Handout #2
Case Studies: Real-Life Stories of Four Students With Challenging Behaviors
Part 1 (Introduction) of the Course Enhancement Module (CEM) on Evidence-Based Behavioral
Interventions includes references to the real-life experiences of four students with challenging
behaviors. These students include students who did and did not receive special education
services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Handout #2 provides case histories of four students:
• Chuck, a curious, highly verbal, and rambunctious six-year-old boy with behavior
disorders who received special education services in elementary school.
• Juanita, a charming but shy six-year-old Latina child who was served as an at-risk student
with Title 1 supports in elementary school.
• Fred, an inquisitive, resourceful 12-year-old student with traumatic brain injury who
received special education services in middle school.
• Hui Lum, a bright, energetic 15-year-old young woman with cerebral palsy who was
above average academically and received Section 504 accommodations in high school.
Please note that the information presented in each case study accurately depicts the experiences
of each student and his or her family, teachers, and classmates. However, the students’ names
and other identifying information have been changed to ensure family and student privacy.
When discussing these case histories with teacher and leader candidates, it may be helpful to
consider the following guiding questions:
• What were the student’s behavioral challenges?
• What were the behavioral interventions that each student received?
• What were each student’s behavioral outcomes—after he or she received the behavioral
intervention?
Each case history in the handout contains sufficient information to answer each guiding question.
Also, when discussing the case histories with teacher and leader candidates, it may be interesting
to note the similarities and the differences in answers to each question across the four students.
The four case histories discussed in Part 1 of this CEM illustrate the range of evidence-based
behavioral interventions that are appropriate for use with students with challenging behaviors.
Case histories offering additional illustrations of evidence-based behavioral interventions are
interspersed throughout Parts 2 – 5 of the module.
Chuck’s Story
Chuck lived with his parents and younger brother in a small rural community in Oregon. Shortly
after his fifth birthday, Chuck’s parents enrolled him in a general education kindergarten class at
a nearby elementary school.
Chuck had several behavioral challenges in kindergarten. His teacher reported that Chuck
frequently had difficulty following directions and would sometimes throw a tantrum when he did
not “get his way.” He also had problems getting along with his peers. Chuck did not like to “wait
for his turn” or “stand in line” with his class. Chuck’s mother reported that he displayed similar
behaviors at home. For example, his mother was concerned that Chuck often “did not listen” to
her or her husband. He often tried to “be the boss” with his brother—both at home and during
family outings in the community.
Chuck’s problem behaviors continued and escalated in first grade. For example, he repeatedly
defied his teacher and refused to follow her instructions. Loud verbal arguments led to fistfights
with other boys, and occasionally girls, at lunch or recess. Given the increasing frequency and
severity of these and other problem behaviors, Chuck was referred to the school’s Individual
Education Program (IEP) team, assessed, and identified as a student with behavior disorders.
At the beginning of second grade, Chuck’s principal, his teacher, and his parents decided to
enroll Chuck in a special program called First Steps, an evidenced-based behavioral intervention
program for young children developed by researchers at the University of Oregon. The
intervention had school and home components.
• At school. Chuck’s second grade teacher used a “token economy” program to positively
reinforce his appropriate behavior. The teacher set clear behavioral expectations for
Chuck’s behavior in the classroom, hallway, lunchroom, and playground. Chuck received
“tokens” for appropriate behavior (e.g., waiting quietly in line), but lost tokens for
misbehavior (e.g., talking out of turn or leaving his desk without permission). Chuck
turned in tokens for special prizes. He could choose something fun for himself (e.g., extra
library time) or the whole class (e.g., playing Simon Says or extra recess). He could also
earn special time with his mom or dad (e.g., go for a walk in the woods).
• At home. A First Step interventionist visited Chuck’s home once a week for six weeks.
The interventionist taught his mother to play short games that would help Chuck be more
successful at school. His mom really liked the games; she even modified some of them so
that they could be played with both Chuck and his brother. She said that she felt more
empowered as a parent. She felt the First Step activities offered her a structure and helped
her learn how to interact with her children in a positive way.
The First Steps intervention was effective with Chuck. His third grade teacher reported that
Chuck focused on his schoolwork, was near grade level academically, and especially enjoyed
reading. His soccer coach reported that he followed team rules and got along with his teammates.
Juanita’s Story
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Juanita lived with her father, mother, and five siblings in a large city in Arizona. She was
enrolled in a general education first grade class at her local neighborhood school. Juanita
qualified for Title 1 supports, including the free and reduced-price lunch program, but did not
receive special education.
Juanita’s first grade teacher reported that she was an average student academically. The teacher
reported that Juanita generally paid attention and tried hard to complete her seatwork and other
academic assignments each day. Juanita’s reading and math skills were near grade level and
similar to those of most of the other students in her class.
However, her teacher also reported that Juanita had several behavioral challenges at the
beginning of first grade. Her teacher indicated that Juanita shy and timid, often refusing to “stand
up for herself” when interacting with her peers. She rarely volunteered to participate in group
activities in class or on the playground. Instead, Juanita would often avoid or withdraw from
social situations, especially those requiring her to work together with other students.
In response to Juanita’s behavioral challenges, her first grade teacher referred Juanita to a new
behavioral intervention program at her school. The program was based on behavioral studies of
young children like Juanita conducted by researchers at Arizona State University.
Juanita’s behavioral intervention had two main components:
• Social skill instruction. Her teacher explicitly taught Juanita specific social skills in
targeted areas such as answering questions, controlling her anger, and getting along with
others. For each target skill, Juanita learned how to perform the skill effectively as well
as when to use the skill in what social situations.
• Cooperative learning groups. Juanita participated in a small cooperative group with three
other students who behaved properly at school. Her cooperative group provided
opportunities for Juanita and the other students to model and role-play target social skills.
In addition to her behavioral intervention, her teacher positively reinforced appropriate behavior
by Juanita and her classmates. Her teacher also provided opportunities for Juanita to observe and
learn how her classmates behaved in different social situations during class, in the hallway, at
lunch, and on the playground.
By the end of first grade, Juanita’s social behavior had changed dramatically. Juanita had gained
self-confidence when interacting with her peers in class, during lunch, or on the playground. She
began making friends with other students, including asking her mother to arrange for “play
dates” with her friends after school or on weekends. No longer socially isolated, Juanita and her
family looked forward to her continued learning and achievement in second grade and beyond.
3
Fred’s Story
Fred lived with his family and attended his neighborhood school in a suburban community in
Oregon. Fred was seven when he was hit by a car—an accident that left him with reduced use of
his right leg and arm, difficulty speaking, and even more difficulty learning. Fred’s learning and
behavioral challenges continued through elementary school and into middle school.
By sixth grade, Fred frequently misbehaved at school. When presented with a complex or
difficult task, Fred would frequently whine and stomp his feet. When particularly frustrated, Fred
would run out of the room and, on several occasions, left the school grounds without permission.
After Fred threw a typewriter through a classroom window, his principal considered asking the
district to place Fred in a special school for students with severe behavior challenges.
Fortunately, his teachers and family asked behavioral researchers at the University of Oregon to
help them design a new behavior management program for Fred. The team analyzed possible
reasons for Fred’s problem behaviors, including identifying environmental events (e.g.,
transitioning between class periods) that triggered his outbursts. The team also planned how to
positively reinforce Fred for displaying appropriate behavior in different situations at school.
Fred’s new behavior management program had several interrelated components, including:
• Academic Instruction. Fred was provided an adapted curriculum for his academic
instruction. For example, Fred learned functional skills, such as reading lunchroom
menus or shopping at a nearby grocery store. Fred received individual (one on one)
tutoring. He also received integrated academic instruction in small groups of students,
including instruction with both special education and general education classmates.
• Self-Monitoring Strategies. Fred was taught specific strategies to help him resolve
difficult social situations. For example, Fred learned how to (a) interact properly with his
peers, (b) tell his teachers when he was frustrated, and (c) initiate self-imposed “breaks”
rather than becoming violent. Fred’s teachers recorded data on the frequency of his use of
(and his success in using) these strategies in different school environments.
