Reducing Disruptive Behaviors in Students With Emotional and Behavior Disorders

Students diagnosed with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) often have a difficult time complying with classroom expectations as they frequently demonstrate significant deficits in social interaction, academic performance, and behavior. Deficits in these areas negatively impact a student’s ability to cope and learn in the classroom environment. Students with these needs benefit from well structured evidence based interventions that will help reduce negative behaviors that disrupt student learning. The current study combined the flexibility of a Point Reward System (PRS) with the immediate and constant student feedback of Check in Check Out (CICO) system to measure the impact on disruptive behaviors of five students with EBD in the general education setting. This study used a single case study AB design where baseline phase was the standard level of care and the intervention incorporated the CICO and PRS into the classroom structure. Results demonstrated a decrease in the average percentage of classroom disruption per observation period for every student. This study revealed a positive relationship between the use of CICO and PRS as behavior interventions and the reduction of disruptive behaviors in students with EBD in the general education environment