PSYED 2524: Behavioral Assessment and Intervention

PSYED 2524: Behavioral Assessment and Intervention

Spring 2016

Tuesdays 4:30 p.m. - 7:10 p.m.

5405 WWPH

Cara Marcinek Bliss, MS NCSPOffice Hours: By appointment

5935

(412) 648-7297

COURSE PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES

This course will help you respond to the needs of students with emotional and behavioral problems in school settings. These problems include disruptive, oppositional, and aggressive behaviors, limited interpersonal and study skills, and behaviors caused by learning difficulties, mental illness, and stressful life events. The emphasis of the course is on research-based positive behavioral supports and interventions. In addition, you will learn consulting strategies to assist those who teach or counsel challenging youth. You will learn how to:

• Gather, analyze, and interpret a variety of data to aid in the assessment of behavioral or emotional problems, with a focus on using this information for the purpose of planning effective interventions
• Communicate assessment results in a clear, concise, and easily understandable manner
• Use direct observations, interviews, and record reviews to discern the meaning and function of a student’s behaviors, and to create a functional behavioral assessment (FBA)
• Engage the student, staff, and family in creating an individual positive behavior support plan (PBSP) that is guided by assessment data
• Gather and analyze school data to improve classroom-wide and school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS)
• Share strategies with school teams to build capacity for including students with emotional and behavioral problems in curricular as well as co-curricular experiences
• Respond to behavior and discipline requirements under federal and state special education laws
• Identify research-backed resources you can use for ongoing coaching and support, as you assist and inspire faculty, students, and parents

In-class sessions will include discussion and active learning, with an emphasis on concepts and ideas that you can put to use in your work.

On-line sessions: To help you with gas mileage, bad weather, and to introduce you to some other learning formats, a few classes may take place on-line, using the Courseweb site. You will be alerted ahead of time about any off-campus sessions. During an on-line week, you will have assignments and deadlines. Class is not cancelled, so play close attention. You will not have to log on at a particular time or day, so this gives you some flexibility.

Note: This course meets one of the requirements for the Behavioral Health in Schools and Communities specialization in Applied Developmental Psychology at the graduate level. The course is also open to students in other departments. Additionally, this course provides evidence-based opportunities that align with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine’s license requirements for behavioral specialists.

COURSE TEXT (Required)

Kerr, M.M. & Nelson, C.M. (2010) Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom, 6th Edition. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-604524-3.

Additional readings will be posted to CourseWeb.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

As a class we will likely be interested in a variety of topics and population groups. In this course you have the space to explore your own interests, and we will also come together to discuss some common texts. As you clarify your own interests it may be helpful to you to connect with particular professional organizations or interest groups that focus on scholarly study of the topic and/or population group in which you are most interested. Below are a few websites for such groups you may want to consult.

General Reference/Writing Style:

APA Style Manual Home Page:

APA Style Basics from OWL at Purdue: owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01

Online Writing Lab at Purdue University – writing mechanics: owl.english.purdue.edu/owl

Large Organizations that study a wide range of ages, groups, and topics:

The American Educational Research Association:

The American Psychological Association:

The American Psychological Society:

The National Association of School Psychologists:

National Afterschool Association:

Age Based Organizations:

Emerging Adulthood, ages 18-26:

The Society for Research on Adolescence:

The Society for Research on Child Development:

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: ASSIGNMENTS & EVALUATION

Evaluation Plan:

• Attendance and Participation
• In-class discussion, exercises, and other activities will form a substantial basis of this course; therefore, you are expected to attend class weekly and to participate actively. After the first absence, 4 points will be deducted from your grade for any additional absence. Absences to observe a religious holiday, serve jury duty, or participate in required military service are exceptions to this policy. If you anticipate being absent for any of these reasons, please notify me in advance.
• You should come to class prepared to discuss all assigned readings. Your preparation and willingness to engage in discussions and activities will be reflected in your participation grade.
• If you do need to miss class for any reason, please make arrangements to obtain notes from another student. I will NOT provide notes or information for missed classes.

• In-Class Activities
• We will engage in a variety of in-class activities that build upon readings and allow you to practice and apply important skills and strategies. In-class activities may involve small group or independent work.
• The dates of planned in-class activities are indicated on the course calendar; however, these dates are tentative and are subject to change. Should a planned activity be rescheduled, you will be notified during class.

• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
• You will apply the principles and techniques of behavioral assessment covered in this course by independently conducting an FBA and producing a written summary of your findings.
• This is a practical exercise designed to give you applied experience. Additional information about specific components will be provided in class.

• Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
• You will use the assessment information from your FBA to develop an appropriate BIP, using the strategies covered in this course.
• This is a practical exercise designed to give you applied experience. Additional information will be provided in class.

• Presentation
• Each student will present the results of the FBA and the proposed BIP to the class. The presentation should be conducted as though you, a behavioral health professional, are presenting your findings and recommendations to the child’s treatment team.
• In presenting your findings, you should consider the most effective methods of communicating results and recommendations, keeping in mind the unique needs of various team members.
• Additional information will be provided in class.

Grades:

Points for the course will be distributed as follows:

• Attendance and Participation60 points
• In-Class Activities60 points
• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)100 points
• Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)100 points
• Presentation80 points
• TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS:400 POINTS

Grading Scale: Final grades will be determined by dividing your total points by 4 and assigned as follows:

*Note: Total points are rounded to the nearest whole. So, 0.000 to 0.500 is rounded down & 0.501 to 0.999 is rounded up. Instructor reserves the right to round in your favor.

COURSE & UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Professional Behavior:

As graduate students, you are expected to demonstrate professional and courteous behavior during class and in email communications. Such behaviors include listening quietly and attentively when others are speaking, communicating respectfully with others (especially if you disagree with someone’s perspective or idea), using professional language, maintaining a professional demeanor, and maintaining anonymity and confidentiality of client and/or classmate information discussed in class.

Email:

Please note: I will NOT accept any assignments through email. In the case of an emergency, an exception may be made at the instructor’s discretion.

I will attempt to respond to all email within 24-48 hours. I do not check email on weekends. Questions, problems, or concerns about an assignment should be addressed at least 24 hours in advance, unless an emergency arises. Please be sure to plan ahead, as “last minute” emails will likely not be seen immediately.

When sending an email, indicate the course your email is about in the subject line and include your full name in the email. If the information you are emailing about is readily (or possibly) available online, you should use those online resources before emailing your question. If you have made a strong effort to locate information online (especially university-related information such as dates, times, locations, policies, etc.) but have not found it, emailing is appropriate.

Think before you write, and think twice before you send. Do not send anything in writing that you would not feel comfortable saying to someone in person.

Grades:

Please ask if you have questions regarding how you will be evaluated in this course. I am happy to discuss your learning goals and progress toward them at any time, though the earlier in the semester the better.

Please note, however, that I DO NOT discuss grades via email, due to the sensitive nature of grades and laws about student rights and privacy (i.e. FERPA). If you would like to speak to me about your grade, please come to meet with me in person. If you feel there is a specific error in the grading, I will review that particular concern. However, grades are not negotiable and no extra credit opportunities are given individually. I am, however, also happy to discuss ways in which you may enhance your learning and performance in this course.

Written Work Guidelines:

Hard copies of all written work must be submitted. Papers should be stapled, single- or double-sided, double-spaced in black 12-point Times New Roman font, with margins of 1 inch. They should always fall within the page range listed in the syllabus or other assignment guidelines. The page requirements given for assignments are exclusive of (do not include) the cover page, references, and appendices (if included). Papers that exceed the page limit with either: a) Be returned for editing, with points deducted from the final assignment grade, or b) Be read and graded, based on content up to 1 page beyond the page limit.

All submitted papers should show evidence of proofreading. Submitted work should be professional quality, with structure, grammar, and spelling that reflects advanced (graduate level) writing and thinking. If a paper is submitted containing more than 4 significant grammatical or structural errors that impact the readability of the assignment, it will be returned to the student for correction with a deduction in the final grade. A deadline for re-submission will be given at that time.

Late assignments:

All assignments are expected during the session noted on the syllabus. Unless prior arrangements have been made with me (at least 48 hours in advance), late submissions will not be accepted and will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment. Depending on the circumstance, late submissions that are accepted may be at a reduced level of points.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

All students are expected to adhere to the standards of academic honesty. Any student engaged in cheating, plagiarism, or other acts of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity ( This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating the University Policy.

DISABILITY SERVICES

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting accommodations, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services (DRS) as early as possible in the term. DRS is located at 140 William Pitt Union, and can be contacted at (412) 648-7890 or . DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

STATEMENT ON CLASSROOM RECORDING

To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.

DEPARTMENTAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Departmental Grievance Procedures. The purpose of grievance procedures is to ensure the rights and responsibilities of faculty and students in their relationships with each other. When a PSYED student or a student in a PSYED class believes that a faculty member has not met his or her obligations (as an instructor or in another capacity) as described in the Academic Integrity Guidelines, the student should follow the procedure described in the Guidelines by (1) first trying to resolve the matter with the faculty member directly; (2) then, if needed, attempting to resolve the matter through conversations with the program chair; (3) then, if needed, resolving the matter through conversations with the department chair; (4) if needed, next talking to the associate dean of the school; and (5) if needed, filing a written statement of charges with the school-level academic integrity officer. [Dr. Michael Gunzenhauser is the Associate Dean and Integrity Officer.]

ADDITIONAL STUDENT RESOURCES

• Technology/Computer Help Desk: 412-624-HELP [4357]

• Graduate Studies at Pitt:
• Student Health Services: 412-383-1800 (
• Counseling Center: 412-648-7930 (
• The Writing Center: 412-624-6556 (
• Academic Resource Center: 412-648-7920: (
• Disability Resources and Services: 412-648-7890 (
• Office of International Services: 412-624-7120 (
• Information Technology (Computing Services & Systems Development):
• Office of the Registrar (academic calendar, transcripts, course registration/enrollment):
• Career Development Office: 412-648-7130 (
• Software Download Service (students can get many software programs, including Microsoft Office, at low or NO cost, either online or by picking up CDs at campus computer labs):

COURSE CALENDAR

The following schedule is tentative. Topics to be covered, assigned readings and tasks, and/or assignment due dates may be subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class. It is your responsibility to attend class on time in order to remain apprised of any changes.