Over time, Fred’s behavior management program led to the creation of a social network to
support Fred. Key members were Fred’s mother, his special education and general education
teachers, and his middle school principal. The network coordinated systematic positive
reinforcement and support for Fred in displaying appropriate behavior at school and home.
The last two years of middle school were a great success for Fred, his teachers, and his family.
Fred continued to progress in each academic subject. His behavior also improved. For example,
the number of classroom disruptions requiring the principal’s attention dropped from 40 episodes
in seventh grade to only four minor events in eighth grade. Best of all, as Fred learned to monitor
and manage his own behavior, he began displaying a renewed interest in learning. Fred entered
high school with a newfound pride in himself and what he could do independently.
4
Hui Lum’s Story
Hui Lum lived with her father in an apartment in a large city in a Mid-Atlantic state. Hui Lum
was unable to walk unassisted and had limited use of her hands due to her cerebral palsy. She
routinely used a wheelchair at home, in school, and in other community settings.
Hui Lum’s special educators and her father worked well together, coordinating the supports she
needed to be independently mobile. For example, her physical therapist taught her how to
maneuver her wheelchair. Her father redesigned his apartment to make it wheelchair accessible.
Importantly, Hui Lum was a motivated, high-achieving student in elementary and middle school.
Hui Lum received special education from kindergarten through eighth grade. However, given her
strong academic record, her father and her special educators agreed that she should exit special
education and receive Section 504 accommodations in high school.
Hui Lum’s Section 504 team included her school psychologist, homeroom teacher, and
occupational therapist. The team provided several accommodations for her academic classes:
• Ready access to textbooks, work sheets, and other academic materials with large print,
• Untimed tests or extra time to complete tests and other written assignments, and
• A para-educator who offered her bathroom and other independent living assistance.
With these accommodations, Hui Lum did well academically during the first month of ninth
grade. But she had a recurring behavioral problem. She was late to most of her classes on most
days each week. Arriving to class on time was especially challenging when her classes were on
different floors of the school building or when she needed to get items from her school locker.
Hui Lum’s 504 team collected data on her tardiness and analyzed why she was often late for
class. The team then revised her 504 Plan to address Hui Lum’s problem with tardiness:
• Hui Lum’s class schedule was adjusted to eliminate her changing floors between classes.
• Hui Lum’s occupational therapist helped her improve (and confidently use) her
independent mobility skills within her large high school building. For example, she
learned how to open and close doors and maneuver her wheelchair to travel the school
hallways; and how to manipulate the lock and get books and other items from her locker.
• Her homeroom teacher, her other teachers, and her father provided positive reinforcement
to Hui Lum for being on time.
Hui Lum’s behavioral plan was successful. One month after her plan had been implemented,
Hui Lum met her behavioral goal of arriving at 90 percent of her classes on time. Her teachers
reported that she responded well to their positive reinforcement and was actively engaged in all
of her classes. Hui Lum continued to achievement throughout high school, graduated on time,
and entered college ready to prepare for a successful career as an independent young adult.
5
Running head: CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
Challenging Behavior Case Study
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
1
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
2
Abstract
Juanita is a grade 1 student who lives in Arizona with her family. She is shy, timid and less
interactive in school. The desired behavior is to improve Juanita’s communication skills.
Therefore, a standard criterion is set to observe, measure and quantify her behavior challenges.
Keeping in view she was explicitly taught social skill instructions. Juanita learned several signs
and interactions to implement on her class fellows to lead a constructive environment with the
children around her. Juanita was helped to pick students she liked in the class to create a
cooperative learning group around her to encourage her to build her confidence. She was
surrounded by people with a positive mindset who constantly motivated her to cope with her
behavior. After the implementation of behavioral intervention Juanita’s behavior was
significantly improved. Behavioral interventions are very effective, but they have several
downsides of resource intensiveness and providing effective group dynamics.
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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Challenging Behavior Case Study
Part One
Defining Behavior
Juanita is shy, timid, less interactive, has anger issues and is average in studies. Her
major fear is a lack of confidence while working in a group.
