Abstract
Many students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) engage in challenging behavior on a daily basis. Such behaviors can have negative impacts on students, teachers, and families. In an effort to support students with EBD, this article provides general and special education teachers with a five-step process for teaching replacement behaviors. Each step is described in detail to illustrate how it can be applied.
Maya is a 9-year-old girl in Ms. Turner’s third-grade class. She is currently receiving special education services for an emotional and behavioral disorder and sometimes works with her special education teacher, Mr. Michaels. Maya has recently begun yelling at her teacher or other students in class. Ms. Turner is concerned it is interfering with her and her peers’ education. She decides to discuss this new behavior with Mr. Michaels. They want to work together to find a solution to the problem Maya is having in class but are not sure of the best way to approach this new challenging behavior. Ms. Turner would like some new strategies to use immediately, and Mr. Michaels wants to spend some time observing Maya in the classroom to see if he can figure out why Maya may be engaging in the behavior. 1
The challenging behavior (CB) some students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) and other disabilities engage in can result in negative impacts on themselves, their peers, and their teachers (Herman et al., 2018; Owens et al., 2018). Such impacts can result in severe exclusionary discipline for elementary students and increased stress and attrition for teachers (Djonko-Moore, 2016; Meek et al., 2020). Many students with EBD spend the majority of the school day with their general and/or special education teacher. Therefore, supporting students with CB may be the responsibility of both the general education teacher and special education teacher. Because of this, general and special education teachers are primarily responsible for providing the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral support needed for elementary students with EBD. Elementary students with disabilities are often subjected to higher rates of exclusionary discipline practices than their peers without disabilities and compared to students in middle and high school (Meek et al., 2020). For students with EBD, rates of exclusionary discipline are even higher (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). Elementary general education teachers who educate students with EBD in their classrooms report the need for additional professional development in understanding how best to support them (McGuire & Meadan, 2022). Special education teachers who support students with EBD report CB, and these working conditions contribute to increased stress, job dissatisfaction, and attrition (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). In an effort to support elementary general and special education teachers, while also supporting students with CB and EBD, it is important researchers close the gap between research and practice and provide teachers with evidence-based strategies that can be implemented in the classroom.
Behavior is defined as any interaction between an individual and their environment (Cooper et al., 2020), and challenging behavior is commonly defined as “any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults” (Smith & Fox, 2003, p. 6). However, what is often considered “challenging” may differ based on one’s own culture, background, and beliefs (Division for Early Childhood, 2017). Therefore, when elementary general and special education teachers are considering how to support a student with EBD who exhibits CB, they should first consider their own implicit biases, and what bearing they have on the student’s behavior (Gilliam et al., 2016; Neitzel, 2018). For example, in a hypothetical situation, a teacher directs two students to take out their math books, and one student ignores the request while the other student yells at the teacher. Neither behavior is resulting in the task being completed, and yet the teacher may respond to the students differently based on the teacher’s biases instead of each student’s needs. If, however, the teacher took into consideration the students’ needs, why the behaviors may be occurring (i.e., function), and considered how the behavior interferes with learning and engagement, the students will have a more successful educational environment. If students are not able to be successful in school, it may be necessary to support them by addressing their CB.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), educational teams who support students with disabilities who also exhibit CB, such as those with EBD, are encouraged to conduct functional behavioral assessments (FBAs). This process allows the educational team to collect different forms of data, including data from rating scales (i.e., completed by caregivers, teachers, and students, when possible), interviews (i.e., with caregivers, teachers, and students, when possible), record reviews, and qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., antecedent, behavior, and consequence [ABC] data and frequency data; Salvia et al., 2017). Information gained from the FBA helps the educational team identify the function of the student’s behavior. Teachers, if trained to do so, can also test the identified function maintaining the CB by conducting a functional analysis (Rispoli et al., 2013, 2015). Once the function of the behavior is determined, information from this can help the team create a behavior intervention plan (BIP) to support students through the behavior change process (Cooper et al., 2020). A BIP can include antecedent strategies, consequence strategies, and strategies to teach the student a new, or replacement behavior (Crone & Horner, 2003; O’Neill et al., 2014).
