ABSTRACT
From Children & Schools: A Journal of the National Association of Social Workers, 27, 53-57. Copyright © 2005 by National Association of Social Workers. Reprinted with permission.
This article reports the results of a professional development program using positive behavioral interventions designed to reduce the number of behavioral infraction reports and referrals to special education and
5 to improve academic achievement. Clinical personnel participated in all of the training sessions and were encouraged to explore how their interactions with teachers could support the "positive intervention" program. Not only can clinical personnel offer caring and
10 support for teachers who are committed to examining their management practices and making changes, they also can serve as resources when discussing students who present with severe physical, behavioral, or socialemotional challenges. From a clinical perspective,
15 helping teachers meet the individual and more specialized intervention needs of students with special challenges can begin only when classroom climate, organization, and structure have been addressed. The importance of these broad issues has been noted by Pollo-
20 way, Patton, and Serna (2001), who maintained that classroom organization and management are essential "precursors to teaching."
