Teaching Responsible Behavior

Teaching children and teenagers about responsible behavior is not easy! First, you must determine what “behaving responsibly” means for different age groups. Next, you must understand how responsible behavior can be acquired and how it affects academic achievement. Finally, you must know which instructional practices are effective.

This practical guide, intended for educators (general and special), parents, mental health practitioners, and paraprofessionals teaching children and adolescents with challenging behaviors. The instructional strategies provide new insight for those already using the Developmental Therapy–Developmental Teaching approach; yet, this book maintains a gradual step-by-step feature, offering easy comprehension to the novice.

The central mission of this manual is “teaching students social and emotional competence to achieve responsible behavior.” The instructional strategies are a combination of transactional, sociological, and clinical theories. Parents and teachers can learn to approach each situation differently, carefully matching an individual’s needs.

Enclosed in the manual is a CD containing instruments used in evaluating program effectiveness, documenting (1) student outcomes, (2) teacher’s implementation skills, and (3) extent of administrative support for the program. The CD can be downloaded and duplicated; additionally, a code is provided for online access of an electronic version of the DTORF–R (Developmental Teaching Objectives and Rating Forms).