Target Behavior
Juanita often feels shy to express her feelings and opinions while working in a group. She
has a fear of being mocked or bullied in front of everyone.
Desired Behavior
The desired behavior is to make Juanita feel like home at school, improve her
communication skills so that she participates in collaborative tasks confidently, enhance assertive
behavior so that she can express herself and showcase her talent in several school activities
(Author, n.d).
Criteria for Target and Desired Behavior
•
Observe: Both the target and desired behavior should be observed carefully by the
instructor during any behavioral intervention.
•
Target: The specific target number of children interacting with Juanita should be set.
Each day the target should be enhanced to monitor her coping with behavioral challenges.
•
Measure: The frequency of Juanita’s social interaction and social smiles should be
measured each day to make sure how accurately the behavioral intervention is
implemented (van IJzendoorn & Bakermans?Kranenburg, 2020).
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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Part Two
Introduction
The case study is on Juanita, a first grader from Arizona who experiences shyness and
social disengagement at first. It demonstrates how important it is to address behavioral problems
in the classroom to help students learn comfortably and mentally. An in-depth analysis of
Juanita’s behavioral challenges, the intervention provided, the results of those interventions, and
implications for their use in the future will all be included in this article.
Behavioral Challenges
Here I focus on the case study of a student named Juanita. She is a school-going girl who
lives with her family in a large city in Arizona. While interacting with her family she was very
talkative, expressive, and had a jolly personality with a smiling face. However, in a large group
of people along with friends, she never expressed herself fully. Her parents never noticed her
behavior in public because she was always closely attached to them outside of her home. Her
family was confident that Juanita would enjoy school chores and interaction with her colleagues.
When she was admitted to first grade, she experienced several behavioral challenges. Her
teacher noticed that she is very timid. She was good at memorizing lessons, but she could never
reproduce in front of her classmates (Author, n.d). Her teacher had to deal with her in isolation to
analyze her behavior and gain confidence so that she would speak up about her behavior with
her. She used to sit in the last row to hide from other students. She couldn’t speak or perform
well when other students were looking at her. She made no friends in about a month of span in
the school. She was never outspoken as was in her home.
Specifically, Juanita experienced behavioral challenge of social withdrawal. Juanita
always avoids social situations like talking about animations, cartoons, poems and songs with
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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other students. She loved dolls but never played with her friends, only by herselft. She refused to
bring toys to school as she did not want to share them with her classmates (Author, n.d).
Sometimes she wanted to have fun but due to fear of social interaction, she kept sitting on her
seat. Her teacher organized many collaboration activities in which students interacted with each
other in groups to perform simple tasks. Juanita withdrew herself from all those tasks and group
activities. Sometimes she left the task incomplete in fear of other students’ voices, bullying,
calling her shy and she did it like someone holding her hand out of empathy. If she was able to
complete the task, she never spoke to the group members and responded with facial gestures in a
very reluctant manner. The teacher encouraged students to appreciate her work so that she could
make new friends and be expressive towards them, but it never worked (Bryant et al., 2019). She
displayed a lack of assertiveness in her behavior and seemed very uncomfortable in various
social activities.
Juanita was reluctant to participate in group activities. She was good at drawing and
singing poems. She used to sing alone when no one was in the classroom. Her teacher tried to
arrange such skillful activities for the students to showcase their talent. Juanita refused to
participate in such competitions. She never liked being judged by anyone around her. She has a
lot of fear when she is around her friends because she feels unsafe with so many people of her
age with an incredible amount of talent and enchanting behaviors. She used to think that she was
not as good at studying as her class members. She had a fear that if she came to the stage
everyone would laugh at her. She was very uncomfortable sitting with a new student in the class
every day, but the previous students did not want to sit with her because she never played with
them. She liked football but always remained passive in the playground. Mostly, she played
football when she was alone, and no one was looking at her. Sometimes she tried to talk to other
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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students, but her reduced communication skills refrained her from interacting with her
classmates at every point.
