ReThinking Behavior Fall 2026

Behavior

RETHINKING

Fall 2026 VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1

SEE INSIDE Innovators: Steven Forness Bernard Rimland When Professionals are Parents MSLBD Master Teacher Voices The Space Station, One School’s Alternative to Suspension An Educator’s Response to New Technology Are You Reactive or Responsive?

Native American History and Culture Sociopath: A Memoir Speaking of Psychology Mixed Methods and Mixed Drinks with Snacks A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders

UPCOMING EVENTS 8th Annual

Richard L. Simpson Conference on Autism October 15-16, 2026 Overland Park, Kansas

BCBA CEUs Available | Early Registration Discount

https://mslbd.org/autism-conference/

45th Annual Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders

February 25-27, 2027

Sheraton Crown Center, Kansas City, MO

For the 45th year, the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders will address cutting-edge issues of interest to professionals working with students with emotional/behavioral disorders and autism spectrum disorders.

Visit our website, www.mslbd.org, for a full program of events that includes Presymposium Workshops, Keynote Session, 36 Concurrent Breakout Session, Posters, Saturday Workshops, BCBA CEUs available including Ethics Credits.

Keynote Session

Saving the World: Embracing Your Powers and Remembering Why We Teach Matt McNiff, PhD, Behavior Consultant, Educational Service Unit #5, Beatrice, NE

Workshop Highlights

• Adapting Behavior Strategies for Middle & High School • High-Probability Classroom Behavior Strategies • Building a GOATed EBD Classroom • Practical AI Tools for All Learners • Supporting Students with Anxiety, Mood Disorders & Level 1 Autism • Preventing Staff Drift Through Effective Feedback

• Improving AAC Outcomes for Students with Autism • Schoolwide Systems for Preventing Crisis & Escalation • Sustaining Tier 2 Behavior Interventions • Practical Strategies for Building Better Writers • Using UDL to Support Students with Behavioral Needs • Using Behavioral Systems Analysis to Improve Documentation Practices

REGISTER BY JANUARY 30 FOR DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION Register early for preferred workshops Visit our website: https://mslbd.org/symposium

Fall 2026 | Volume 10 | Issue 1

Editorial Team Mary Jo Anderson John J. Augustine Anne K. Baptiste Janet Burgess Scott M. Fluke Katherine A. Graves Deborah E. Griswold Aimee Hackney Jessica Hagaman Shana Kaplan Shannon Locke Maria L. Manning Sharon A. Maroney John W. McKenna Lindsey G. Mirielli Reece L. Peterson Sandy Shacklady-White Carl R. Smith Vanessa Tucker-Douglas Sara Vega Graphic Designer Vivian Strand

Rethinking Behavior, ISSN 2578-5397, a magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs, is published three times per year, fall, winter, and spring, Copyright ©2026 by the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders, P.O. Box 202, Hickman, NE 68372. 402-7923057. www.mslbd.org. Email: rethinkingbehavior@mslbd.org.

Contents

EDITORIAL Our Language Matters...........................................................................................2 Call for Articles............................................................................................................3 INNOVATORS Steven Forness: Cross Disciplinary Leader and Scholar C. Michael Nelson and Reece L. Peterson............................................................4 Bernard Rimland: The Father of Our Modern Understanding of Autism Reece L. Peterson.......................................................................................................7 VOICES When Professionals are Parents Jenee Johnson...........................................................................................................10 Why I Teach MSLBD Master Teachers.......................................................................................13 Teachers, Your Help Is Needed......................................................................17 FEATURES The Space Station, One School’s Alternative to Suspension Angela Prince and Patrick Mulick.......................................................................... 18 STRATEGIES Educator Response to New Technology Evan Simpkins, Chad Rose, Madison Imler, and Katherine Graves............. 23 Are You Reactive or Responsive?

Janet Burgess.................................................................................................... 29 MEDIA Book Review of Native American History and Culture Reece L. Peterson...............................................................................................................33 Book Review of Sociopath: A Memoir Janet Burgess........................................................................................................................35 Podcast Review of Speaking of Psychology Robert Zabel..........................................................................................................................36 AFTER HOURS Mixed Methods and Mixed Drinks with Snacks Thomas McIntyre................................................................................................................38

Rethinking Behavior welcomes proposal and manuscript submissions; for information visit www.mslbd.org or email rethinkingbehavior@mslbd.org

Fall 2026 • 1

EDITORIAL

Our Language Matters

A

s we begin the school year feeling refreshed and ready for a new start, let’s remind ourselves and our colleagues to pay attention to the language we use when students are struggling.

We may hear comments like, “Oh, he is just a bad kid,” “He knows better,” or “What is wrong with this student?” These statements often reflect our frustration, but they can also limit how we understand and support students. When we label students as the “bad kid”, we may be describing behaviors we perceive as defiant, manipulative, unmotivated, or disrespectful. Rather than stopping at the label, we challenge you to look beyond the aforementioned behaviors and ask a different set of questions: ● Does this student have any unmet needs? ● Does this student have skill deficits? ● Has this student experienced trauma? ● How might the school or classroom environment be impacting the students’ behavior?

Instead of asking “What is wrong with this student?” try asking, “What is this behavior communicating?” and “What support might this student need?”

Similarly, when we catch ourselves saying “They know better,” especially with older students, consider the difference between knowing a rule and consistently demonstrating a skill. Students may understand expectations but still struggle to apply them

What’s wrong with this student?

2 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

when under stress or challenging conditions.

Changing our language and encouraging colleagues to do the same encourages a mindset centered around understanding students instead of writing them off. By viewing behavior as a skill that can be taught and strengthened, we shift our focus from blame to support. Over time, this shift in perspective may also help reduce burnout as the school year continues by keeping our attention on solutions, rather than problems.

We wouldn’t expect a student to master a reading or mathematics skill after hearing it explained once, nor would we label them a “bad reader” if they struggled.

Instead, we reteach, provide opportunities to practice, offer feedback, and adjust instruction until they are successful. Behavior deserves the same mindset.

If a student isn’t consistently demonstrating expected behavior, our first question should be, “What does this student need to learn, and what support will help them be successful?” rather than, “What’s wrong with this student?”

Lindsey G. Mirielli and Katherine A. Graves, Issue Editors

What does this student need?

TEACHERS STUDENTS RESEARCHERS EDUCATORS PARENTS

CALL for ARTICLES

What stories can you share with our readers?

What do today’s educators need to know and need to do?

What’s working for you and what isn’t?

What are you learning about education?

What experiences can you share that will inform, challenge, or encourage our readers?

What are you, your colleagues, your students, and support staff succeeding in, looking for, responding to, or struggling with?

ReThinking Behavior publishes several different types of articles related to the education of students with EBD and other challenges, educators, students, support staff, families, and communities.

•

Voices – Personal stories, experiences, perspectives, and opinions

•

Features – Articles on important topics, advancements, practices, or programs

•

Strategies – Evidence supported strategies and interventions

•

Evidence Exchange – summaries of relevant research

•

Policies – Legal updates, issues, cases, and implications

•

Media – Reviews of podcasts, books, films, documentaries, television, news, websites, publications, blogs

•

After Hours – Fiction, poetry, humor, and art

For examples of various types of articles, see our back issue on our website.

If you have an idea or topic for an article, contact John Augustine, johnaugustine@mail.missouri.edu Don’t Hesitate – our team will guide and support you all along the way.

Behavior

for professionals Needs YourA magazine Contribution! serving children and youth with behavioral needs. rethinkingbehavior@mslbd.org

Fall 2026 • 3

I N N O VAT O R S

Steven R. Forness

Cross Disciplinary Leader & Scholar

By C. Michael Nelson and Reece L. Peterson

S

teven (Steve) Forness has been a leader in and a contributor to special education for over 50 years. His work in the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) has earned him a special place in this area.

Steven Forness is a true “Renaissance Man” – a well-rounded, cultured person with broad expertise, knowledge, and proficiency in many diverse fields and disciplines.

Forness’ contributions to professional literature are voluminous. These include over 200 articles in professional journals spanning fields within special education and child psychology, authoring or co-authoring over 50 invited book chapters, and authoring or editing several texts, including Education of Exceptional Learners, co-written with Frank Hewett in 1984 (See the Innovator article about Frank Hewett in ReThinking Behavior, Fall 2022).

His written work spans diverse areas and topics, including intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, early childhood education, as well as psychopharmacology, and the development and teaching of social skills in children. The largest portion of his work has focused on children and youth with EBD. Through his writing and speaking, Forness sought to help special education professionals understand the medications that many students with EBD are prescribed - their purpose, potential benefits, and potential side effects.

Forness was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1939. He served in the US Army and attended the Military Academy Preparatory School while enlisted and then went on to the US Naval Academy. He received a BA degree from Northern Colorado University with a 4 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

major in English and a master’s degree in educational psychology. He taught high school English in Santa Maria, CA and later entered a doctoral program in special education at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating with an Ed.D. in 1968.

He also served as a Fulbright scholar for the Ministry of Education, Portugal, in 1976. Forness has been an avid hiker, is currently retired, and continues to enjoy life in Los Angeles.

Forness spent his entire academic career at the UCLA in the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI), where he served in several capacities, including Special Education Coordinator, Educational Psychology Services Chief, and Principal of the inpatient school. As principal, from 1976 until 2003, he mentored psychologists and child psychiatrists, supervised staff, participated in research studies, and administered research and demonstration grants funded by a variety of federal and state agencies. He retired in 2003 as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus with the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. While in these roles, in 1987-1988 he also served as President of the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (Now DEBH), an organization that provides leadership to special educators in schools serving students with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.

Forness was instrumental in the effort to draft new terminology and a new definition for “Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED),” which was the original terminology created by Bower and Lambert in 1961, and which had been included in early federal special education legislation.

That definition implied an internal “emotional” root for these disorders and did not reflect the latest understanding and types of interventions and therapies for this group of children. With his colleague Jane Knitzer, he brought together educators, policy makers, and the mental health/ psychiatric communities to achieve a consensus on terminology and definitions. Together, they advocated for using the term “behavior disorders (BD)” or (as a compromise) “emotional and behavior disorders (EBD).” Although this effort to change terminology and definition in the law was not successful, it did result in special education professionals, researchers, and their professional literature to adopt the BD or EBD terminology.

