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Glossary

Glossary and Abbreviations You may want to use your browser’s search--find--function.

 

2e: Child who is double exceptional.

AAMD: American Association of Mental Deficiency

AAMR: American Association of Mental Retardation http://www.aamr.org/

ABBREVIATIONS
Educators tend to use abbreviations that parents may or may not understand. Here is a list to help.

ABC: Antecedent-behavior-consequence

About: Parenting of K-6 Children. (2006). Parents' index to childhood emotional and behavioral disorders. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://childparenting.about.com/cs/disorders/a/childdisorders.htm

ABS: Adaptive Behavior Scales

Accommodation plan. A written plan indicating the accommodations to be made in an educational, work, or other setting for an individual with a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities defined under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973

ACLD/LDA: Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. http://www.acldd.org/

Activity reinforcement. Providing opportunities to engage in preferred or high-probability behaviors contingent upon completion of less preferred or low-probability behaviors

ADHD: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

ADHD-C: Combined type

ADHD-HI: Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type

ADHD-I: Predominantly inattentive type

Aggression. A category of behavior that involves harm, injury, or damage to persons or property (e.g., kicking, pushing, throwing school books)

Aim line. See line of desired progress

AIMS: Assessment for Integration into Mainstream Settings

Alternating treatments design. A single subject research design in which the effectiveness of two or more interventions is compared

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A federal law passed in 1990 granting rights and protections (primarily access) to persons with disabilities in employment, education, public transportation, health care, and other areas

Analog measures. A role-play or behavioral rehearsal in which an individual demonstrates how he or she would respond in a given social situation

Anger management training. An approach to help juveniles reduce aggressive behavior using modeling, role-playing, visual cues, and homework

Antecedent stimuli. Stimuli that precede a behavior; may or may not serve as discriminative stimuli for a specific behavior

Antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) analysis. A technique used to systematically identify functional relationships among behaviors and environmental variables

Antecedent-behavior-consequence (A-B-C) assessment. A direct observation procedure used to systematically identify potentially functional relationships among behaviors and environmental variables

Antisocial behavior. Behavior that violates socially prescribed norms or patterns of behavior

Anxiety disorders. Illnesses that fill people's lives with excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations; can be extremely disabling

APA: American Psychological Association

Applied behavior analysis. A systematic, performance-based, self-evaluative technology for assessing and changing behavior

ASD Autism spectrum disorder

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more severe and frequent than in individuals at a comparable level of development and that originates prior to 7 years of age

Automatic reinforcement. The reinforcement is produced independent of the social environment

Aversive stimulus. A noxious stimulus having the effect of decreasing the rate or probability of a behavior when presented as a consequence (punishment); alternately, may have the effect of increasing the rate or probability of a behavior (negative reinforcement) when that behavior allows the student to escape or avoid contact with the stimulus

Bar graph. A method of visually displaying data; may be used to show progress toward a specific goal or objective

Baseline data. Data points that reflect an operant level (the level of natural occurrence of the target behavior before intervention); serve a purpose similar to a pretest; provide a level of behavior to which the results of an intervention procedure can be compared

Baseline. A condition in which no treatment or intervention variables are in effect

Behavior contract (behavior change contract, contingency contract). Written, signed agreement between the teacher, parent, therapist, or other behavior change agent and the child, specifically and positively stating in an if-then format what consequence will result from the child's performance of the desired target behavior

Behavior intervention plan (BIP). A plan for addressing undesired student behavior that involves assessment to identify the function of the behavior, strategies for teaching and reinforcing appropriate behavior to replace the undesired behavior, and procedures for responding to the undesired behavior when it occurs

Behavior report. A format for reporting instances of students' positive or undesired behavior

Behavior specialist. A professional specially trained to provide consultation and technical assistance to school personnel regarding strategies for addressing student behavior

Behavior Support Team. A group of persons who design, implement, and monitor behavior intervention plans for students

Behavioral Consultants

Behavioral contexts. Any setting in which behavior occurs

Behavioral interviews. An important part of the assessment process, interviewing students, parents, teachers, and other persons to gather information about a student's strengths and needs

Behavioral objectives. Statements of the behavior to be achieved following intervention, the conditions under which the behavior will occur, and the criterion for acceptable performance

