Systematic Review of Crisis Management Programs for Students With Disabilities

Abstract

Crisis management programs are marketed to help special education professionals support students with disabilities who engage in challenging behavior. There is a critical need to appraise the evidence supporting these programs, particularly whether they benefit students in crisis intervention and prevention. This need is particularly urgent given documented misapplication and overuse of physical restraint, which is a common component of these programs. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the research in support of crisis management programs that target PK–12 students with disabilities who display challenging behavior in educational settings. We conducted database searches, ancestral searches, and website searches of organizations that produce crisis management programs to identify published and unpublished studies evaluating the programs. Our search process yielded just six studies evaluating five of 23 commercially available crisis management programs. Given the scarcity of supporting studies, none of the programs meet currently established thresholds for evidence-based practice in special education. Our review identifies a critical need for rigorous research on these programs to inform practice and policy, ensuring student safety and wellbeing. Consumers should exercise caution in adopting these programs based on claims made by the programs’ producers.

Keywords

crisis management programs crisis prevention and intervention restraint physical intervention special education challenging behavior

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