Later, the word “seriously” was removed from the federal terminology, but no other changes in ter-

minology or definition have been successful at this writing. However, a current similar effort to develop a new definition for the next reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is underway by the Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), a division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Forness has once again contributed his expertise to this current effort.

Forness has been a tireless advocate for understanding and promoting the mental health of children in school, especially bridging the perspectives of psychiatry and special education. When asked what he feels have been his most significant accomplishments, he mentioned that as a professor of psychiatry and biomedical sciences at UCLA, he taught medical students and psychiatry interns about children with disabilities and how public education impacts them.

Fall 2026 • 5

In addition to awards for teaching and service at UCLA, Steve Forness has been honored by numerous professional societies, including the International Academy for Research on Learning Disabilities, the American Psychological Association, the Berman Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavioral Disorders (MSLBD), the Wallin Award from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and two of the Divisions of CEC, the Teacher Education Division, and the Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health.

References Bower, E. M., & Lambert, N. M. (1961). In-school screening of children with emotional handicaps. California State Department of Education.

Hewett, F. M. & Forness, S. R. (1984). Education of exceptional learners. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Note: Two video interviews of Steve Forness are available through the MSLBD website in its Janus Project materials. The titles are: •

A Conversation with Steve Forness, October 2011. This video was the basis of an article published in Intervention in School and Clinic (49) 4 in March of 2014.

•

A Conversation with Kay Cessna & Steve Forness. 77 minutes. October 2007.

These interviews can be accessed at the MSLBD Janus Project webpage or by searching for Steve Forness at archive.org..

C. Michael Nelson, Emeritus Professor of special education, University of Kentucky, mike.nelson@ uky.edu, and Reece L. Peterson, Emeritus Professor of special education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, reecelpeterson@gmail.com.

6 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Forness has been a tireless advocate for understanding and promoting the mental health of children in school...

I N N O VAT O R S

Bernard Rimland

The “Father” of Our Modern Understanding of Autism

By Reece L. Peterson

B

ernard Rimland was known for challenging Bruno Bettelheim’s ideas about the causes of autism.

Before Rimland’s work, Bruno Bettelheim had promoted the idea that autism resulted from the interaction of unconscious and conscious mental and emotional forces that determine personality and motivation. This led Bettelheim to conclude that a potential cause was a mother not providing emotional warmth, thus the “refrigerator mother” theory of autism.

Bernard Rimland changed and modernized our understanding of the causes of autism from “psychogenesis” to “biogenesis”. He also established national research and advocacy organizations focused on autism.

Rimland, however, advocated for a new paradigm framing autism as originating in biological and neurological factors. His reframing of autism simulated biomedical and medical research and has been credited with changing the orientation of how we understand autism.

Born in 1928, Rimland earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Diego State University and his doctorate at Pennsylvania State University in psychology. Rimland spent much of his career as a psychology researcher for the US Navy in Point Loma, California. He passed away in 2006.

Rimland first became interested in autism after the birth of his son, Mark, who was diagnosed with autism as a young child. Rimland knew his wife was a loving, attentive mother, and dismissed Bettelheim’s theory of “refrigerator mother” as “ridiculous”. In his spare time, Rimland researched and wrote about autism. He published his conclusions in his landmark book Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior (1964).

Rimland’s research stimulated a variety of new lines of autism research, including research regarding

biomedical and dietary interventions such as vitamin B6, magnesium, and secretin in hopes that they would alleviate symptoms of autism. Unfortunately, evidence did not support these dietary strategies.

In 1965, Rimland co-founded the Autism Society of America (ASA, originally the National Society for Autistic Children), a national parent advocacy orgaFall 2026 • 7

nization for families affected by autism, to “work on behalf of autistic children and their families at local, state, and national levels.” In 1967, Rimland established the Autism Research Institute (ARI), a San Diego–based non-profit organization dedicated to researching and collecting data on autism and related disorders. He reportedly kept a database of research and case histories. He also conducted and sponsored research to identify the cause of autism and offer effective treatment solutions.

Rimland supported Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), a systematic educational approach based on the work of B. F. Skinner and applied to children with autism by Ivar Lovaas. Rimland recognized the early promise of behavioral interventions and actively promoted Ivar Lovaas’ emerging Applied Behavior Analysis approach via the ASA and the ARI. This has led to ABA becoming an increasingly used intervention method for students with autism.

However, Rimland also supported several approaches that have subsequently been discredited, including the dietary approaches mentioned earlier. Rimland was a “vaccine critic”, believing at one point that preservatives or mercury in the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine (MMR) precipitated autism. Extensive research has since debunked vaccine-autism claims. Rimland later changed his position on vaccines as research could establish no such link. He was also reported to champion “facilitated communication” – a technique that involves a person with a disability pointing to letters, pictures, or objects with physical support from a “facilitator” - which has also been found to lack any supportive empirical evidence.

Rimland published several articles on savant abilities in autism, including an article in Psychology Today in 1978. As a result, he was recruited to be the chief consultant for the movie Rain Man. After reading the script, he suggested that the main character, Raymond, have autism rather than (as originally scripted) mental retardation. Rain Man won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1988, and Dustin Hoffman 8 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

was given an Academy Award for his portrayal of an adult with autism. The movie led to a worldwide increase in awareness of autism.

Over nearly 50 years of studying autism, Rimland presented more than 1,000 talks worldwide and published more than 300 articles and chapters, over 50 book forwards, and four encyclopedia articles.

His final book, published after he died in 2008, Dyslogic Syndrome: Why Millions of Kids are “Hyper,” Attention-Disordered, Learning Disabled, Depressed, Aggressive, Defiant, or Violent—and What We Can Do About It, is considered by many as his second seminal book” (Edelson, 2009).

As a result of his leadership, advocacy, and research, Rimland has been called the “father of modern autism”.

Notes: For more about Bettleheim, see Peterson 2025, and for more about Lovaas see Zabel and Peterson, 2025.

An outline created by ChatGPT about Bernard Rimland‘s contributions to the field of autism was referred to in the creation of this article.

References Edelson, Stephen M. “Bernard Rimland (1928–2006)” J Autism Dev Disord 39, 821–822 (2009).

Peterson, R. L. (2025). Bruno Bettelheim: Creator of awareness and controversy. Rethinking Behavior, 8(3), Rimland, B. (2008). Dyslogic syndrome: Why millions of kids are “hyper”, attention-disordered, learning disabled, depressed, aggressive, defiant, or violent--and what we can do about it. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Wikipedia, Bernard Rimland, American psychologist.

Zabel, R. H. & Peterson, R. L. (2025). O. Ivar Lovaas: Innovator in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders. ReThinking Behavior, 9(1), 7-10.

Reece L. Peterson, Emeritus Professor of special education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, reecelpeterson@gmail.com.

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VOICES

When Professionals are Parents

By Jenee Johnson

“L

ol I’m pretty sure he’s not autistic,” I texted my friend, attaching a screenshot of Julius’ moderate-risk score on the M-CHAT. He was 20 months old then and speech delayed, but I was confident.

I’m a behavior analyst with a PhD in special education. I have an autistic niece with high support needs. I used to teach in a self-contained classroom for children with autism. I knew what autism looked like – I knew better than the M-CHAT. I was interviewed on a local news channel about early autism

signs. I was the person who reassured friends that their toddler’s idiosyncrasies were not signs of autism. Julius was just a late talker.

Toddlers do quirky things. My daughter walked on her toes for a few months and occasionally inspected the wheels on her toy cars. My friend’s son lined up toys from time to time. Another friend’s daughter tenses her whole body when she’s excited. None of them have autism. Julius wasn’t autistic either – even if he really liked watching fans.

Art courtesy of AdobeStock.com

10 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

He wasn’t autistic because he played peek-a-boo.

He wasn’t autistic because he giggled and chased kids at the playground. He wasn’t autistic because he smiled at me and ran up for hugs. He wasn’t autistic because autistic kids don’t run down the hallway, look back, and grin while you pretend to chase them.

He wasn’t autistic because he’d stick his tongue out to copy me. He wasn’t autistic because how could my giggly sunshine boy have autism? How could the baby that elderly women called a flirt in the grocery store have autism? This just wasn’t what autism looked like.

But looking back, the signs were there, even if they didn’t yet warrant a diagnosis. Julius had some joint attention but didn’t consistently follow a point. He didn’t check in with me much and certainly didn’t follow my gaze. Late talkers often have stronger receptive than expressive language, but Julius didn’t seem to understand much of what we said. His gestures were minimal – an occasional point for help – and in retrospect, many of them were directly taught. I physically prompted him to clap and wave.

He engaged in some pretend play, but it was pretty repetitive. But also… don’t boys pretend play differently than girls?

A part of me knew. I knew autism often had a genetic component, and Julius has a first cousin with autism. His speech evaluation at the children’s hospital around his second birthday included the recommendation for a full developmental evaluation depending on his response to speech therapy.

That recommendation gave me pause. His score was in the first percentile. He’d already been in speech therapy for nine months. Still, I told myself we’d get on the waitlist just in case. By the time a slot opened, I figured he’d have more words. Autism wouldn’t be a concern. But given how strained resources were, we might as well prepare.

Over the next few months, autism became so obvious that I’m almost embarrassed I didn’t acknowledge it sooner. Julius stopped gesturing. He stopped responding to his name. He smiled less. Engaging him socially became more effortful and performative – tossing him in the air, exaggerating silly noises, diving under furniture during peek-a-boo. I was good

What’s the M-CHAT? The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R; Robins et al., 2014) is a caregiver-report screening instrument designed to identify children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 16 and 30 months of age. The M-CHAT-R consists of 20 Yes/No items that assess early social communication and behavioral indicators of ASD (Example item: Does your child point at things across the room to show you something interesting?). The measure is routinely administered during 18- and 24-month well-child visits and is intended to identify children who may benefit from referral for a comprehensive developmental evaluation. at that, though; I’d previously taught young kids with autism. Our interactions started feeling different and uncomfortably familiar. He started spinning everything. Speech therapists shifted from talking about new words to commenting on eye contact and imitation during play.

