BREAK TIME Using Positive Behavioral Support to Manage Avoidance of Academic Tasks

One of the most frequent concerns expressed by teachers and administrators is how to manage behavioral problems in the classroom (Langdon, 1999). Behavior that disrupts instruction is problematic for teachers and students, in part, because we have known for quite some time that the amount of time students engage actively in academic tasks is positively correlated to how much they learn (Black, 2004). Functional assessment and positive behavioral support (PBS) are two management approaches that are extensions of applied behavior analysis (Repp & Homer, 1999). Unlike some classroom management practices that rely heavily on aversive consequences, these approaches use more proactive techniques to manage challenging behavior and increase students' active engagement in learning. These approaches