Creating a Place for All Children

By Susan Hart Bell, Ph.D., Victoria W. Carr, Ed.D., Dawn Denno, M.Ed., Lawrence J. Johnson, Ph.D., & Louise R. Phillips, M.Ed.

Learn to manage a wide range of challenging behaviors in early childhood settings with this strategy-filled resource for teachers and other professionals. Based on the latest research and the authors’ classroom experience, the book helps early childhood teams assess the classroom environment and link effective behavioral interventions to developmentally appropriate curricula and teaching practices. Preservice and in-service professionals will discover how to

• understand the needs of individual families and foster strong partnerships with them
  
  
• design classrooms with customized supports for children with challenging behaviors, from establishing schedules and setting limits to developing curricula and designing the classroom space
  
  
• address specific behavioral challenges during selected times in the daily schedule — group, nap, play, lunch, and more
  
  
• pinpoint each student’s challenges and needs and develop appropriate informal interventions
  
  
• decide if and when a formal intervention plan is needed and collaborate with other members of the team — including therapists, administrative personnel, parents, and classroom aides — to develop and implement the plan
  
  
• evaluate the intervention plan for consistency, ease of use, acceptability, and effectiveness, making revisions if necessary
  
  
• plan for a crisis and decide whether to seek outside support
  

Filled with classroom-based strategies for working with students with or without disabilities, realistic vignettes, and checklists that help readers assess their current practices and implement the suggested strategies, this book gives early childhood teams invaluable guidance on working with children with challenging behavior and building positive relationships with their families.

About the Authors
Invited Contributors
Acknowledgments

1. Clarifying the Elements of Challenging Behavior
   Susan Hart Bell and Sheryl Quinn
   
   
2. Developing Centerwide Support
   Victoria Carr, Lawrence J. Johnson, and Connie C. Corkwell
   
   
3. Engaging Parents as Partners in Changing Behavior
   Anne M. Bauer, Monica Battle, and Lawrence J. Johnson
   
   
4. Creating a Supportive Classroom Environment
   Dawn Denno, Louise R. Phillips, Helene Arbouet Harte, and Sally Moomaw
   
   
5. Seeing the Challenge More Clearly
   Louise R. Phillips, Joyce Hensler, Mef Diesel, and Andrea Cefalo
   
   
6. Determining the Teacher’s Role in Further Assessment and Intervention
   Susan Hart Bell, Amy Clancy, and Erin N. Gaddes
   
   
7. Implementing Individualized Behavior Plans
   Susan Hart Bell and Victoria Carr
   
   
8. Evaluating and Revising Intervention Plans
   Susan Hart Bell and Christine M. Gilkey
   
   
9. Planning for Crises
   Victoria Carr, Helene Arbouet Harte, and Louise R. Phillips
   
   
10. Determining When Outside Help Is Needed
    Mary B. Boat, Victoria Carr, Lawrence J. Johnson, and Dawn Denno
    
    
11. Putting it All Together
    Susan Hart Bell

References
Index