Ever since she was admitted to the school her social skills have been declining. She was
limiting herself one day after another. One of the most highlighting features in her behavior was
her uncontrollable anger which has several reasons. She bursts out of anger when someone tries
to share her things or to joke with her about random things. During a group task, she remained
passive because she hated it when any student refused to accept her opinion or idea about
something. She remained quite better not to share it. If someone asked her for help, she never
cared as she kept busy doing her work. Such a deficiency in her social skills further contributed
to her social withdrawal and reluctance to work in group activities.
Behavioral Interventions
Behavioral interventions are crucial in building a child’s character and confidence. In
school, several interventions are implemented to reinforce the code of conduct and enhance
social interaction among students. Juanita was a special child in this case. Specific behavioral
interventions were needed to engage her in the social network around her. Due to her constant
ignorant behavior and lack of active involvement towards her improvement, it was difficult to
implement any plan of intervention without analyzing its effectiveness towards her personality.
Behavioral interventions are programmed for students who have minor psychological problems,
for example feeling shy, feeling of being ignored, lack of encouragement, uncontrollable anger,
fear of the stage and much more. Such problems are first tackled with several counseling
sessions that are employed within the school premises. These are important as they help a child
tackle isolation and improve his/her confidence to speak in public and express feelings. It was
decided to give her a targeted behavioral intervention program that suits her best (Bicard et al.,
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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2012). It comprised two main components. i.e. Social Skill Lessons and Cooperating Learning
Activities in Groups. This section deals with two behavioral intervention programs and explains
their effectiveness in the light of research studies.
The main problems of Juanita were to control her temper, take part in inquiries and gain
confidence in expressing herself. Keeping in view she was explicitly taught social skill
instructions. She was taught to remain calm in every situation. She was given simple tasks like
instructing her not to get annoyed at her friend when she broke her pencil. She was taught to take
a deep breath and hug her fellow when anything happens mistakenly. She was taught to judge the
situation first before going into her angry phase and if she goes into that phase, bow to get out of
it. Not just the scenario of breaking a pencil, her anger issues were tackled in a variety of social
contexts even in the playground. In the playground, she was taught how to accept her defeat and
hope to react when she wins. She was taught not to hurt anyone just because they were playing
better than her. Her jealous behavior was channeled into admiration and inspiration from her
fellows. Juanita learned several signs and interactions to implement on her class fellows to lead a
constructive environment with the children around her.
It was very important to create cooperative learning groups around her to encourage her
to build her confidence. For this purpose, Juanita was asked to pick the students she liked in the
class or wanted to perform simple tasks with. At first, she got confused but after encouragement
from her counselor, she finally picked mates to study and play with. In this simple activity, she
got excited in her mind about working with them. It was a plus point for her. The members in
Juanita’s group were all those students who exhibited proper behavior and were never a part of
any hustle in school. This showed her positive and constructive mindset. The next step was to
provide her a chance to practice the mindset of “working together” in a safe setting. It was
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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provided by instructing all the students to help each other and cooperate with one another during
the study and playtime. A cooperative learning group was the best strategy implied in changing
Juanita’s shy personality as it provided her with a safe and encouraging atmosphere to get along
with other children (Zhang et al., 2023). She felt at home with the other students inside the
group.
Research indicates that cooperative learning groups and social skill instructions help in
building students’ character and enhancing social conduct (Lawson et al., 2022). Behavioral
implementation programs aid children learn social disengagement as happened in the case of
Juniata. She received a holistic approach and comprehensive learning program to address her
behavioral challenges. It is always important to apply more than one behavioral intervention and
integrate them in a way to benefit the child and engage him/her in healthy emotional activity
(Bryant et al., 2019). By working in cooperative groups, she practiced her abilities in an
authentic social setting which improved her overall personality.
Behavior Outcomes
After the implementation of behavioral intervention Juanita’s behavior was significantly
improved. She felt at home interacting with other children and improved her communication
skills. Juanita became interested in social situations like talking about her favorite movies,
favorite ice cream, cartoons, poems, etc. She loved playing with dolls with other students. She
began to bring her toys from home to share with other children. She began to have lunch with
students all together. She enjoyed having fun with children and making friends every day.
