Behavior Psychology in the Schools: Innovations in Evaluation, Support and Consultation.

James K. Luiselli & Charles Diament. New York: Haworth Press, 2002. 190pp. $24.95 (softcover). The re-authorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 mandated the use of proactive approaches to managing the behavior of children with disabilities. Such an approach emphasizes the prevention and remediation of problem behaviors, rather than over-reliance on punitive consequences, which often have proved ineffective. Proactive individual and school-wide interventions and use of positive behavioral supports in the classroom are current best practices advocated by psychologists. Behavior Psychology in the School provides an excellent overview of these data-based interventions.

The book's strength lies in its skillful examination of the theoretical foundations of positive behavior supports and presentation of framework for school-wide application. The 10 chapters, written mainly by psychologists and academics, clearly set forth the philosophy behind recent innovations in behavior psychology. For example one of the fundamental tenets of behaviorism is that all behaviors serve a purpose or function. Therefore, the authors promote the use of functional assessments to uncover the meaning underlying a problem behavior, as well as specific antecedents that might be triggering or reinforcing it. Individual and class room interventions are hypothesis-based; and because discrete behavior can be easily charted, the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of any intervention becomes readily apparent.

Embedded throughout the book is valuable information about constructing and implementing district-wide behavior policies, and about the legal rights of children with behavior disorders and their families. Although targeted primarily to school counselors and psychologists, any educator who is involve with setting up or monitoring a behavior support program will find this book useful. Reviewed by Kate Scorgie, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA