behaviors were transferred and sustained while operating under the influence of self-management in the absence of supervision.

Evidence-based Kernels: Fundamental Units of Behavioral Influence

“…( 1996 ) Multiple interrupted time-series studies on individual level and school level; a few RCT with practice embedded Red flag training for exposed children or teens with serious emotional disturbance Dependency or delinquency court order or special education plan includes Red Flag procedure to reduce explosive anger and aggression among children exposed to drugs, neglect, or abuse Ninness et al. ( 1995 ), Ninness ( 1991 ) Multiple interrupted time-series designs MI for at-risk youth Juvenile justice, emergency room, and school personnel conduct motivational interviews for youth engaged in problematic behaviors; supportive policies and contracts issued Colby et al. ( 1998 ), Diamond et al.…”

A Self-Management Functional Assessment-Based Behavior Support Plan for a Middle School Student with EBD

“…Self-monitoring involves training students to discriminate and to make a permanent record of occurrence/ nonoccurrence of antecedent conditions or target behaviors (Kamps & Tankersley, 1996). Self-monitoring has been used to help students identified as seriously emotionally disturbed increase their on-task behavior and academic efficiency, and to minimize talk-outs (Ninness, Fuerst, & Rutherford, 1995). Self-assessment or self-evaluation involves training students with EBD to compare their performance to a set trained criterion, and it has been used to maintain on-task behavior across settings (Rhode, Mor-gan, & Young, 1983).…”

Augmenting Computer-Interactive Self-Assessment with and Without Feedback

“…Selfassessment of tape recordings of new words has increased student opportunities to produce accurate pronunciation (Lalli & Shapiro, 1990). Recent outcomes have also confirmed that junior high school students with behavior disorders can effectively self-assess social skills and ontask behavior (Houghton, 1991;Kern-Dunlap, Dunlap, Clarke, Childs, White, & Stewart, 1992;Ninness, Fuerst, & Rutherford, 1995;Ninness, Fuerst, Rutherford, & Glenn, 1991;Smith, Nelson, Young, & West, 1992) and aggression control strategies (Ninness, Ellis, Miller, Baker, & Rutherford, 1995) in the absence of supervision. Self-assessment interventions have improved preschool children's participation in group instruction (Miller, Strain, Boyd, & Jarzynka, 1993) and facilitated academic efficiency of students with learning disabilities in regular education (Maag, Reid, & DiGangi, 1993).…”