Juanita participated in many collaboration activities and showcased her talent. After having
constructive relationships with other students, she was never bullied or ignored by other students,
which taught her very important lessons in life. She became very helpful in assisting new
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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students and coping with behavior challenges. She was able to complete her task, spoke to the
group members and responded verbally as well as face gestures in a very enthusiastic manner.
Her teacher appreciated her work so that she could make new friends and be more expressive day
by day. After the first grade concluded that Juanita had improved significantly, her grades got
better, she became more confident and assertive. The behavioral interventions focused on
engaging students outside school by contacting their parents so that they enjoy healthy
relationships and know each other well. She organized play dates with her friends at her home. It
was a remarkable turning point in her behavioral challenges. It showed that she developed trust
in her friends and was so comfortable with her company that she liked inviting them to her home.
She made invitation cards for her friends and invited them in a very formal manner. She
decorated her home and asked her parents to make delicious dishes that she knew her friends
would like. She never hesitated to give her opinion or express her thoughts in group tasks. She
liked to criticize things and relate her ideas to her classmates.
Not only this, but she sometimes tried to handle fights in the classroom. She felt sorry if
she hurt someone. She encouraged her classmates to help each other with routine work. If
someone asked her for help, she cared for everyone. Such assertiveness in her social skills
further contributed to her social connections and enthusiasm to work in group activities. All the
changes in her behavior came from constant positive reinforcement which polished the dark side
of her personality. Positive reinforcement like praise and incentives are very important in the
maintenance of coping with behavioral challenges. It was important not to limit her activities, not
to set boundaries of her positive behavior and to give her the liberty to interact. This was
managed by giving her constant encouragement from her parents, siblings and teachers (Bryant
et al., 2019). She was surrounded by people with a positive mindset who constantly motivated
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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her to cope up with her behavior. If she tried to sit alone, she was given full liberty to think over
and over to achieve her peace of mind and ask her about her ideas, emotions and feelings about
her friends.
These social skills not only made her emotionally strong but also improved her studies.
Her grades improved over and over every month and reached the top ten of the class. The whole
scenario of behavioral interventions was applied to make her actively involved in social
activities, which was achieved successfully.
Conclusion
The behavioral interventions of cooperating school groups and social skill instructions
would be helpful to students in circumstances of early childhood education and individualized
education programs for the benefit of students coping with social anxiety and significant
behavior challenges. Behavioral interventions are very effective, but they have several
downsides to resource intensiveness. Providing effective group dynamics is challenging because
all students are not cooperative. Several fights continue which may be damaging to the overall
thought of mind. While implementing social skills, cultural and ethnic norms and values should
be considered as students are from different communities. Children are taught to respect each
other’s cultural norms. Equitable gender considerations and not making fun of each other should
be taught as a basic social skill to acquire. Behavioral intervention personally appeals to me as it
builds social and emotional development as well as positive interaction among school-going
children.
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR CASE STUDY
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References
Author, N. (n.d). Case Studies: Real-Life Stories of Four Students With Challenging Behaviors.
Ceedar Center. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Handout-2Case-Studies.pdf
Bicard, S. C., Bicard, D. F., & IRIS, C. (2012). Defining behavior. USA: the IRIS Center.
Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Smith, D. D. (2019). Teaching students with special needs in
inclusive classrooms. Sage Publications.
Lawson, G. M., Owens, J. S., Mandell, D. S., Tavlin, S., Rufe, S., So, A., & Power, T. J. (2022).
Barriers and facilitators to teachers’ use of behavioral classroom interventions. School
mental health, 14(4), 844-862.
van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans?Kranenburg, M. J. (2020). Problematic cost–utility
analysis of interventions for behavior problems in children and adolescents. New
Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2020(172), 89-102.
Zhang, Q., Wang, J., & Neitzel, A. (2023). School-based mental health interventions targeting
depression or anxiety: A meta-analysis of rigorous randomized controlled trials for
school-aged children and adolescents. Journal of youth and adolescence, 52(1), 195-217.