Intervention Research on Challenging Behavior in Inclusive School Settings for Students With Extensive Support Needs: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Despite mounting evidence documenting the benefits of access to and participation in inclusive school settings for students with extensive support needs (ESN), most students with ESN spend a majority of the school day in separate settings. Challenging behavior is one of several barriers that may lead to exclusion from inclusive school settings. Although the literature is replete with examples of effective behavioral supports for this student population, less is known about how challenging behavior is addressed in inclusive school settings for students with ESN. We conducted a systematic literature review and found 11 intervention studies focused on addressing challenging behavior across 20 students with ESN. Most interventions resulted in large to very large changes in challenging behavior in a variety of school settings, though the quality of studies varied widely. We present implications for practice related to supporting the behavioral needs of students with ESN in inclusive school settings, including developing contextually fit interventions that are socially valid from the student and educator perspective, and the critical need for additional research in this area.