SBT in Schools
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Implementing SBT in the school setting can pose additional barriers and considerations that may not be encountered in the home and clinic. Read on for resources on how to bring the joy in the school setting!
Can SBT in schools be successful?
Yes, absolutely! It isn’t going to be the same as “traditional SBT”… but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Check out this video to see Samantha Mulcaster, M.S., BCBA , describe the outcomes from a pilot project evaluating the effects of the Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) model in schools within the Greater Essex County School District of Ontario, Canada. This video is worth watching to learn about the meaningful outcomes produced by Samantha and her district colleagues but it is also remarkable for the manner in which Samantha was able to gracefully describe the process and answer questions for school board members.
Do you have trainings and presentations about SBT in schools?
Of course we do! Here are a few great options!
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(IN PERSON – WA) 3-Day Intensive Workshop – “Beyond the Protocol: Behavioral Artistry in PFA/SBT”$500.00 -
Product on sale
Schools Bundle – 7.5 CEUs!Original price was: $140.00.$125.00Current price is: $125.00. -
Bringing HRE to School$30.00
What additional resources do you have?
Level System Template
Here is a great example of a classroom-wide level system to use!
What are some FAQs about implementing SBT in the school setting?
How do you run SBT in a classroom setting?
I also recommend that you figure out a really strong universal protocol that you will be running during “Business as usual“ and that you also determine as a group of stakeholders the reasonable boundaries for that setting whether SBT is in session or not. For one of our learners in a school day setting we have found it helpful to have a couple little tents set up and we indicate that can be used as a “hangout” Space to indicate that they would like some “me time” away from peers, demands or interaction. we found it useful to indicate with visuals the locations in the classroom that are a one person space or places that are a two person space (or more).
-Melisa Santocere
Possibly using the removable room dividers during the first steps of SBT, but then ensuring that your CABs address these EOs in the near future. Also- thinking ahead- what if the student wants to leave the area to gain access to other areas during HRE? How will this be impacted? I am not sure I am following the “don’t you dare” game?
-Nicky Schneider
How do you get school districts on board?
Honestly, I’d start at a school/classroom level rather than district. In my experience, having strong teacher buy-in has made ALL the difference. I’ve found that teachers (when bought in) can make the case to both the administrators and paras who may not understand or agree with it or (when not into it) can make it disappear even if higher-ups are for it.
This one may sound awful and I’m struggling to say it in the best way…I’d start with a student who folks may be a bit afraid of or who already kind of does only what they want because the team “can’t get them to do anything”, or one who the team claims they’ve “tried everything” with – if things are already at a the worst, what’s the harm in trying it?
-Holly Huseby
For those running SBT in a school setting, how different does your HRE look from your universal protocol? How do you turn off the R1s? Do you transition to HRE? What are you hard nos in the school setting?
This is very student-specific.
Some students I have needed to remove all demands and have HRE basically all day in order to build up skills. Other kids I’ve been able to use a pull-out model and then send them back to a fairly typical “business as usual”
Hard nos (or “have tos”) are always related to health and safety while we build skills. We have some flexibility with everything else.
Turning off R1s depends on the student, but if you are having to navigate challenging behavior all day then your universal protocol needs to be revisited. A solid UP will minimize (ideally eliminate) the need to reinforce R1s.
-Bethany Creech
You’ve made it to the end of this guide, but this is only the beginning! These tools and resources are a great starting point, but you can also utilize our other guides, resources, mentors, and partners to help you along your PFA & SBT journey. Didn’t see your question answered? Want to connect with others? Come join us on our FaceBook community by clicking here. (And don’t forget to answer the membership questions when you join! 😉)