Developing and Implementing FBA-BIPs in Elementary Classrooms: A Conceptual Replication

The majority of students with disabilities and behavioral challenges are taught in general education classrooms. Although these students may receive interventions resulting in positive behavioral changes, little is known about the collateral effects of implementing behavior intervention plans (BIP) on classroom peers with similar behavioral problems who are not receiving an intervention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and BIPs for students with challenging behavior as well as their peers. We measured target student and peer academic engagement, as well as treatment integrity and social validity. As a result of the intervention, target students demonstrated increased academic engagement. In addition, results suggest that the FBA-BIPs had small effects on engagement for some peers

Analysis of Thyroid Response Element Activity during Retinal Development

Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling components are expressed during retinal development in dynamic spatial and temporal patterns. To probe the competence of retinal cells to mount a transcriptional response to TH, reporters that included thyroid response elements (TREs) were introduced into developing retinal tissue. The TREs were placed upstream of a minimal TATA-box and two reporter genes, green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). Six of the seven tested TREs were first tested in vitro where they were shown to drive TH-dependent expression. However, when introduced into the developing retina, the TREs reported in different cell types in both a TH-dependent and TH-independent manner, as well as revealed specific spatial patterns in their expression. The role of the known thyroid receptors (TR), TRα and TRβ, was probed using shRNAs, which were co-electroporated into the retina with the TREs. Some TREs were positively activated by TR+TH in the developing outer nuclear layer (ONL), where photoreceptors reside, as well as in the outer neuroblastic layer (ONBL) where cycling progenitor cells are located. Other TREs were actively repressed by TR+TH in cells of the ONBL. These data demonstrate that non-TRs can activate some TREs in a spatially regulated manner, whereas other TREs respond only to the known TRs, which also read out activity in a spatially regulated manner. The transcriptional response to even simple TREs provides a starting point for understanding the regulation of genes by TH, and highlights the complexity of transcriptional regulation within developing tissue

A Survey of Educators Serving Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In this descriptive study, we analyzed survey data regarding communication, instruction, and assessment strategies school personnel in K-12 settings reported using during the COVID-19 pandemic for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Results indicate, whether instructional continuity was mandated or not, support personnel serving students with EBD reported using a variety of communication, instruction, and assessment strategies. Several strategies special educators reported using were significantly different than those provided by related service providers (e.g., school psychologist, counselor) during school site closures. Implications for future planning, policy, and research are discussed