A well-meaning relative commented, “He just loves to see how things work. He’s going to be an engineer one day.” I’ve heard that comment so many times, and I knew exactly what it meant. Those months were an insidious accumulation of tiny changes, and suddenly I was asking myself questions about my two-year-old’s future that I never imagined I’d have to consider. Other family members suspected sooner, but everyone was waiting for me to call it.

Sometimes it’s hard to see things when you’re so close to them.

One day he lay on the floor, pressed his ear to a baby toy, and watched the flashing lights. I sat beside him, tickled his side, and said, “Bye buddy!” He didn’t react at all. I swallowed hard, held back tears, and told my mom, “I mean… that looks like autism.”

Julius was diagnosed at 27 months. He’s now in an excellent ABA center run by highly talented, scientifically minded professionals. We are so excited about Fall 2026 • 11

his progress, and the behavior analyst in me delights in his graphs and data. He’s happier, more socially attentive, and learning new things each week. He’s regained lost skills. The future is still uncertain, but accepting his diagnosis, pushing him to do his best, and celebrating every achievement brings us so much joy in the present. I once thought his social strengths were incompatible with autism, but now I understand those qualities as assets that help him learn and grow.

I’m not sure he would have been diagnosed earlier than two. I don’t feel guilty or responsible for his autism, but I do regret overlooking some early signs.

I always caution parents against scrutinizing every little quirk, but if you have a toddler with a speech delay, I’d encourage you to look beyond new words and pay attention to the other pieces of development that matter just as much.

Here are a few things I wish I had watched more closely: • Receptive language. Toddlers with simple speech delays usually understand more than they can express. Limited comprehension is meaningful.

• Joint attention. Autism isn’t defined by a total absence of joint attention, but by noticeable deficits in it. Not pointing, not following a point, limited showing or sharing, and not checking in with caregivers matters.

• Pretend play. Boys and girls may engage in What is joint attention and why does it matter?

Joint attention is a social-communication skill involving shared focus on an object or event.

Early indications of joint attention are evident in infancy, but more salient signs emerge during the first two years of life. Young children respond to bids for joint attention by following a caregiver’s gaze or point, and they initiate joint attention by pointing, showing, giving objects, or alternating gaze between a person and an item of interest. Deficits in joint attention are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorders.

12 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

I knew what autism looked like – I knew better than the M-CHAT.

•

different types of pretend play but doing the same routine over and over can be a sign worth noting.

Gestures. Toddlers with speech-only needs rely heavily on gestures. A helpful benchmark is the 16 gestures by 16 months guideline, which is an excellent resource for families (First Words Project, 2014).

Toddlers with autism often require more intensive and specialized support than peers with isolated speech delays. Encourage all parents, even professionals in the field, to take screening tools such as the M-CHAT seriously. When you work in special education, you understand how challenging the system can be. You know that resources are imperfect. You have seen inadequate instruction and difficult IEP meetings. Delaying a diagnosis does not change that reality. Accepting my son’s needs was step one.

Professionals are uniquely positioned and privileged to help navigate and advocate within these systems, and I am thankful for that perspective. Obtaining a diagnosis was a doorway to the services and support Julius needs, and I’m honored to walk alongside him as an advocate.

Reference Robins, D. L., Casagrande, K., Barton, M., Chen, C.-M. A., Dumont-Mathieu, T., & Fein, D. (2014). Validation of the modified checklist for autism in toddlers, revised with follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Pediatrics, 133(1), 37–45.

First Words Project. (2014). 16 gestures by 16 months [PDF].

Florida State University.

Jenee Johnson, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor in Special Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City, jeneejohnson@umkc.edu

VOICES OF OUR MASTER TEACHERS

Why I Teach

Art courtesy of AdobeStock.com

By MSLBD Master Teachers

We asked our master teachers to use a story spine to share their stories.

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My journey to teaching began long before I ever stepped into a college education class.

As a teenager, I volunteered to teach Vacation Bible School and spent many hours babysitting.

I discovered early on that I loved working with children and helping them learn and grow.

Over time, I attended college and worked as a daycare teacher, but I still wasn’t pursuing a teaching degree. I eventually became a dental assistant, yet I found myself missing the joy of working with children so much that I continued working at a daycare on my days off.

Then one day, I realized that teaching truly had my heart. I made the decision to return to school and earn my Early Childhood Inclusive Education degree.

Because of that, I began teaching preschool in a public school, where I fell in love with every one of my students. I was especially drawn to the students who struggled the most and needed someone to believe in them.

Because of that, I returned to school to earn my K–12 Special Education endorsement and later my educational administration degree so I could better support both students and educators.

Because of that, I became a resource coach and early childhood special education teacher before being given the opportunity to help build the Bridges program for students with autism and complex behavioral needs.

Until finally, I found the work I was truly meant to do – creating individualized programs, supporting dedicated staff, partnering with families, and helping students with significant needs achieve success that others may have thought was impossible.

And, ever since I have been passionate about helping students with autism and behavioral needs grow in independence, communication, and confidence. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a child accomplish something they – or others – once thought they couldn’t do. Those moments continue to remind me why 14 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

I chose this profession and why I love what I do every day.

– Jenna Mattox, Bridges Principal and Teacher, Educational Service Unit 7, Columbus, NE, jmattox@esu7.org

My journey to teaching began in my mid

20s. It was during the 2008 recession and I was struggling to find a career to stick with. I finally listened to my wife’s guidance and decided to look into becoming a teacher and coach. Understand, this was after I had my Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies, which was very vague and not the most helpful. I began trying to figure out how to get my foot in the door to teaching and learned what a paraprofessional was. I became a para in an elementary Special Ed classroom in October of 2008.

Over time, the teacher I was working under began to point out that I had a natural understanding of how to support students who had special needs. She would ask me “how did you know to do that?” My answer was always, “I just thought it was the best thing to do.” Throughout that first year I began to see I had an ability that I had no idea of, and I really like the challenge of helping students learn.

Then one day, I enrolled in a Masters in Special Education program that would also give me state teaching certification.

Because of that, I was able to get provisionally certified during the program and after my second year as a para I could apply for teaching positions.

Because of that, I became a cross-categorical Special Ed teacher at Willard Schools in 2010!

Because of that, I was given some difficult behavior students that helped the administration around me see that those are the students I thrived with. So, in my 3rd year of teaching my classroom transitioned in a K-4 district behavior classroom.

Until finally, I discovered my passion and fit working with students that struggle with behavior.

And, ever since I have been truly loving the choice to work in this field. Everyday there is a new challenge to face which keeps it fresh. Now, in my second year as a Special Ed administrator I get to help build capacity in teachers and other adults which still and will always lead back to supporting students!

– Andrew Morton, Director of Student Services, Mount Vernon R-5 Schools, MO, mortonandrew@mtvernon.k12.mo.us

My journey to teaching began for some

very practical reasons. If I am completely honest, I wanted to help students, I liked the idea of having summers off, and I wasn’t convinced I was capable of doing anything else.

Over time, those reasons changed dramatically. As the years passed, I realized that teaching wasn’t just a job – it was a calling. I discovered that I was making a genuine difference in the lives of the students I served, especially those with emotional and behavioral challenges.

Then one day, I recognized something unexpected. I was receiving just as much from my students as I believed I was giving them. Every success, every breakthrough, every hard-earned smile reminded me why I kept coming back.

Because of that, I stayed in teaching long after the practical reasons had faded away. The relationships, the growth, and the privilege of helping students see their own potential became my purpose.

Because of that, I came to understand that behavior is communication. It is almost never personal, even when it feels that way. Behind every challenging behavior is a student trying to tell us something they may not yet have the words to express.

Because of that, I learned that no teacher should walk this journey alone. We all need the support, encouragement, and wisdom of other educators who remind us of our own “why” when the work becomes difficult.

Until finally, after more than forty years in education, I realized that my greatest responsibility was no longer just teaching students – it was helping teach teachers. If I could share what decades of experience had taught me, perhaps new educators could avoid some of the mistakes I made, shorten their learning curve, and discover sooner the incredible impact they have on young lives.

And, ever since I have been committed to passing on those lessons. I want every new teacher to know that they matter more than they can imagine. Their students will remember them long after they have left the classroom – even the students they were certain they would never reach, and the ones they weren’t sure they would survive teaching.

– Janet Burgess, Facilitator, Temporary Alternative Placement Center, North Kansas City School District, burgessjanet@yahoo.com

My journey to teaching began before I real-

ly knew that teaching was where I would end up.

I started working with students who had some of the biggest behaviors and needed a lot of support. I quickly learned that the kids who were often the hardest to teach were also the kids who needed someone in their corner the most.

Over time, I worked as a self-contained paraeducator, a therapeutic emotional support specialist, a special education teacher in a self-contained behavior program, and eventually became a social-emotional resource teacher. With every role, I learned more about behavior, trauma, relationships, and what kids really need in order to be successful. I also learned that behavior is almost always telling us something.

Then one day, I realized this wasn’t just a job I happened to be good at. This was what I was supposed to be doing. I loved working with the kids who didn’t always fit neatly into a typical classroom and figuring out what would help them be successful.

Because of that, I stopped measuring success only by grades, test scores, or whether a student could Fall 2026 • 15

sit quietly in a classroom. Sometimes success was a student asking for a break instead of running out of the room. Sometimes it was making it through a hard transition, calming down after being upset, finishing an assignment they didn’t think they could do, or simply coming back the next day and trying again.

Because of that, I learned how important relationships are. Kids need to know that you actually like them, not just when they’re having a good day, but when they’re having their worst day too.

They need adults who can hold them accountable while still making sure they know tomorrow is a fresh start.

Because of that, I became passionate about creating programs and systems that give these students what they need instead of expecting them to fit into something that wasn’t designed for them. That passion eventually grew beyond my own classroom. I began mentoring other teachers, presenting, sharing what I’ve learned, and helping others build stronger programs for students with emotional and behavioral needs.