Behaviorism

Behavior-specific praise. A praise statement that includes specific mention of the desired behavior being reinforced

Binge drinking. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol on the same occasion (i.e., within a few hours)

BIP: Behavior Intervention Planning

Bipolar disorder. Disorder in which depression alternates with mania with associated symptoms such as decreased need for sleep, irritability, impulsivity and excessive risk taking

Bulimia. An eating disorder in which eating binges are accompanied by vomiting, often self-induced

CAPD: central auditory processing disorder

CC: Cross Categorical

CCBD: Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders

CD: Conduct disorder

CEC: Council for Exceptional Children

Celeration

Changing criterion design. A single-subject experimental design that involves successively or gradually changing the criterion for reinforcement, systematically increasing or decreasing in a step-wise manner

Chart. A method of visually displaying data using several to many data-representation symbols

Checklist. A quick, informal, yet systematic tool used to inventory behavior patterns and risk factors that may be associated with behavior disorders; a checklist may be completed by a parent, teacher, sibling, peer, or the target student

CMO: Conditioned motivation operation

CNS: Central nervous system

Cognitive behavior modification. An approach that involves teaching students to apply cognitive strategies in interpersonal problem solving

Communicative function. Maladaptive behaviors can occur because students lack or do not use more effective means of communicating their needs or obtaining reinforcement; replacement behaviors which serve the same communicative function must be taught

Communicative function. Maladaptive behaviors can occur because students lack or do not use more effective means of communicating their needs or obtaining reinforcement; replacement behaviors which serve the same communicative function must be taught

Community-based training. Behavioral interventions implemented in natural settings rather than in the classroom in order to promote skill transfer

Comorbidity. The co-occurrence of two or more disorders in one child

Competing explanations. Uncontrolled factors that influence the behavior simultaneously with the intervention and therefore constitute alternate explanations for the effect of the independent variable; confounding variables

Condition lines. Vertical lines drawn on a behavioral graph that separate adjacent conditions (e.g., baseline and intervention)

Conditioned reinforcer. secondary or learned reinforcer; a stimulus that has acquired a reinforcing function through pairing with a previously established reinforcer; most social, activity, and generalized reinforcers are conditioned

Conditions. Within a behavioral objective, the part that specifies where, when, and with whom a target behavior will occur; description of the antecedents, including prompts and setting events, that will signal the behavior to occur; also, within a behavioral intervention or research design, a description of the circumstances in which behavior is observed (e.g., baseline, treatment)

Conduct disorder. An emotional/behavioral disorder characterized by persistent behaviors that violate rules or the rights of others

Consequent stimuli (consequences). Stimuli that are presented contingently following a particular response

Consulting teacher. A professional educator who provides technical assistance to direct teaching staff on student academic or behavioral problems

Contingency. The relationship between behavior and its consequences; contingencies are often stated in the form "if-then"

Contingent observation. A form of timeout in which a child is removed from reinforcement while observing others receiving reinforcement

Continuous behavior. A behavior that has no obvious starting or ending point (e.g., off-task)

Cooperative learning. An instructional activity in which students work in small, structured learning groups with a common goal or purpose

Coprophagia. The eating of feces

Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD). Major professional organization for special educators serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. http://www.ccbd.net/

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Major professional organization for special educators serving students with disabilities

Criterion of ultimate functioning. The functional skills needed by adults to participate freely in community environments

Cumulative graph. A graphic presentation of successive summed numbers (rate, frequency, percentage, duration) that represent behavioral occurrences

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Assessing student performance relative to the goals and objectives of a specific academic or social curriculum

CWC: Class-within-a-class (SPED teacher works in classroom with gen ed teacher)

Data decision rules. Rules that suggest how to respond to patterns in student performance; developed by the teacher to facilitate the efficient and effective evaluation of instructional and behavior management programs

Data-based decision making. Using direct and frequent measures of a behavior as a basis for comparing student performance to a desired level and making adjustments in the student's educational program based on these comparisons

DD: Developmental Disabilities

Dependent group contingency. The performance of certain group members that determines the consequence received by the entire group

Dependent measures. Variables that are measured while another variable (the independent variable) is changed in a systematic way, with the goal of establishing a relationship between the two sets of variables