By teaching a replacement behavior, elementary general and special education teachers are able to provide function-based instruction and reinforcement for a new behavior the student can engage in that is more appropriate and socially acceptable. When teaching a replacement behavior, teachers use consequence strategies after the student engages in a behavior to reinforce the new behavior (Umbreit et al., 2007). Consequence strategies can be used to reinforce the new behavior in the same way the old behavior was reinforced, by focusing on the same function. For example, if a student was previously engaging in a behavior maintained by attention, such as getting out of their seat to gain teacher attention, the new replacement behavior can also be maintained by attention, such as raising their hand when they want their teacher’s attention. Simultaneously, the old behavior is being ignored as much as possible. This is because the teacher does not want to reinforce the old behavior in the same way it was previously reinforced or it will continue to occur. By reinforcing the new behavior instead of the old behavior, it is more likely the new behavior will replace the old behavior.
In an effort to better support students with EBD, while also helping elementary general and special education teachers target socially significant behaviors instead of behaviors, teachers may consider challenging, it is important they understand the replacement steps. This article provides general and special education teachers with a five-step process for teaching a replacement behavior that can be implemented in the classroom to support students with EBD. These five steps begin with defining the CB, include data collection, and end with reinforcing the new replacement behavior. By using these steps, elementary general and special education teachers will be able to replace CBs that are impacting students with EBD, their peers, and their teachers.
Replacing Challenging Behavior
Elementary general and special education teachers can support students with EBD who exhibit CB through replacement with a more socially acceptable behavior. These five steps for teaching a replacement behavior are as follows: (1) define the CB, (2) identify the function of the behavior using ABC data, (3) identify a socially acceptable replacement behavior, (4) teach the replacement behavior, and (5) reinforce the replacement behavior.
Step 1: Define the Challenging Behavior
The first step is defining the behavior. When defining the CB, the teacher should identify the behavior that is most problematic to target for intervention. Although students may engage in multiple behaviors at a time, by targeting the most problematic or prevalent problem, teachers can potentially remove dangerous or disruptive behaviors from the student’s repertoire. The teacher then can move on to other behaviors later in the school year. Students with EBD can engage in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, such as social withdrawal, anxiety, physical aggression, and verbal aggression (Landrum, 2017). It is helpful for general and special educators to consider those behaviors that may be internalizing as well as those that externalizing when addressing behaviors that are most dangerous to the student.
Behaviors should be operationally defined, meaning they are observable and measurable. This is important because if multiple observers are collecting data on the behavior they have a clear definition of the behavior and can collect accurate data on the same behavior. If an operational definition is not ascertained, this may result in different interpretations of the same behavior, which will interfere with how the teacher intervenes upon the behavior. For example, a teacher may say, “This student is constantly out of his seat!” The teacher might mean that the student is standing at his desk instead of sitting, but an administrator may believe this means the student is walking around the classroom instead of remaining seated. Instead, if the teacher said, “The student stands adjacent to his seat when expected to sit,” the behavior in question is clearer.
When defining a behavior, it is helpful to follow a specific formula. This formula is: antecedent + student + behavior. Using this formula, the teacher would provide a typical antecedent, or event that occurs prior to the behavior. The teacher would next identify who the student is and then describe the behavior using clear and objective language. By doing this, an observer understands what typically occurs prior to the behavior, who the student is, and what the actual behavior looks like. If the typical antecedent is not known prior to data collection, then it can be helpful to simply report the student + behavior. Regardless, it is always important to remember to report the behavior as observable and measurable as possible.
Step 2: Identify the Function by Collecting Data
The next step to replacing behavior is to identify the function of the behavior (i.e., the reason or purpose for the behavior), and to do this, the teacher must collect ABC data. A teacher should collect at least three to five instances of ABC data prior to making a hypothesis about the function of the behavior. When collecting ABC data, the teacher should record the event that occurred immediately before the behavior (i.e., A), the behavior itself (i.e., B), and the event that occurred immediately following the behavior (i.e., C). After doing this, the teacher can extend the equation introduced in Step 1 by inputting the antecedents and consequences from the ABC data, which results in the hypothesized function: antecedent + student + behavior + consequence = function (see Figure 1 for an example of ABC data collection).
Example ABC data collection.
There are four basic reasons a student may be engaging in a CB: (1) trying to escape or avoid an activity, place, or person; (2) seeking attention from a peer or adult; (3) trying to gain access to a tangible item or activity; or (4) for sensory stimulation. These are called the function of the behavior (Cooper et al., 2020). When teachers understand the function of a behavior they can target their intervention based on that function. To determine the function of the behavior a teacher should look at the consequences that are maintaining that behavior. Upon examining the ABC data, the teacher will often notice that the consequences are similar. For example, if the student is often sent out of the classroom after engaging in a behavior (e.g., to the hallway, to another classroom, to detention) the function of the behavior may be “escape” because the student is able to escape the classroom. If, however, the student is often given attention after engaging in the behavior, such as the teacher reprimanding the student, other students laughing at the student, or an administrator coming to class to talk to the student, the function may be “attention.”