16 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Until finally, I realized that some of the things I’m most proud of aren’t the big things at all. They’re watching a student who once needed constant adult support begin doing things independently.

It’s seeing a kid use a coping skill without being prompted, return to class successfully, make a friend, believe they’re good at something, or eventually not need my classroom anymore.

Sometimes the best outcome of my job is helping a student get to the point where they don’t need me.

And, ever since I’ve known exactly why I teach. I teach because every kid deserves someone who believes they can be successful, especially when they’re having a hard time believing it themselves. I teach because behavior can change, skills can be taught, relationships matter, and small victories eventually become really big ones. And after all these years, I still love getting to be there for those victories.

– Stacy Slabaugh, Social Emotional Resource Teacher, Sunnyside Elementary, Olathe, KS, slslabaugh@olatheschools.org

Teachers, Your Help Is Needed!

ReThinking Behavior is looking for people to share their experiences as educators.

Please consider sharing your own experiences and insights about your work or your after-work.

In one or two pages (or whatever it takes), answer one of these questions: •

Who was your most memorable student? What did you learn from that student?

•

How did you end up as a special education teacher?

What led you to this profession and your current position?

•

What are the things that motivate you to continue to do what you do?

•

What are the biggest obstacles to your success as a teacher? How have you overcome those obstacles?

•

What are your passions for your time and activities outside of work?

•

What is the funniest thing that you have encountered in your work at school?

•

Is there a person who has served as a mentor for you personally or professionally? Who was that, and how or why was that mentorship important?

•

Do you have a story to share about your experience as an educator?

Email your article idea or outline to Reece Peterson, reecelpeterson@gmail.com Thanks for sharing.

FYI: Your comments can be published anonymously if requested.

Fall 2026 • 17

F E AT U R E S

The Space Station: One Elementary School’s Alternative to Seclusion

By Angela Prince and Patrick Mulick

18 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Art courtesy of AdobeStock.com

The first time Maya visited the Space Station, she was on the verge of tears. A fifth grader with a history of sensory overload and anxiety, she had started tapping her pencil faster and faster during math until it snapped in half.

Instead of sending her to the office, her teacher had anticipated her needs and had already scheduled a break for her in the Space Station.

In the softly lit room, a staff member offered her two options: “Do you want to power up or power down?” Maya chose to power down, curled into a beanbag, and worked through a short breathing game before returning to class ready to re-engage with the lesson.

Maya’s experience reflects a larger shift in Washington schools. During the 2023 Legislative session, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) was tasked with launching the Reducing Restraint and Eliminating Isolation (RREI) project. This project created a collaborative learning community across the state focused solely on preventing and ethically responding to behavioral escalations in schools. These changes align with national momentum to replace seclusion with trauma-informed, prevention-first practices, spurred in part by high-profile investigations into the misuse of “quiet rooms” for students with disabilities (Smith Richards et al., 2019). This article examines how one Pacific Northwest district leveraged the Space Station model, rooted in trauma-informed approaches, to translate policy reform into daily practice.

The End of Seclusion For decades, seclusion has been used in schools as a response to behaviors perceived as dangerous or disruptive. However, growing research and advocacy have revealed its lasting harms, especially for students with disabilities and those from marginalized communities. National data from the US Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) indicate that, although students with disabilities comprise approximately 14% of K–12 enrollment, they ac-

count for 75% of all reported seclusions (US Department of Education, 2023). These disparities deepen when race and disability intersect. Black students with disabilities make up only 18% of the special education population, yet account for 22% of all seclusion cases.

The consequences are significant. Seclusion can cause emotional distress, erode trust between students and educators, and lead to disengagement from the learning process. For students with trauma histories, being secluded can retraumatize and trigger additional behavioral escalations rather than prevent them (Baroni et al., 2016). Legal frameworks such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act emphasize the use of positive, proactive behavioral interventions and prohibit discriminatory discipline practices, making the overuse of seclusion not only harmful but potentially unlawful.

Alternatives exist, and the Monarch Room model offers one promising precedent. Developed to provide structured, supportive spaces for students to de-escalate, the Monarch Room is intentionally staffed, equipped with calming and engaging activities, and rooted in relationship-building rather than isolation (Dawson, 2003). Research shows that such spaces, when used preventatively, can reduce behavioral incidents, increase instructional time, and strengthen student-teacher connections (Fecser, 2014). The Space Station, as implemented in one elementary school, draws on these same principles: it is proactive, accessible, and centered on student agency. Rather than removing students as punishment, it offers them tools to regulate and reintegrate, aligning daily practice with both policy mandates and equity goals.

From Project to Practice: The Washington Approach While the updates with the RREI project marked

Fall 2026 • 19

a state milestone, district leaders quickly recognized that compliance alone would not yield meaningful change. Translating policy into daily practice required deliberate planning, collaboration, and a cultural shift. In one large district, the journey began with a cross-role steering committee that included paraeducators, general and special educators, administrators, board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), occupational therapists, and family representatives.

The group’s priority was to clarify definitions, distinguishing between isolation, seclusion, and voluntary regulation spaces, to ensure alignment with state law. This step addressed a common pitfall: “calmdown rooms” that function as seclusion spaces.

The district then overhauled its data systems, replacing a paper-based incident reporting process with a Google Form that automatically translates into more than 100 languages spoken at home. This ensured that families received timely and accessible communication, allowing leadership teams to review incident data monthly and identify patterns, targeting professional development accordingly. Infrastructure changes went hand in hand with personnel support. The district expanded access to BCBAs for schools with the highest needs and embedded the Space Station within a two-tiered regulation system: in-class break areas for immediate needs, and the centralized Space Station for structured, proactive regulation breaks. This alignment between policy mandates, data transparency, and intentional support structures positioned the district to not only abide by state law but also to create proactive, equitable alternatives to seclusion.

Inside the Space Station The Space Station represents one elementary school’s approach to proactive regulation. Designed as a welcoming, multi-sensory environment, it serves as a preventive measure rather than a reactive removal space. Students visit for short, structured periods – typically five to fifteen minutes – to either power up with energizing activities or power down with calming strategies, depending on their needs. The room itself is intentionally distinct from traditional classrooms. Soft lighting, flexible seating, sensory tools, and interactive stations create an 20 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

The elimination of seclusion is more than a policy shift.

environment that communicates safety and support.

Staff greet each student with a choice: “Would you like to power up or power down?” Together, they co-create a brief activity plan, set a visual timer, and agree on what success will look like before the student returns to class.

Coverage is strategically planned. Occupational therapists, paraprofessionals, and assistant principals rotate through supervision, ensuring the Space Station is open during high-need times, such as transitions, during lunch, and immediately after recess. The room is not intended for peak escalation; students in that stage receive support in other ways until they are ready for regulation activities. This distinction preserves the integrity of the Space Station as a prevention-focused space. The design principles behind the Space Station mirror those found in the Monarch Room literature, which emphasizes staffed, purpose-driven environments that foster student agency, build relationships, and reduce exclusionary discipline. By integrating these principles, this ensures that every visit is an opportunity for skill-building rather than exclusion.

Professional Learning and Capacity Building Sustaining the Space Station model requires more than a well-designed room. Rather, it depends on the skills, mindsets, and confidence of the adults who guide students through regulation. Recognizing this, the district shifted from a compliance-driven training model focused on restraint procedures to one centered on prevention and de-escalation. The district adopted Safety-Care, an applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based professional development

program that emphasizes prevention, early intervention, and the safe management of behavioral crises without resorting to restraint or isolation. Training is delivered in tiers: all staff receive foundational content on de-escalation strategies and the stages of behavioral escalation, while specialized staff, such as behavior specialists, BCBAs, and intensive support paraprofessionals, receive advanced modules on individualized planning and crisis management.

A cornerstone of this professional learning is the use of a one-page behavior escalation planning tool aligned with Colvin and Scott’s (2015) Stages of Behavior Escalation. This resource prompts educators to document student-specific early warning signs, preferred regulation strategies, and interventions tailored to each phase of escalation. By integrating the tool into functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans, the district ensures that proactive supports are embedded in formal plans and daily routines. Ongoing coaching reinforces initial training. School-based teams review Space Station usage data monthly, identify patterns, and refine practices accordingly. This continuous feedback loop strengthens staff competence, reduces reliance on exclusionary discipline, and aligns with the district’s overarching goal of replacing reactive responses with relationship-centered regulation supports.

Culture Shift: Beyond Compliance While policy changes and physical spaces, such as the Space Station, are important, they cannot succeed without a fundamental shift in school culture.

For decades, isolation and seclusion have been framed as necessary tools for maintaining order, especially for students with behavioral challenges.

Breaking from that mindset requires sustained effort, modeling, and a shared commitment to prevention.

In this district, leaders emphasized that eliminating isolation was not simply about meeting new state requirements; it was about aligning daily practices with core values of equity, safety, and student dignity.

Staff were encouraged to view behavior as a form of communication and to respond with curiosity rather than control. This reframing positioned the Space Station as a space for student empowerment.

Transparency played a critical role in developing this process. Families received timely, accessible communication in their home languages about behavioral incidents, along with information on the proactive supports being implemented. This openness fostered trust and reinforced the message that the district was committed to partnership rather than punishment. Student voice was another key driver of change. Students contributed ideas for Space Station activities, offered feedback on its design, and even helped develop guidelines for its use. By centering their perspectives, the district ensured that the Space Station remained relevant, respectful, and responsive to the needs of its students.

Policy-Practice Recommendations for Districts Drawing on lessons from Washington’s policy reform and the implementation of the Space Station model, the following recommendations can guide districts seeking to eliminate seclusion and adopt proactive regulation practices: 1. Define and align terminology. Ensure all stakeholders share clear, consistent definitions of isolation, seclusion, and voluntary regulation spaces. This prevents unintentional misuse of spaces and maintains fidelity to policy.

2. Make data collection accessible and actionable.

Use streamlined tools, such as online forms with translation features, to gather accurate, real-time information. Review data regularly to identify patterns and adjust supports.

Fall 2026 • 21

3. Provide tiered, role-specific training. Match the depth of de-escalation and regulation training to staff responsibilities. Ensure that all personnel understand the principles of prevention, while specialized staff receive advanced instruction.

4. Embed regulation spaces within MTSS frameworks. Position spaces like the Space Station as part of a continuum of supports, integrating them into both academic and behavioral intervention systems.

5. Prioritize prevention at all escalation stages.

Focus on early intervention strategies, such as creating classroom break areas and fostering relationships, to address needs before they escalate into a crisis.

6. Incorporate student voice. Engage students in designing, refining, and evaluating regulation spaces to promote ownership.

By grounding these recommendations in both policy and practice, districts can move beyond compliance toward creating equitable and trauma-informed school environments.

Conclusion The elimination of seclusion is more than a policy shift. Data make clear that seclusion disproportionately harms students with disabilities and students of color, perpetuating inequities and undermining trust in schools. The Space Station model offers a replicable framework for districts nationwide: a proactive, student-centered regulation space informed by research from the Monarch Room and grounded in trauma-informed principles. It is more than a room; it is a daily reminder that schools can choose prevention over punishment, relationship over removal, and equity over exclusion. Districts ready to follow this path must commit to cultural change, sustained professional learning, and authentic student engagement. When these elements align, regulatory spaces can become catalysts for safer, more inclusive schools where students are supported to return and re-engage.

22 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Staff were encouraged to view behavior as a form of communication and to respond with curiosity rather than control.

References Baroni, B., Day, A., Somers, C., Crosby, S., & Pennefather, M. (2016). Use of the Monarch Room as an alternative to suspension in addressing school discipline issues among court-involved youth. Urban Education, 55(1), 153–173.

Colvin, G., & Scott, T. M. (2015). Managing the cycle of acting-out behavior in the classroom (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.

Dawson, C. A. (2003). A study on the effectiveness of Life Space Crisis Intervention for students identified with emotional disturbances. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 11(4), 223 – 230.

Fecser, F. A. (2014). Life space crisis intervention: LSCI in trauma-informed care. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 22(4), 42–45 Smith Richards, J., Cohen, J.S., and Chavis, L. (2019, Nov 19).

The quiet rooms: Children locked away in Illinois schools.

ProPublica.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (2023).

CRDC overview: Civil rights in education.

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. (n.d.) Restraint and isolation.

Angela Tuttle Prince, Associate Professor of Special Education, Translational AI Center-affiliated Faculty, Iowa State University of Science & Technology, aprince@iastate.edu and Patrick Mulick, Director of Student Engagement, Auburn School District, WA, pmulick@auburn.wednet.edu

S T R AT E G I E S

Educator Response to New Technology and an Online Emphasis in Education

By Evan Simpkins, Chad Rose, Madison Imler, and Katherine Graves

Art courtesy of AdobeStock.com

Fall 2026 • 23

I

t is commonly suggested that “digital literacy is the language of the future,” although one could argue that the future is now, and digital literacy is the language of today. If the years following the pandemic have taught us anything, it is that the use of technology can no longer be ignored. Technology has expanded avenues of communication and created opportunities for students to socialize online. The use of technology has also been promoted more in society and in education. This increase in technology use evokes the question: how do we respond?

Technology is at the fingertips of students all over America. In addition, teachers are already juggling so many responsibilities that adding another ball to the mix may seem impossible. There are, however, easy steps to address the ever-changing technology that is being incorporated into educators’ daily curricula.

Educators have a chance to teach appropriate online behavior and productive technology use.

An Educator’s Role Teachers consistently focus on teaching academics, but aspire to teach their students how to function in the messy world in which we live. Educators are guides to the future, with reverence for the past.

In this information age, students can access any information they want, and it is only a few clicks away. Some educators believe that it should be the guardian’s sole responsibility to teach and talk to their child about the Internet. However, actions on the internet have ramifications that can affect many,

so it is the responsibility of all to mentor and mold the next generation of youth amid the ever-increasing shift toward technology and online emphasis.

Another reason caregivers may not be the best individuals to help students achieve online safety is that some may have difficulty using digital safety tools. Proficiency in digital literacy and online safety will increase self-efficacy in teaching digital literacy, and using best practices will help stay up to date with current technology trends and and incorporate technology into daily activities.

Keeping up with technology and various online sources creates new avenues for bonding and communicating with students. Students crave the “newest” or “best” technology, and by having conversations and leveling with them, teachers can learn a lot while building a rapport. Since students today are engaging with smartphones and learning the latest technologies at younger ages (Csibi, 2021), educators can use this to their advantage rather than as a disadvantage. Students like to share the latest technology because it is exciting for them, and for some, it is their area of expertise. While students may know about many different sources of technology and online outlets, they may not know how to interact with them appropriately.

Bringing New Technology to the Classroom Many technologies aim to support educators by en-

Communication Tools

Email

Text

Klassy

Free

Free

Free

One of the main sources of communication between school and home

Some teachers choose to reach out to parents through texting parents and creating a class wide group chat for caregivers.

This platform offers possibilities for classroom management and keeping caregivers in the loop through posts made by teachers.

24 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Parent Square

A comprehensive way to help schools streamline communication between school staff and families.

It works similarly to emails and synced calendars.

Remind

Talking Points

Class Dojo

Google Sites

Free

Free

Free

Free

A messaging tool to connect home and school. This acts similarly to texting and shoots out mass messages while creating private conversations.

This platform encourages communication and engagement with families in 100+ languages.

ClassDojo can help teachers and families support students' growth through goal setting, reflection, and celebrations.

Some teachers choose to create a website, update it, and post pictures each week like a blog post.

hancing educational practices and emphasizing student learning. Specifically, enhancing learning means improving the quality of learning, allowing students to build on their prior knowledge and develop new knowledge for greater understanding. By integrating educational technology, learning can appeal to students’ interests and, in turn, enhance participation in classroom activities.

Educators can use a variety of educational games, classroom management platforms, and online communication tools in the classroom. These educational games include Kahoot, Nearpod, Minecraft (education edition), Quizlet, Everyday Math Games, ST Math, and more! Testing can also be done through online platforms that assess student learning. Ultimately, teachers will need to evaluate their classes and choose which program(s) they think work best for their students’ different educational needs. The chart lists some online communication tools.

With the ever-changing online community and new technologies, it can be overwhelming to stay up to date. There are different strategies for educators to familiarize themselves with new technology and stay up to date with the latest innovations. One strategy could be to examine local and school professional development on new or emerging educational technologies. Another way is to join online Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). These PLC groups can help stakeholders learn from colleagues’ experiences in the field. Educators can also use social media platforms to find PLC groups and influencers with similar experiences. These experiences can spark imagination or give different viewpoints to challenge areas of growth. Some choose to use an RSS Aggregator that organizes and delivers research updates in an emaillike format, allowing them to “subscribe” to different research-based practices. This promotes educators to stay current with the best research-based practices surrounding technology and the use of online platforms in the classroom. Once again, teachers are the experts in their classrooms and can use the knowledge and support from other professionals to determine whether using technology or different online platforms can enhance learning or act as a barrier.

Educators are guides to the future, with reverence for the past.

Unhealthy and Healthy Uses of Technology Some may ask: where is the line between using technology to benefit students and when it becomes a negative factor in the classroom environment?

Where that line lies depends on a few factors: How competent is the teacher within new online platforms or technology? Does the educator have resources in place for students to use technology with easy online access? Is there a plan for classroom technology usage and following boundaries? While these are all very individual-based questions, in this section, we will discuss healthy ways to use technology and online platforms and how to recognize and respond to their misuse. Both healthy and unhealthy ways to use technology and online platforms can shape our online behavior and leave lasting impacts on our digital footprints.

Unhealthy It is easy for students to develop an unhealthy relationship with technology and online platforms, which can lead to negative consequences in the physical world. The classroom environment can be affected by unhealthy relationships with technology while at school or at home. At school, unhealthy relationships with technology can lead to irresponsible behavior by distracting from learning rather than serving as a tool educators use to enhance it. Another large part of an unhealthy relationship with online platforms can include behaviors like cyber-teasing or cyberbullying through different social communication platforms.

Social media can also be a tool used to demean others or spread false information. Cyberbullying is something that has real impacts on the classroom Fall 2026 • 25

environment and individuals inside the classroom.

Approximately 1 in 3 students experience cyber teasing or cyberbullying (Lessard & Puhl, 2021). It has also been found that 93% of students who reported experiencing cyberbullying also reported victimization in the traditional bullying dynamic (Hase et al., 2015). This means that, likely, in each classroom, students are experiencing harmful online events that carry over into the classroom. Evidence also suggests that cyberbullying can lead to negative mental health outcomes (Rose & Tynes, 2015).

As educators, we want to ensure that every one of our students succeeds and feels safe. However, online victimization or perpetration is difficult for educators or parents to detect unless they actively look (Cassidy et al., 2012). Some risk factors for students who are victimized online include: being quick to socially isolate, being a follower, dependent on others for feelings of fulfillment, suffering from social anxiety, having a low idea of their self-concept, suffering from academic or social skills deficits, or being non-compliant, reactive, or the total opposite, and displaying a submissive demeanor. There are many warning signs that students are engaging in unhealthy cyber behavior, but the key is noticeable changes in device use or habits. With the acknowledgment of warning signs and risk factors, guardians and educators may wonder about how students can communicate online. Online platforms and technology change quickly; listed here are some current ways students communicate with one another. It is recommended for teachers to learn about reporting practices at their school and on social media sites.

Healthy Today’s students have grown up with technology and will continue to use it for the rest of their lives. It is healthy to set them up with the tools necessary to survive in this online climate, but it is also healthy to establish boundaries and a sense of respect for the internet. Teachers can facilitate and model healthy behavior by staying on track in class using their technology. How can one expect students to stay off their phones if teachers won’t stay off theirs? Much like promoting prosocial behavior, educators should promote proper digital etiquette. In addition to mod26 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

Platforms that Students use to Communicate Teachers should know: The Notes app on iPhone now has access to "shared notes." Much like Google docs, students can collaborate and communicate with one another.

