ABSTRACT
Every student with behavioral problems is a useful source of information. Clear and structured observations can provide feedback on the efficacy of Individual Education Plans or classroom management strategies. Individual information, such as time, place and task, can be collated with information on a number of other individual students, allowing teachers to observe patterns and similarities. This in turn will contribute to individual reviews and reveal any strengths and weaknesses of current arrangements. For individual students, collecting information about their behaviour allows teachers to formulate a working hypothesis about the nature of their problem. It is rarely possible to get it absolutely right at the beginning and teachers should be prepared to modify their arrangements as more information is collected. Another vital link in collecting information about a problem is that any data collected before a programme begins can be used as a yardstick to decide whether the programme is being successful.
