RTI for Behavior

Posted by Beth DuBose on Apr 08, 2009

The Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) has a wonderful resource available for schools that are trying to use Response to Intervention with students with emotional/behavioral disorders. The article includes ways that a school can setup a tiered system to provide interventions to these students.

First, they discuss how RTI for E/B D works, providing examples of how each tier would look and what interventions would be used within that tier. They also provide insight into how staff would provide progress monitoring and data collection for the interventions. There is also a section on how and who might be on the RTI team for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, and what would need to be discussed at these meetings.

The CEC also provides guidance on how to involve parents, saying that they should be notified as soon as possible and be involvedin the meetings. They also provide advantages and challenges for using RTI for E/B D students. For example, advantages to using RTI for behavior include improved services students, decreased discipline referrals, and improved teacher performance. Some challenges being training and personnel.

Below you will find examples of what they provide for guidance on what the three tiers would look like for behavior intervntions.

Tier Services in RTI for E/BD

In Tier 1, as in School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS), all students receive explicit instruction in behavioral expectations and a system is implemented to encourage, reinforce, and acknowledge appropriate behavior. Also, all teachers implement effective, research-based classroom management practices. Additionally, in Tier 1 all students are screened to identify those who need Tier 2 support.



For Tier 2 services, schools provide targeted interventions to students who did not respond to Tier 1 interventions or were identified through screening as needing additional support. These research-based interventions are often geared to small groups and can be easily implemented.



For Tier 3 services, schools provide intensive supports to students with the most significant behavioral needs. These supports are individualized based on the student’s specific needs. Some students may require wrap-around services, which include community services. 

To view the resources, visit the Council of Exceptional Children