This is the new way to pass notes to one another in class and can be a vessel for verbal and cyber bullying.

Instagram is a social media platform that you can showcase pictures and videos as well as save and send different messages to people. There are few privacy controls and has open avenues for different instances of cyberbullying.

Snapchat is one of the most popular apps. Students feel empowered to do things on this app because it "disappears" after viewed or after an allotted amount of time; however, we need to stress the importance of how even though the snaps aren't visible, you can still retrieve them after contacting Snapchat.

Discord is an app that allows users to contact and talk to people online via voice, text, or video. This is commonly used while playing video games.

Many report instances in which racial slurs, explicit content, and more are mentioned.

Tik Tok is an app that students use for creating and sharing short videos.

There are very few privacy controls and students can be subjected to explicit content.

With the iPhone's current update, students can disguise apps with a different logo for the lock screen. This can mean that they misdirect teachers and parents with what apps are really being accessed.

Omegle is an online video chatting website that allows students to chat randomly with strangers. This could be dangerous for students as it's unregulated and has few privacy settings. There is a history of child pornography shown on this site.

eling good technological behavior, educators can monitor students’ use of technology by using various online classroom management tools. Some of these tools will allow investigation of what students are doing, what sites they are accessing, and the possibility of redirecting students back to designated pages if necessary. Teachers are encouraged to use school resources and to work with an information systems technician, who can help establish boundaries with technology. Students can also use technology to communicate with one another, which can lead to a more integrated classroom community. Giving students the tools to use social media safely and constructively can translate into the physical classroom space. Social media can be a useful tool for connection, fostering relationships with individuals who are not in their physical environment, spreading supportive/positive information, gaining new knowledge or exploring new interests, and many other benefits (Gleason & Von Gillern, 2018).

Digital Literacy & Citizenship In the classroom, digital literacy can be used to address negative online behaviors. Digital citizenship is the foundation for safe practices when using technology or accessing the internet. Teachers should be proactive and teach digital citizenship to help each student succeed online. There are three primary domains when teaching digital citizenship: safety, choice, and permanence (Rose et al., in press).

Teaching digital citizenship may vary by grade or age

level, but one should continually emphasize the importance of the three domains. Two sample lessons are provided.

Sample Lesson for Younger Students Materials: Water bottle, water 1. Take a water bottle (with a bucket underneath to catch any potential water) and open the cap.

2. Allow students to observe the water bottle individually or as a class, then record their observations.

3. Scrunch the bottle up. This will cause water to flow out of the bottle and create wrinkles in the plastic.

4. Try to blow the bottle back up. As the teacher, you will be able to get the bottle back to a similar shape.

5. Allow students to observe the bottle now and note the differences.

6. Discuss the bottle within the three domains: safety, choice, and permanence.

Safety decreases when the class doesn’t have enough water and may become thirsty. As the teacher, you chose to smash the water bottle, and your choices have consequences. Lastly, because of the consequences, they are permanent; no matter how hard you try to return the water to the bottle or smooth out the wrinkles, you won’t be able to return

Foundational Concepts to Enhancing Digital Citizenship Safety:

Choice:

Permanence:

• Instructions on the dangers of sharing personal information online

• The importance of conscious choices that you can make online

• Strategies for asking for help

• Encouraging the importance of language

• Establishing the belief that students continue to establish and build a digital footprint

• Providing direct instruction on appropriate browsing habits • Training on reporting protocol for questionable online activity, uncomfortable interactions, or threatening messages • Navigating tools for social interaction online

• Display responsible choices when downloading and uploading content online • The appropriate online responses to posted content

• The fact the online posts (regardless of the platform) are permanent • Students must consider future repercussions from present day online activity and posts

• Understand that people have the choice to put anything on the internet that could be false

Fall 2026 • 27

it to the way that it was. Another way to adapt this lesson for older students is to look back in history, where the ideas of safety, choice, and permanence are emphasized.

Sample Lesson for Older Students Choose a war to discuss. Talk about the war regarding the countries’ safety, the choices they made, and the permanence of the consequences. Encourage students to research different wars in these three ways and have them share their discoveries with peers. After students collect research on how each domain is presented, address each domain in the context of digital literacy. These domains can be emphasized through an ACTs framework, which Von Gillern (2022) suggests would be beneficial for all students to use and apply to online digital citizenship. This framework focuses on analyzing different media and content to identify potential bias. Then have them create something that reflects what they know and have learned. Lastly, have the students present the created model to others to demonstrate their understanding. This sharing can be done online, in person, or in various forms. These skills will translate into digital citizenship, as students will begin questioning the validity of online sources and how they obtained their information, thereby increasing their online safety.

The Challenge As educators, we influence today’s youth, who will be the leaders of tomorrow. What we do matters!

How we carry ourselves in the classroom matters!

We challenge you to help prepare students for their future and for success by being proactive in responding to new technology and the growing online emphasis in education. Be proactive in how you continue to learn and how you teach your students to recognize how to be safe online, realize they have many choices when going online, and understand that their actions online carry a lasting impact.

28 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

References Cassidy, W., Brown, K., & Jackson, M. (2012). “Making kind cool”: Parents’ suggestions for preventing cyber bullying and fostering cyber kindness. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 46(4), 415-436.

Csibi, Sándor, et al. “Analysis of problematic smartphone use across different age groups within the ‘components model of addiction’.” International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 19.3 (2021): 616-631.

Gleason, B., & Von Gillern, S. (2018). Digital citizenship with social media: Participatory practices of teaching and learning in secondary education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), 200-212.

Hase, C. N., Goldberg, S. B., Smith, D., Stuck, A., & Campain, J. (2015). Impacts of traditional bullying and cyberbullying on the mental health of middle school and high school students. Psychology in the Schools, 52(6), 607-617.

Lessard, L. M., & Puhl, R. M. (2021). Adolescent academic worries amid COVID-19 and perspectives on pandemic-related changes in teacher and peer relations. School Psychology.

Rose, C.A., Graves, K. A., Simpkins E. L, (2022, February). Recognizing, reducing, and responding to cyberbullying in the COVID Era. Invited workshop for the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders, Kansas City, MO. Rose, C.A., Imler, M. & Cowley, J. (in press). The duality of online socialization: Examining the juxtaposition between Cyberbullying and online friendships. In T. Landrum, B. Cook, & L. Collins (Eds.) Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Vol 33.

Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.

Rose, C. A., & Tynes, B. M. (2015). Longitudinal associations between cybervictimization and mental health among US adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 57(3), 305-312.

Von Gillern, S., Gleason, B., & Hutchison, A. (2022). Digital citizenship, media literacy, and the ACTS Framework. The reading teacher, 76(2), 145-158.

By Evan Simpkins, elsfwx@missouri.edu; Chad Rose, chadrose@sc.edu; Madison Imler, mhivby@health. missouri.edu; and Katherine Graves, Katherine. graves@usu.edu

S T R AT E G I E S

Are You Reactive or Responsive?

By Janet Burgess

Art courtesy of AdobeStock.com Fall 2026 • 29

A

re you reactive or responsive? This question goes to the heart of how we support students in our classrooms, especially those with emotional and behavioral disorders. A reactive approach focuses on stopping challenging behavior in the moment, often driven by frustration or urgency, while a responsive approach is intentional, calm, and rooted in understanding the needs behind the behavior. How we choose to respond can either escalate a situation or create a pathway for connection, regulation, and skill-building. Reflecting on this difference helps us shift from managing behavior to truly supporting student growth and well-being.

Photo courtesy of AdobeStock.com

A reactive approach to student misbehavior focuses on what happens right after a challenging behavior occurs. There are several key features of a reactive approach: • The educator responds in the moment to misbehavior.

• The response often relies on punishment and/or consequences.

• Educator emotions (frustration, surprise, stress) may influence the response.

• The response tends to escalate the situation if not done carefully.

Questions Responsive Teachers Ask • What skill is this student missing?

• Is this frustration, avoidance, or overwhelm?

• What support will help the student succeed right now?

• How can I keep this student regulated enough to learn?

•

The priority is to quickly stop the behavior rather than understand it.

Some examples of reactive approaches include sending a student out of class for yelling, raising one’s voice after a student refuses to follow directions, taking away privileges on the spot, or writing an office referral immediately after a student acts out.

The common element in these responses is the goal of ending the behavior as quickly as possible without attempting to understand the underlying need or to teach the student an alternative behavior.

Reactive approaches often fall short with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).

These students are typically highly sensitive to the tone and emotions of adults and may interpret reactive responses as personal attacks. When adults appear angry, frustrated, or unpredictable, the situation can escalate quickly. Reactive responses can also waste instructional time and reduce the sense of safety and predictability that many students need to learn.

Conversely, a responsive approach to student misbehavior is proactive, intentional, and grounded in understanding student needs before, during, and after behavior occurs. This approach aims to teach skills rather than simply stop unwanted behavior.

Responsive educators anticipate triggers and plan supports ahead of time. They focus on building relationships with students, regulating their own emotions, and responding with calm and consistent strategies. Responsive approaches emphasize both safety and skill development and guided by the un-

30 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

derstanding that behavior – both student and adult behavior – is a form of communication.

A Classroom Moment: Reactive vs.

Responsive Imagine a seventh-grade classroom during independent work time. Isiah, a student with a history of emotional and behavioral challenges, slams his pencil down and mutters, “This is stupid. I’m not doing this.”

In a reactive response, the teacher immediately raises her voice and says, “Isiah, that’s enough. If you don’t start your work right now you’re going to the office.” Isiah pushes his chair back, crosses his arms, and mutters louder. The teacher repeats the demand, frustration rising. Within moments the situation escalates. Isiah refuses to move, the class stops working, and instructional time is lost.

Now imagine the same moment with a responsive approach.

Isiah mutters, “This is stupid. I’m not doing this.” The teacher pauses, keeps her voice calm, and quietly walks over. “Looks like this one is frustrating. Let’s take a look at the first problem together. Do you want to try it with me, or would you rather start with number three?” Isiah shrugs but looks at the paper again. The teacher kneels beside him and quietly guides him through the first step. Within a minute Isiah begins working.