It is important to collect comprehensive ABC data, because if the student is being sent out of the room after engaging in a behavior, it may initially seem as though the behavior is maintained by escape. However, upon further analysis, the teacher may discover the student goes to the social worker’s office and plays on the computer. In this case, the function may be “access to a tangible.” If the teacher did not collect accurate data, they may have provided an intervention based on the student escaping the classroom or a specific task when an intervention based on gaining access to a tangible item or activity would have been more appropriate.
Step 3: Identify a Socially Acceptable Replacement Behavior
The next step to replacing a CB is identifying what behavior the teacher wants the student to engage in instead. The first consideration when choosing a replacement behavior is whether or not the new behavior passes the “dead man test.” The dead man test helps a teacher determine what is and is not a behavior. When using the dead man test, a teacher will identify a new replacement behavior and ask himself or herself, “Can a dead man do it?” If the answer to this question is yes, then it is not a behavior. If the answer is no, it is a behavior. For example, some teachers will say they want their student who is typically out of their seat to “just stay seated.” However, a dead man can just stay seated, so this is not a behavior. If the teacher instead stated they want their student to request a break when needed, a dead man cannot request a break, so this would be a behavior.
The next consideration is whether the new behavior is in the student’s behavioral repertoire. If there was a student who was using “crying” to communicate a need for help because of limited verbal abilities, and a teacher wanted to replace the crying behavior by having the student say, “Can you help me please?” the student would not be successful in replacing the behavior. This is because the new behavior is not in the student’s behavioral repertoire, meaning it might be too difficult for the student to do because they have limited verbal communication. However, if the teacher taught the student to use a sign for “help,” or use a communication device, the student might be more likely to use either a sign or communication device as this may be in the student’s behavioral repertoire. Teachers must provide a replacement behavior that is just as easy, or easier, than the CB the student is currently engaging in.
The final consideration when choosing a replacement behavior is making sure the replacement behavior serves the same function as the target behavior. If the target behavior is being maintained by escape, and the teacher replaced the behavior with a new behavior that is reinforced by attention, the student may not be interested in using the replacement behavior because they are not receiving the same reward for the new behavior. However, if the student is able to receive the same reward for the new behavior, they are more likely to use the new behavior because they will be reinforced in the same way they were reinforced from the old behavior. See Figure 2 for examples of replacement behaviors by function.
Replacement behaviors by function.
Many teachers become concerned, however, that students will learn to use their replacement behavior and never engage in a more desirable behavior. For example, if a student is taught to request a break instead of leaving the classroom without permission, does that mean the student will be “on a break” all day? This is a legitimate concern that can be addressed by behavior shaping. Shaping is a strategy that can be used when teaching a replacement behavior that will help a student move closer toward a fully desirable behavior (Cooper et al., 2020). Initially, a teacher will teach the student a replacement behavior. When the student is able to successfully engage in the replacement behavior without engaging in the CB, the teacher will begin reducing the frequency of the replacement behavior and introducing the desired behavior slowly over time. For example, if a student is initially allowed to request a break, the first step may be to limit the number of breaks the student can have in a given day. The number of breaks should be based on the typical number of breaks the student has been taking (e.g., if the student has been taking five breaks then the student may be given five “break cards” to start). Then the student may be given fewer break cards (e.g., three break cards) but is also given an opportunity to complete work with a partner. Then, the student has one break card and has to complete work independently but can ask the teacher for help when needed. Finally, the student reaches the desired behavior of completed work independently without any break cards. See Figure 3 for an example of a shaping flow chart.
Example shaping flow chart.
Step 4: Teach the Replacement Behavior
The next step is to teach the student the replacement behavior. Teaching a replacement behavior is done in three parts. First, the teacher models the replacement behavior for the student, explaining how the behavior is performed and why it is more effective than the old behavior. Then, the teacher and the student practice the replacement behavior together, with the teacher and student exchanging roles. During this part of teaching, the behavior the teacher talks through the process to make sure the student is able to perform the new behavior correctly. Finally, the student practices the replacement behavior independently. The teacher provides the student with behavior-specific praise and corrective feedback so the student understands what they are doing well and what they can improve upon when performing the replacement behavior. Behavior-specific praise extends beyond praising a student for what they did well by including three main components to the praise statement: the student’s name, what they did well, and why or how the behavior was beneficial. Behavior-specific praise allows students to understand what behaviors they did well and what behaviors are expected in the future. For example, a teacher might say, “Wow, Raheem, you were really respectful to Philippa when you asked for that marker. I am sure she will want to share with you in the future!” Corrective feedback allows teachers to provide feedback to students in a constructive way by stating what is expected without focusing on inappropriate behaviors the student may have engaged in. If a student is learning a replacement behavior the teacher can provide behavior-specific praise when the student engages in a new behavior appropriately and corrective feedback to show the student how they may change certain aspects of their behavior.
Step 5: Reinforce the Replacement Behavior and Ignore the Challenging Behavior
Once the replacement behavior is taught, teachers should immediately start reinforcing the new behavior. This can be done by using behavior-specific praise and reinforcing the replacement behavior in the same way the old behavior was reinforced. This means that if the old behavior was maintained by escape, the replacement behavior is also reinforced by allowing the student to escape an unwanted activity or person. If the old behavior was maintained by attention, the replacement behavior is also reinforced with attention.
It is also important that the old behavior is ignored as much as possible. If the old behavior continues to be reinforced, it will continue to occur, but if it is no longer reinforced, it will stop. However, teachers should only ignore behaviors when it is safe to do so. If a behavior is causing harm to the student, peers, or other adults, the teacher should attempt to use other interventions to try to stop the behavior such as response blocking (i.e., not allowing the behavior to occur by blocking its occurrence), choosing a behavior that is incompatible with the CB (e.g., instead of hitting, having the student sit on their own hands), or seeking guidance from additional professionals who are experts in physically aggressive behaviors beyond the scope of the teachers working with the student.
Implementing the Steps With Maya
Ms. Turner and Mr. Michaels feel it is necessary to work together to support Maya in the classroom. They start by coming up with an operational definition for Maya’s new behavior (Step 1): “Maya yells loudly at her teacher, Ms. Turner, or at a peer at a volume above that of her peers.” Mr. Michaels uses this definition to begin collecting ABC data to identify the function of Maya’s behavior (Step 2). Upon analyzing the data, Mr. Michaels and Ms. Turner discover that Maya frequently leaves the classroom and/or learning activity when she engages in the yelling behavior. Because of this, they hypothesize that the function of her behavior is escape.
The teachers work together to determine an acceptable replacement behavior for Maya that aligns with the function of her behavior, escape (Step 3). They believe it will be helpful to provide her with a break card she can use when she feels she needs a break from the work she is completing in class. They ensure the replacement behavior passes the dead man test and then teach Maya how to use the replacement behavior. Ms. Turner explains to Mr. Michaels that she is worried Maya will become overly reliant on the break card and will not complete any work. Mr. Michaels explains the process of shaping to Ms. Turner and together they develop a plan to shape Maya’s behavior as she learns to use her new behavior more effectively.
Ms. Turner and Mr. Michaels then work together to teach Maya the replacement behavior (Step 4). To do this, they begin by explaining the break card system to Maya. Then, they show her what it will look like to use the break card. After that, they practice using the break card with her and then allow her to practice using it independently. Finally, after modeling and practicing how to use the break card, they allow her to use it in class. In an effort to reinforce her replacement behavior (Step 5), when Maya uses the break card correctly she is provided BSP and granted a break. When she does not use it correctly, and instead yells at her teacher or peers, she is ignored and is not allowed to take a break. As Maya’s yelling behavior decreases and her use of the break card increases her teachers begin to shape her behavior so she is able to complete more tasks in class and take fewer breaks. 1
When to Seek Additional Support
Some students with EBD may engage in behaviors such as self-injurious behavior or severe physical aggression that cannot be easily addressed using this five-step process. When the CB a student with EBD is engaging in is potentially dangerous to the child or others, it may be necessary to recognize that the skillsets of the general and special education teachers are not adequate in meeting the needs of the student. In that situation, it is best to consult outside specialists who are experts in such behaviors. These professionals may include psychologists or psychiatrists, behavior analysts, or other medical professionals. Consult the resources available in the district and community to identify where such supports are available and how to access them.
Conclusion
Children with EBD can engage in challenging behaviors, but both general and special education teachers can work to reduce the CB some students engage in by teaching replacement behaviors. By following this five-step plan, teachers can identify the behavior needed for change, collect data and identify a possible function, select a more socially acceptable replacement behavior, teach the replacement behavior, and then reinforce the replacement behavior. When this is done in a way that focuses on positive reinforcement and behavioral function, students with EBD can be successful in their educational setting.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