Dependent variable. The behavior that is changed by intervention, through manipulation of an independent variable

Depression. A behavioral disorder characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anhedonia, emptiness, or discouragement that are out of proportion to reality; physical symptoms may include eating, sleeping, or sexual excesses or deficits; affect can range widely from listless apathy to suicidal recklessness

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR). A manual that defines and classifies mental disorders according to American Psychiatric Association guidelines (APA, 2000)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). A manual that defines and classifies mental disorders according to American Psychiatric Association guidelines (APA, 1997)

Differential reinforcement of alternate behavior (DRA). A procedure in which reinforcement is delivered for behaviors that are alternatives to the target behavior

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI). Systematically reinforcing a response that is topographically incompatible with a behavior targeted for reduction

Differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior (DRL). A procedure in which reinforcement is delivered when the number of responses in a specified period of time is less than or equal to a prescribed limit; encourages maintenance of a behavior at a predetermined rate lower than the baseline or naturally occurring rate

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). A procedure in which reinforcement is delivered when the target behavior is not emitted for a specified period of time; behaviors other than the target behaviors are specifically reinforced; also referred to as differential reinforcement of the omission of behavior

Differential reinforcement. Four strategies that involve reinforcement applied differentially to reduce undesired behaviors while increasing desired behaviors; see DRL, DRO, DRI, and DRA

Direct assessment of behavior. Any behavioral assessment that involves observing the behavior directly (see direct observation)

Discrete behavior. A behavior that has a distinct beginning and ending point (e.g., hand raise)

Discrete learning trials. An instructional sequence that involves the presentation of a prompt or discriminative stimulus, a pupil response, and subsequent teacher feedback

Discriminative stimulus (SD). An antecedent stimulus that is likely to occasion a particular response because it signals the probability that reinforcement will follow the response

Distributed trials. A series of discrete learning trials that are distributed over a period of time, such as a class period or a school day

DRA: Differential reinforcement of alternate behavior

DRI: Differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors

DRL: Differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior

DRO: Differential reinforcement of other behavior

Drug and alcohol abuse. When an individual makes a conscious choice to use drugs despite negative consequences within a 12-month period

DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition

Duration recording. Measuring the amount of time between the initiation of a response and its conclusion; total duration recording is recording cumulative time between the initiation of a response and its final conclusion (e.g., one may record cumulative time out-of-seat across several instances); duration per occurrence is recording each behavioral event and its duration

Dyscalculia is a lessor-known learning disability that affects mathematical calculations. It is derived from the generic name "mathematics difficulty". http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/dyscalcula.html The term appears to be seldom used within public schools because of the lack of any clear, measurable criteria. Nevertheless, many students have it. To be successful in mathematics, one needs to be able to visualize numbers and mathematics situations. Students with dyscalculia have a very difficult time visualizing numbers and often mentally mix up the numbers, resulting in what appear to be "stupid mistakes."  Students who have difficulty sequencing or organizing detailed information often have difficulty remembering specific facts and formulas for completing their mathematical calculations.

Dysthymia. A persistent mood of depression or irritability, more days than not, for most of the day, for at least a year

Eating disorders. Maladaptive, health-threatening behaviors that involve food; see anorexia nervosa, bulimia

EBD: Emotional or behavior disorder.

Ecological ceiling. Acknowledgment that it is unrealistic to expect target behaviors to increase or decrease to rates above or below those of peers in the same settings

Edible reinforcer. An edible item that is reinforcing for the student, given contingent upon the performance of desired behavior

Educational Agencies & Corporations

Effective behavioral support. See positive behavior support

Elective mutism. Refusal to talk by an individual who is able to talk; may occur in one setting and not in others

ELPA: English Language Proficiency Assessment

Enhancement procedures. Behavior change strategies that are designed to increase the rates of occurrence of desired behaviors

Environmentally mediated interventions. Changing of some aspect of the environment to prevent or manage behavioral problems

EO: Establishing operations

Equal interval graph. A format for presenting behavioral data; vertical lines represent training sessions or calendar days and horizontal lines may represent number, percentage, or rate (frequency); emphasizes absolute differences among data points

Equal ratio graph. A format for presenting behavioral data in terms of rate per minute or percent; semilogarithmic rather than additive, therefore changes in rate of performance that are proportionately equal are visually presented as equal

Escape and avoidance behaviors. Behaviors that occur in the presence of actual or likely aversive stimuli that results in escape or avoidance of contact with such stimuli

eval: evaluation

Eval: evaluation

Exclusionary time-out. A form of timeout in which the student is temporarily excluded from the setting in which reinforcement is available

Experimental control. The demonstration that manipulation of the independent variable is responsible for observed changes in the dependent variable

External validity. Demonstration that an intervention is effective across multiple students, settings, and intervention agents

Externalizing. Behaviors characterized as acting out or excessive in frequency, duration, or intensity (e.g., physical aggression, swearing)

Extinction. Systematic withholding of reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior in order to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of the behavior

Extinction. Systematic withholding of reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior in order to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of the behavior

Fair pair rule. Teaching and/or positively reinforcing a desired social behavior to replace the behavior to be reduced

FAS: fetal alcohol syndrome

FBA: Functional Behavior Assessment

FES: Fetal alcohol effects

Formative evaluation. Evaluation that occurs as skills are being developed

Frequency polygon. A noncumulative frequency graph; may be used to report frequency, rate, or percent data

Frequency recording. Counting the number of occurrences of a specific behavior in a specified period of time

Full inclusion. Providing students with disabilities with full access to the general education curriculum, usually through physical placement in regular education classes.

Functional analysis. A technique used to systematically identify functional relationships between behaviors and environmental variables through manipulating the latter and observing effects on the behavior of interest

Functional analysis. A technique used to systematically identify functional relationships between behaviors and environmental variables

Functional assessment. The process of identifying the cause or function of behavior before designing or implementing a behavioral intervention

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA). A process conducted to identify the potential functions that a student's maladaptive behavior serves

Functional relationships. In applied behavior analysis, demonstrated when a behavior varies systematically with the application of an intervention procedure; sometimes called a cause-and-effect relationship; change in a dependent variable due to a change in an independent variable (see experimental control)

GE: General Education (Gen. Ed.) is the regular curriculum.

gen ed: general education

Generalization plan. A formal, written plan designed to extend a student's acquired behavior to other settings so that it occurs in the presence of cues, materials, individuals, and environments other than those in which it was initially taught

Generalized anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic worry and exaggerated tension that persists at least six months

Graph. A method of visually displaying data; typically uses only one or two symbols to represent data

Group goal setting and feedback. An intervention that consists of two major components: (1) the teacher assists each student in establishing a social behavior goal; and (2) each student receives teacher and peer feedback on progress toward that goal during highly structured group discussions

High-probability behavior. Behavior that has a high likelihood of occurrence; preferred activity.

High-probability requests. Requests to which the student has a history of responding

HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

Home schooling

Home-based contract. Written contingencies for reinforcement in which parents have agreed to participate

Hypersomnia. A disturbance in sleep patterns caused by psychological rather than physical factors; this very deep or long sleep is very disabling

ICLD: Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities

ICLD: Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities

IDEA 2004 Changes (e.g., identifying children with specific learning disabilities, abandoning the discrepancy between IQ & achievement model, Response to Intervention, diagnosing learning disabilities) see: http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/iep.roadmap.htm In defining the IDEA 2004 and NJCLD 1998 definitions, both discuss characteristics.

IDEA 2004 Changes (e.g., identifying children with specific learning disabilities, abandoning the discrepancy between IQ & achievement model, Response to Intervention, diagnosing learning disabilities) see:
IDEA 2004 and NJCLD 1998 definitions, both discuss characteristics (Wrights Law). Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, most recent is 2004.

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, most recent is 2004.

IEP Team: Individualized Education Program Team

IEP: Individualized education program

IFSP: Individualized family service program required for services from birth to age five.

IFSP: Individualized family service program required for services from birth to age five.

Independent group contingency. Group behavior management strategy in which the same response contingency is in effect for all group members, but is applied to each student's performance on an individual basis

Independent variable. The treatment or intervention under experimenter control that is being manipulated in order to change a behavior (dependent variable)

Indirect behavioral assessment. Any behavioral assessment that does not involve direct observation of behavior (e.g., interviews, rating scales)

Individualized Education Plan Team (IEP Team). A group of persons responsible for developing, supervising, and evaluating the program of special education and related services for a student with a disability

Individualized educational plan (IEP). A written educational plan developed for each student eligible for special education

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The major federal legislation regulating the education of students with disabilities

Intensive intervention. Comprehensive and multi-faceted intervention strategies that typically involve multiple services and providers

Interdependent group contingency. Group behavioral intervention in which each student must reach a prescribed level of behavior before the entire group may receive positive reinforcement for that behavior

Interim alternative educational setting. Segregated educational settings in which students with disabilities may be placed for disciplinary reasons

Internal validity. Demonstration that the implementation of an intervention (independent variable) is responsible for observed changes in a target behavior (dependent variable)

Internalizing. Behaviors characterized as withdrawn or insufficient in frequency, duration, or intensity (e.g., social withdrawal, elective mutism)

Interobserver agreement. Comparison of observation data between two or more observers to check the accuracy of measurement

Interruption and redirection. An intervention that uses the minimal prompt necessary to stop a target behavior and refocus the student on a more appropriate behavior

Interval recording. An observational recording system in which an observation period is divided into a number of short intervals, and the observer counts the number of intervals during which the behavior occurs rather than instances of the behavior

Intervention. Systematic involvement with a student in order to improve his or her performance socially, emotionally, or academically

Intrusiveness. The extent to which interventions impinge or encroach on students' bodies or personal rights

IPlans (IEP, IFSP, ITP) identify the skills and behaviors the student has developed, the skills and behaviors that are reasonable goals for the next year, and the resources, support, and personnel needed to help attain those goals.

IQ: Intelligence Quotient. 100 is average.

ITP: individualized transition program by time child is 14

JABA: Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

K-ABC: an intelligence test.

Keller, E. (2006). Strategies for teaching students with behavioral disorders. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/behavior.html

LD: Learning disability is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. From the previous definition, may include conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. There is (a) an area of deficit, (b) a basic brain dysfunction or central nervous system or psychological processing problem (something to do with the way the brain works), (c) can be one or more disorders.

LEA: Local educational agency or local educational association.

Least restrictive environment (LRE). The educational placement imposing the fewest restrictions on a student's normal academic or social functioning, and allowing the greatest access to the general education curriculum

LEP: Limited English proficiency

Level. Quantity of behavior as represented on a graph

Levels system. A method of differentiating hierarchically any aspect of an individual's performance (e.g., in a token economy or for assessment purposes); also referred to as phase system

LIFT: Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers

Line of desired progress (aim line). A line drawn on a behavior graph to depict the desired rate of pupil progress toward a terminal goal

Local education agency (LEA). Agency responsible for the delivery of local educational programs and services

Long-term objective. A written statement of behavior that is projected at the end of instruction or intervention, including the conditions and criteria for documenting attainment

Low-probability behavior. Less preferred behavior; unlikely to occur without contingent reinforcement

LRE: Least restrictive environment

Major depression. An illness with at least five of these symptoms: depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, diminished interest in activities, change in appetite, change in sleep patterns, agitation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, diminished ability to concentrate, thoughts of death, impairment in important areas of functioning; these symptoms are present during a two-week period and at least one of the symptoms is either depressed mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure

Manifestation determination. A decision by a student's IEP team regarding whether the student's prohibited behavior (weapons or drugs) is a manifestation of the student's disability

MAS: Motivation assessment scale

Massed trials. Discrete learning trials that are presented in a continuous series (e.g., a sequence of 10 trials)

MDT: Multidisciplinary team.

Measurement probes. Periodic data samples used in making intervention decisions

Measurement probes. Periodic data samples used in making intervention decisions

MID: Mild intellectual disability

MM/CC: Mild to Moderate Disabilities Cross Categorical

MO: Motivative operations

Modeling. An instructional procedure by which demonstrations of a desired behavior are presented in order to prompt an imitative response

Momentary time sampling. Recording the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a behavior immediately following a specified interval of time

Mood disorder. This disorder involves the presence or the absence of mood episodes that accompany Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, Mood Disorder that results from a medical problem, and Substance-Induced Mood Disorder (APA, 2000)

Motivative operations. An event or stimulus that affects an individual by momentarily changing the reforcing effectiveness of other events

Movement suppression procedure. A variation of timeout from reinforcement in which the student is punished for any movement or verbalization while in a timeout area

MR: Mental Retardation refers to significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning exists concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child's educational performance (34 C. F. R., Sec. 300 7[b][5]) (US Office of Education, 1977, p. 42478) IDEA 2004 clarification based on general intellectual functioning, significantly subaverage IQ of 70 (sometimes 75) or below, deficits in adaptive behavior, and developmental periods conception-age 18. IQ is stable over lifetime, within 10 points.

MSLBD: Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders

Multiple baseline designs. Single-subject experimental designs in which a treatment is replicated across (1) two or more students, (2) two or more behaviors, or (3) two or more settings; functional relationships may be demonstrated as changes in the dependent variables occur with the systematic and sequenced introduction of the independent variable

Multiple probe design. A variation of the multiple baseline design in which data are collected periodically rather than continuously across settings, behaviors, or students.

National Association of Special Education Teachers

National Center on Learning Disabilities

National Center on Student Progress Monitoring

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (1996). Educating students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Retrieved February 21, 2007.

National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)

National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support

NCATE: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

NCLB: No Child Left Behind

NCR: Noncontingent reinforcement

Negative reinforcement. The increase in rate or future probability of a behavior that occurs when the behavior successfully avoids or terminates contact with an aversive stimulus

NICHCY Connections...to Behavior Assessment, Plans, and Positive Supports

NIDA: National Institute on Drug Abuse

NJCLD National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities

NJCLD National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities

NLD: nonverbal learning disorder

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Federal law passed in 2001 that addresses improved student outcomes through greater accountability of individual schools

Noncontingent reinforcement. "A response-independent or time-based delivery of stimuli with known reinforcing properties," and its possible advantages over the use of differential reinforcement of other behavior (Vollmer, Iwata, Zarcone, Smith & Mazaleski (1993, p. 10)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Repeated unwanted thoughts or compulsive behaviors that seem impossible to control

OCD Obsessive-compulsive disorder

ODD Operational Defiant Disorder, which is characterized by arguing with multiple adults, losing one's temper, refusing to follow rules, blaming others, deliberately annoying others, being angry, resentful, spiteful, and vindictive, trying to break rules without getting caught, destructive, lie, steal.

ODR: Office discipline referral

Office discipline referral (ODR). A format for reporting individual student behavior incidents to the school office for disciplinary purposes

Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Centers

Operational definition. Describing a behavior in terms of its observable and measurable component parts

Opportunities to respond (OTR). Giving students multiple opportunities to respond with correct academic or social information or behavior

Overcorrection. A procedure used to reduce the occurrence of an inappropriate behavior; the student is taught the appropriate behavior in which to engage through an exaggeration of experience; see positive practice and restitutional overcorrection

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights. (2006). Emotional or behavioral disorders. .

PATHWAYS: Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies

PBS: positive behavior support

PCBs: Polychlorinated Biphenyls

PDD-NOS: Refers to pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (Autism subcategory)

PDD-NOS: Refers to pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (Autism subcategory)

Peer manager strategy. Young, socially withdrawn students being trained to play "class manager" to increase their social interactions and sociometric ratings

Peer tutoring. Formal instruction of one child by another

Peer-mediated interventions. An intervention that requires a member of the individual's peer group, rather than an adult, to take the primary role as the agent of behavior change

Peer-monitoring procedure. Having students observe and record the behavior of a classmate

Perceptual reinforcement. Reinforcement by engaging in particular perceptual experiences; a key to understanding self-stimulatory behaviors is to view them as a form of perceptual self-reinforcement

Performance graph. A graph that plots a change in a single task or behavior

Permanent products. Tangible evidence of the occurrence of a behavior (e.g., written work, numerical count, videotape, physical injury, or property damage)

Phase change lines. Vertical lines drawn on a behavior graph to designate where program changes have been made

PHS: Public Health Service

Physical aversive. An unpleasant or painful physical stimulus, such as foul tastes and odors, electric shock, slaps, and pinches, used to punish dangerous maladaptive behaviors (such as SIB) when less intrusive methods have failed

PIAT: Peabody Individual Achievement Test

Pica. The persistent eating of nonfood substances (i.e. paper, paint, dirt, etc.)

Pinpoint. Specifying in measurable, observable terms a behavior targeted for change

PKU: Phenylketonuria, a genetic defect that can be identified in the newborn by a simple blood test.

Planned ignoring. A variation of timeout in which social proximity and attention are consistently withheld for a specific length of time immediately contingent on a pupil's undesirable behavior

Portfolios. Collections of representative samples of a student's work used to measure proficiency, rate of skill development, and effectiveness of teaching methods

Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Support. Behavior change strategies that involve focusing on procedures for teaching, strengthening, and supporting desired student behavior rather than simply punishing undesired behavior

Positive practice overcorrection. A procedure in which the student is required to engage in a period of exaggerated alternative behaviors (e.g., exercises) after an episode of an unwanted behavior

Positive reinforcement. The presentation of a stimulus contingent on the occurrence of a behavior that results in an increase in the rate or future probability of that behavior over time

Posttraumatic stress disorder. Persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event; nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression, and feeling angry, irritable or distracted and being easily startled are common

Pragmatic language skills. The functional use of language to express social intentions in ways that are culturally acceptable

Pre-correction. Adjustment in academic or social instruction based on the teacher's anticipation of student error and intended to prevent errors by providing supportive prompts

Prereferral intervention. Straightforward and relatively easy program modifications implemented by the regular classroom teacher to see if behavior problems can be solved without referring the student for formal evaluation for special education placement

Primary prevention. Strategies to prevent initial occurrences of a disorder or problem that are applied to all individuals in a setting

Primary treatment settings. The settings in which interventions are applied directly

Problem behavior pathway. A description of events and stimuli that typically occur before and following an instance of problem behavior, including setting events, antecedent stimuli, the behavior itself, and consequences

Progress graph. A graph that shows progress toward mastery of a set of objectives

Projective technique. A psychological assessment procedure in which the client "projects" thoughts and feelings through responses to ambiguous stimuli such as pictures or ink blots

Psychotropic medication. Medication prescribed by a licensed physician to control the symptoms of a psychiatric disorder

Public posting. Publicly listing the names of persons who have (or have not) engaged in a target behavior

Punishment. Presentation of an aversive stimulus, or the removal of a positive reinforcer (response cost) as a consequence for behavior which reduces the future rate of the behavior

Rate per minute. The frequency of a behavior divided by the time period during which it was observed. Formula: frequency/time = rate

Rating scales. A scale using information supplied by a teacher, parent, sibling, peer, or the target student to describe the child's behavior

RC: Response Cost

RE Menu: Reinforcing event menu

Reductive procedures. Behavior change strategies that are designed to decrease the rates of occurrence of undesired behaviors

Reinforcement. Provision of a reinforcing consequence or removal of an aversive stimulus contingent upon the occurrence of a behavior, resulting in an increased or maintained rate of the behavior in the future

Reinforcer sampling. Prior to the start of a behavioral intervention, the student is provided with samples of reinforcers which may be earned during the intervention

Reinforcing event menu (RE menu). A pictorial or verbal list of a variety of reinforcing events

Replacement behavior. A desirable skill that is strengthened as undesirable maladaptive behaviors are reduced; often replacement behaviors serve the same function as the maladaptive behavior

Replacement behavior. A desirable skill that is strengthened as undesirable maladaptive behavior is reduced; often replacement behaviors serve the same function as the maladaptive behavior

Reponse to Intervention Policy Considerations and Implementation: www.nasdse.org

Reprimands. A verbal aversive used by adults to influence children's behavior by telling them their behavior is inappropriate

Research-validated practices. Instructional or treatment practices that have been established as effective through empirical research

Response cost. A procedure for the reduction of inappropriate behavior through withdrawal of specific amounts of reinforcers contingent upon the behavior's occurrence; fine or penalty

Response efficiency. The degree to which a replacement behavior results in the same functional outcome as the problem behavior

Response equivalency. The degree to which the replacement behavior serves the same function as the problem behavior

Response generalization. Changes in untreated behaviors related to those behaviors targeted for intervention