The difference between the two scenarios is not permissiveness. The expectation for work remains the same. What changes is the teacher’s regulation, intentionality, and focus on supporting the student’s skill development rather than controlling behavior in

Reactive or Responsive – What changes is the teacher’s regulation, intentionality, and focus.

Quick Responsive Strategies • Use a calm, neutral voice • Move closer to the student instead of calling across the room • Offer two choices instead of repeated commands • Acknowledge frustration before redirecting • Break difficult tasks into smaller steps the moment.

Responsive Interventions That Support Students Educators who adopt a responsive mindset rely on proactive strategies that support student success before behavior escalates. Here are some responsive strategies.

Pre-correction Pre-correction involves reminding students of expected behaviors before situations that commonly lead to difficulty. For example, the teacher can state: “Before we move to group work, remember our voices stay at level two and everyone participates.”

To prepare students who struggle with transitions, a teacher might say: “In two minutes we’ll clean up and move to reading. Do you want a timer or a quiet reminder?” Research suggests that pre-correction can significantly reduce disruptive behavior by preventing problems before they occur.

Choice-making Providing structured choices to students can increase student autonomy and reduce power struggles.

Choice-making allow teachers to maintain expectations while giving students a sense of control.

Examples include: • “Would you like to start with the odd or even problems?”

• “Do you want to work at your desk or the back table?”

• “Would you rather write your answer or explain it to me?”

Fall 2026 • 31

Behavior momentum Behavior momentum involves starting instruction with tasks the student is likely to complete successfully before introducing more challenging tasks. By completing several simple tasks, the student builds momentum to continue completing tasks. “Let’s answer these two quick questions together and then we’ll tackle the next ones.”

Ultimately, the question is not whether challenging behavior will occur – it will.

The real question is whether we react or respond.

Planned breaks Some students benefit from short, structured breaks before frustration escalates. These breaks may include: a short hallway walk, a few minutes of stretching or movement, time in a quiet regulation space, or with sensory tools or fidgets. Teaching students to appropriately request a break is an important replacement skill.

Replacement skill instruction Instead of simply stopping unwanted behavior, responsive educators teach students what to do instead. Students may be taught to: ask for help, request a break, communicate frustration appropriately, or use self-regulation strategies. These skills

build independence and reduce repeated behavior incidents over time.

At the heart of effective behavior support is a powerful shift in mindset – from reacting to behavior to responding to students. Reactive responses often arise from urgency or frustration and may stop behavior temporarily, but they rarely teach students the skills they need to succeed. Responsive approaches focus on regulation, relationships, and instruction. They recognize that challenging behavior often signals that a student lacks the skills needed to manage frustration, communicate needs, or navigate difficult situations.

Photo courtesy of AdobeStock.com

When educators remain calm, anticipate challenges, and teach replacement skills, classrooms become predictable environments where students can grow.

Responsive approaches protect student dignity, strengthen relationships, and reduce the frequency of behavioral crises.

For students with emotional and behavioral disorders, these practices are not simply helpful – they are essential. Responsive educators offer something many struggling students rarely experience; consistency, patience, and the opportunity to learn new ways to succeed.

Ultimately, the question is not whether challenging behavior will occur – it will. The real question is whether we react or respond.

Janet Burgess, MSLBD Master Teacher; Facilitator, Temporary Alternative Placement Center, North Kansas City School District, burgessjanet@yahoo.com 32 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

MEDIA

Books Native American History and Culture Book Reviews by Reece L. Peterson Two quite different books are reviewed here, which both address Native American history and culture.

While different in style and approach, both are valuable books for understanding the history and culture of Indigenous people in North America.

Both books employ the term “Indian” in their titles, and each book discusses the issues around terminology and the various terms used for this population. Both books (both written by Native American authors) intentionally use the term “Indian” despite the current other fashionable terms of “First Nations” in Canada, and “Native American” in the US. Both books indicate that “Indian” is the most widely used and understood term, and the term preferred for their books.

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

by Thomas King (University of Minnesota Press, 2012) Thomas King (Ph.D. in English at the University of Utah) is an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and nonfiction books. He has been an academic scholar of Native American issues in both the US and Canada, and he is an excellent storyteller.

He is of Cherokee and Greek descent and currently resides in Guelph, Ontario.

The Inconvenient Indian is a thorough overview of all aspects of the past and present of Native peoples in North America. It includes both the US and Canada, which have had parallel and equally troubling efforts to address “the Indian Problem”- what to do with the people occupying land desired by Europeans.

King discusses the history of Native peoples from first contact with Europeans to the present. In so doing, he also discusses how Indians have been per-

ceived, misunderstood, and mistreated since then.

He uses humor, acerbic comments, satire, and wit to show the many stereotypes and misperceptions about Natives that have been maintained through time, including, for example, the caricatures portrayed in entertainment such as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows of the 1890s, the Lone Ranger’s Tonto, as well as many other film and media portrayals of Natives. He points out that talented Native actors were only employed in roles portraying “Indians”.

Here is an example of his analysis, humor, and sarcasm on this topic.

“A good friend of mine, the Choctaw-Cherokee writer Louis Owens, once suggested that Indians were viewed (in movies and media) in much the same way as the livestock that had to be requisitioned for a Western film - cattle, a herd of buffalo, a couple of dogs, a dozen horses, maybe Fall 2026 • 33

a wolf or a bear. You don’t cast a cow to play a horse, Louis said, no matter how great an actor the cow is. It was a joke.” “…Louis’s joke reminds me of the actor Daniel Simmons (Yakama) …originally trained for opera he switched to acting in the 1920s, and for the next forty years …and over a hundred film and television credits-- in each and every one he played an Indian. “Even if a cow was a great actor…” It’s a good joke, and it sits at the back of my mind like a benign tumor.” (P 49) King documents the continuous efforts in the US and Canada to remove Natives from their ancestral areas forcibly and to allow European takeover (Manifest Destiny) of land. He provides a thorough explanation and documentation of the various “treaties” which have been negotiated, abrogated, and broken in both the US and Canada. He calls attention to the arrests, imprisonment, and massacres of Native peoples. He also documents efforts at forced assimilation, removal, and displacement of native people (such as the Cherokee Trail of Tears), as well as the efforts to eradicate Native culture by sending Native children to residential schools in the US and Canada. This practice has only ended recently. The last federally operated Indian boarding school in the US closed in 1978. In Canada, the last residential school closed in 1996. King also documents confrontations and protests over these issues in various locations, including the American Indian Movement Occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973.

I was impressed and motivated by King’s wit, sarcasm, and deep personal knowledge of these topics, and the clear documentation and examples he provided.

King is a masterful storyteller, and this is an excellent description and analysis of Native history and issues.

However, he is also a scholar, and he provides specific documentation and examples in his analysis.

This is a book that all in North America should read, especially educators working with one or more native students. Having read this book, while I believe that it is likely one of the best, most thorough, thoughtful, and well-referenced examinations of this topic, it is also not necessarily an easy read. Despite the wit, sarcasm, and humor (which can be laughout-loud funny), the injustice and mistreatment por34 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

trayed and documented in copious detail over nearly 400 years are hard to absorb.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians, But Were Afraid to Ask

by Anton Treuer.

Originally Published in 2012, revised and updated in 2023 by Minnesota Historical Society Press.

A young reader version of the book was also published in 2010 with the same title.

Anton Treuer is an American academic and author specializing in the Ojibwe language and American Indian studies. He is a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, Minnesota, and a 2008 Guggenheim Fellow.

He is a scholar who has published several books on Native American history and cultural practices. These include Ojibwe in Minnesota; The Assassination of Hole in the Day (a prominent chief of the Ojibwe in Minnesota in the 1800s), The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World, and a recent young reader novel, Where Wolves Don’t Die – among others.

This book is very unusual in its format. It presents nearly 120 questions about Native peoples and culture and then offers answers to those questions.

These are questions the author has been asked through the years by people of all ages and origins, including Native people themselves. Included are questions many of us might have thought to ask, but might have thought impolite to ask, even if the opportunity to ask were available. Most often, those opportunities are not available. A few examples of questions answered include: • How many Indian tribes exist?

• Did Native Americans actually scalp?

• What is the number and status of “reservations” in North America?

• What does “enrolled” mean, and how many Natives are there in the US and Canada?

• What is a Pow Wow and what is its significance?

• What is the significance of tobacco to Native Culture?

• What is the connection between tribal governments and the many casinos operated by Native tribes?

The book is an effort to provide information on a wide array of topics about Native peoples. It explains modern Native cultures and their ties to historical Native cultural practices, as well as how these practices have evolved and exist in modern Native Amer-

Sociopath: A Memoir Book Review by Janet Burgess “All I knew was that I didn’t feel things the way other kids did. I didn’t feel guilt when I lied. I didn’t feel compassion when classmates got hurt on the playground.

For the most part, I felt nothing. And I didn’t like the way that ‘nothing’ felt. So, I did things to replace the nothingness with… something.”

Patric Gagne’s Sociopath: A Memoir is a deeply introspective look into the mind of a woman living with sociopathy. Gagne pulls no punches in describing her early emotional detachment, impulsive acts of violence, and a lifelong struggle to feel empathy or guilt.

Rather than offering a clinical or academic analysis, she delivers her story in a raw, confessional manner – laying bare the internal contradictions of someone

ican culture and the larger society. The author also explains the connection between tribal governments and federal, state, and local governments.

The book then answers each question, ranging in length from a sentence or two to a few pages. As a result, it is possible to read through the book from cover to cover, or to skip around to focus on the questions of most interest to the reader at that time.

It also serves as a reference that can be used to explain Native culture to anyone when questions arise.

For educators who may have Native children in their classrooms, I think that this is an excellent source of information about Native culture and would be a potentially useful reference tool for teachers to answer questions for both Native and non-Native students.

Together, these two books would be an excellent resource for teachers, psychologists, social workers, and administrators who may be serving Native American students and interacting with their families. Beyond that, both are books that would be beneficial for anyone living in North America in order to understand the history and evolution of Native people and cultures in North America.

Reece L. Peterson, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, reecelpeterson@gmail.com.

who desperately wants to live a moral life but is wired differently than most. What makes the memoir both compelling and controversial is Gagne’s assertion that, with conscious effort and tools like cognitive behavioral therapy, a sociopath can live a stable, even loving life. She frames her sociopathy not as a threat, but as a neurological difference that requires understanding, not condemnation.

While many readers and critics have praised the memoir for its honesty and for humanizing a heavily stigmatized condition, others have pushed back – accusing Gagne of downplaying the very real dangers associated with sociopathy or of exaggerating her experiences for dramatic effect. In addition, the lack of scientific context may leave some readers wanting more foundational support for claims made.

Fall 2026 • 35

Gagne’s work could be especially compelling to teachers of students with behavior disorders and emotional disturbance because it offers a rare, first-person perspective on what it feels like to live with a profound emotional and behavioral difference. Gagne’s detailed recollections of her childhood – marked by impulsive violence, emotional numbness, and difficulty forming connections – mirror some of the challenging behaviors educators may observe in their own students. Her narrative doesn’t just describe the behavior; it offers insight into the why behind it, showing how someone can act out not from malice, but from an inability to process emotions in a typical way. This memoir may foster greater empathy, patience, and understanding toward students whose actions can be confusing or alarming. While the memoir isn’t a how-to manual, it provides an emotional and psychological lens that can enrich how educators interpret and respond to disruptive or atypical behaviors in the classroom.

Janet Burgess, MSLBD Master Teacher; Facilitator, Temporary Alternative Placement Center, North Kansas City School District, burgessjanet@yahoo.com Patric Gagne is a writer, former therapist, and advocate for people suffering from sociopathic, psychopathic, and anti-social personality disorders. Patric earned her BA at UCLA. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from California Graduate Institute (CGI), and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her dissertation – “Followers of Fagin: Secondary Sociopathy and Its Relationship to Anxiety” – explored the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety and became the foundation for her memoir.

Today, she is working to expand the definition of psychopathy to include its status as a spectrum disorder.

Podcast Speaking of Psychology

By Robert Zabel Speaking of Psychology is a podcast of the American Psychological Association (APA), the leading scientific and professional organization representing the field of psychology in the United States. APA members include 172,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, 36 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

and students. The podcast is hosted by Kim Mills, a journalist who is APA’s Senior Communications Advisor.

Speaking of Psychology began in 2013 to “help listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.”

Of course, psychology is an umbrella term for the vast

and varied study of human cognition, emotion, and behavior and interactions of those processes – a broad set of topics indeed!

The experts are eager to share what they know and what remains unknown about their topic. They are excellent communicators for listeners with diverse backgrounds and knowledge about the topic. Some of the experts share both personal and professional interests in the topic For example, in podcast (#356), Dr. Heather Hanson, director of the Misophonia Research Network, recounts how her first-hand experiences motivated her study of misophonia. Misophonia is a neurological condition that involves an aversion to sounds, often repetitive, that trigger intense negative emotional responses such as anger, disgust, and anxiety and often lead to impaired functioning and “fight or flight” reactions to escape those sounds.

Hanson describes characteristics, prevalence, possible triggers, emotional and behavioral effects, and co-oc-

currence of misophonia with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Tourette Syndrome. She also discusses potential treatments: avoidance of trigger sounds, use of earplugs and white noise, sound therapy, counseling, and cognitive behavior therapies (CBT). Although misophonia is not a classification in the DSM-5, Hanson predicts it will likely be added to future revisions.

Speaking of Psychology experts are enthusiastic communicators for listeners who have diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests about their topic.

Whether you are already well-versed, wish to expand your knowledge and understanding, or want to learn something new (and you like listening to engaging, science-based podcasts), check out Speaking of Psychology.

Robert Zabel, Professor Emeritus of Special Education, Kansas State University.

What’s your favorite Podcast and why should we listen too?

How about a film, documentary, or series that we all need to know about?

Or a book, website, newsletter, blog, music, artwork?

ReThinking Behavior wants your reviews and recommendations.

Send your ideas to Reece Peterson, reecelpeterson@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Fall 2026 • 37

Mixed Methods, Mixed Drinks, An Observational Field Study (with Snacks)

By Thomas McIntyre

Setting event: Student support team members gathered for an end-of-year party at the home of the Director of Special Services. Interdisciplinary dynamics were observed. Anecdotal notes are submitted for your analysis.

ANTECEDENTS • • • •

•

• •

Behaviorist brought edible reinforcers.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) • brought values-based snacks.

Art Therapy brought all the supplies they could fit on a rolling cart.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) brought: - Laminated thoughtrecord worksheets so guests could challenge their assumptions about whether the bean dip was actually “disgusting” or simply “mildly disappointing.”

- A portable whiteboard for countering catastrophic predictions regarding the guacamole running out.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) brought: - A trail mix containing sour candies and peppermints, - A giant bowl of “Radical Acceptance Punch” that tasted surprisingly good to the guests once they stopped refusing it, and - A mindfulness bell to ring whenever someone says “This party is ruined”. Unfortunately, a

38 • MSLBD RETHINKING BEHAVIOR

distress puddle was created when a ding-a-ling resulted in Behaviorist’s pet mastiff drooling over the rumination rolls. CBT helped several participants reframe their disappointment about the soggy sandwiches.

Play Therapy brought board games.

Psychodynamic brought a large “tell me s-more” separated into three parts and based on their mother’s recipe.

Transtheoretical Model for Changers (TTM) brought different things depending on their stage of readiness.

1. Precontemplation strolled in emptyhanded, and stated in a dismissive tone: • “I don’t need to bring anything. You do it your way; I’ll do it mine.”

• And “You can take your social conformity and stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

2. Contemplation arrived with: • A grocery bag containing one wedge of cheese, • A pros and cons list with the heading “Should I bring Brie or Cheddar?”, and • A 20minute explanation of the decisional balance required to make the final choice.

3. Preparation came with: • A reusable tote bag containing exactly three party supplies,

Photo courtesy of AdobeStock.com

AFTER HOURS

A checklist titled “Small steps for being a better party guest”, and • A plan to bring more supplies next time, starting on Monday.

4. Action burst through the door carrying: • A complete snack table, • A fully stocked cooler, • A Bluetooth speaker and a varied collection of recordings, and • A printout of their SMART goal that stated “I will contribute to this gathering by bringing five items by 7:00 PM.” 5. Maintenance kept the party going by: • Restocking the chips every 20 minutes, • Checking in with the other guests about their party satisfaction goals, and • Preventing the relapse of everyone standing around in the kitchen again.

6. Relapse showed up late saying: • “I forgot the dip, but I’ll bring it next time.”

•

•

•

•

BEHAVIORS •

•

•

•

•

•

CBT had everyone reflecting on their negative thoughts about the burnt brownies and helped them reframe the mistake into a “learning opportunity.” Behaviorist suggested discrete trial training of a task analysis of the baking sequence. DBT reminded Behaviorist that each step couldn’t receive reinforcement because the brownies wouldn’t be finished yet.

DBT engaged everyone in paced breathing after Social Cognitive’s inflatable bobo doll got tipsy and knocked over the punch bowl.

Motivational Interviewing had cornered a few people next to the fridge and was gently guiding them toward choosing a healthier party behavior.

Psychodynamic was helping the host figure out why their mother’s bowl full of corn dogs was placed there.

DIR/Floortime was on their hands and knees playing horsie on the rug with Play Therapy. Social Cognitive closely observed the way they were doing it before joining them. Precontemplation TTM refused to participate.

PsychoEducational was reviewing the Conflict Cycle and the Aggression Cycle with two guests it had to separate after they fought over the last hors d’œuvre. Behaviorist kept interrupting with something about an A-B-C analysis. PsychoEducational dismissed the combatants after providing them with a bundle of packets containing vocabulary

sheets and reflection questions to review at home.

Positive Psychology suggested that they should focus on pleasant feelings while PsychoEducational reminded Behaviorist that when attending a party of professionals who converse regarding the human mind, one should avoid repetitively trying to change the topic to their limited interests in rodents, birds, and canines.

DBT was helping guests radically accept Transtheoretical Action’s playlist, supported by ACT who reassured them that it was not within their control.

Art Therapy had cleared the kitchen table and engaged everyone in a collaborative mural titled “Our Shared Party Journey”. Psychodynamic remarked on how it was reflective of the attendees’ collective unconscious. Existential Therapy questioned whether the mural had any inherent meaning or whether meaning must be constructed by the participants themselves.

Play Therapy had constructed a Jenga tower symbolizing the group’s emotional stability. Guests’ peg removal choices and commentary were closely observed. Behaviorist collected quantitative data on the number of sticks removed before collapse.

OBSERVATION CONCLUSIONS • • • •

•

• • •

TTM was quietly assessing everyone’s readiness to leave Behaviorist was reinforcing the guests’ clean up behavior with M&Ms. School Counseling was trying to get people to clean up in exchange for stickers.

Positive Psychology created a “gratitude wall” for departing guests to post sticky notes thanking the host.

DBT was telling the host that while they tried their best to throw a great party, they could do better.

ACT helped the host to accept their limitations and shortcomings.

Psychodynamic was saying “Our time is up for today” to everyone.

Humanistic Counseling was giving goodbye hugs to everyone and reflecting back their goodbyes.

Existential Therapy lingered in the doorway, uncertain whether leaving was an authentic choice or a socially constructed expectation.

Thomas McIntyre, Professor and Leader, Graduate Program in Behavior Disorders, Hunter College, New York City, Thomas.McIntyre@hunter.cuny.edu Fall 2026 • 39

Behavior

RETHINKING

CONFERENCES

2026 Richard L. Simpson Conference on Autism October 15 & 16, 2026 Overland Park, KS 2027 Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders February 25-27, 2027 Sheraton Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri Call for MSLBD Award Nominations For details see MSLBD website For the following awards Submit before November 1, 2026: Outstanding Leadership to the Field Outstanding Educator Outstanding Building Leadership Outstanding Advocacy

Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders