School-Based Behavior Supports: A Guide for Families: 2025-2026 Webinar

Good afternoon and welcome to today's statewide webinar hosted by SpedTech's and Partners Resource Network. My name is Sarah Untersi and I am part of the SpedTech's team and the topic for today's webinar is School Based tools for parents, guardians, and caregivers. A few reminders, this webinar is being recorded and the recording will be posted to our SpedTech site. It usually takes about a week in order for that to be posted, but we will drop our website link in the chat so you are able to access that once it becomes available. The chat feature today is only available if you require technical assistance. However, you may put questions in the Q and A section. The presenters will review your submissions, which will help us with clarifications and FAQs in the future. However, there will not be any live Q and A today. SPED TEX is the special education information center for Texas. We are a collaborative project between Region ten Education Service Center and the Texas Education Agency. We help parents understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA and facilitate collaboration when there are concerns between the parent and the school district. We also serve as a resource for educators. We offer support via phone, email, or live chat for families and professionals, webinars, and resources. Our contact information is on the screen. I am now going to turn it over to Stephanie McLaughlin to share some additional information about Partners Resource Network. Thank you, Sarah. Hello, everyone. My name is Stephanie. I am the Training and Evaluation Specialist for Partners Resource Network. Partners Resource Network is the nonprofit agency that operates the Texas statewide network of parent training and information centers. We are funded through the Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. Throughout Texas, you may know us as PACT, PATH, PEN, or TEAM projects. Our mission here at Partners Resource Network is to empower and support Texas families and individuals impacted by disabilities or special health care needs. We do this through a network of highly skilled, regionally located coordinators who are knowledgeable in local policies, services, and resources, as well as state and national guidelines. We provide training, information, and one on one assistance at no cost to Texas families and youth. We serve parents of children and youth with disabilities from birth to age twenty six, as well as youth self advocates between the ages of fourteen and twenty six. Our services are provided in both English and Spanish. Thank you, Stephanie. We are excited to welcome our presenter, Doctor. Courtney Govan. Doctor. Govan is the special education behavior specialist at the Texas Education Agency. He is joining us today to discuss school based behavior supports, and at this time, I will stop sharing and turn it over to Doctor. Govan. Thank you, Sarah. Welcome to the School Based Behavior Support's SPED TEX webinar. My name is Doctor. Courtney Govan, and I am the Special Populations Policy and Behavior Specialist here at the Texas Agency. I'm excited to talk to you all today about school based behavior supports and understanding your rights while advocating for your child. Our agenda today starts with a quick overview of parent and guardian rights, including the notice of procedural safeguards. We will discuss school discipline considerations for students with disabilities. Additionally, we will discuss school based behavior supports including autism specific strategies that can be tailored for home and school. First, we will discuss protections for you and your child during the special education process. Let's talk about something really important, procedural safeguards. Procedural safeguards are the legal protections for students with disabilities and their families throughout the special education process. These safeguards are designed to make sure families are informed, can actively participate in decisions and be treated fairly every step of the way. Procedural safeguards give families the right to be part of decisions about your child's education, receive clear information in your primary language, give or deny consent for evaluations and services, review your child's educational records, and be provided with mechanisms for resolving disputes between parents and schools such as mediation, due process hearings, and state complaints. Schools are required to give parents a copy of the procedural safeguards at certain times, like when your child is first referred for a special education evaluation, if there is a disciplinary change in placement, when the first state complaint and first due process complaint are filed in a school year, and when you as the parent request a copy. These rights are designed to ensure your voice is heard and that your child gets the support they need in a fair and respectful way. What is prior written notice? Prior written notice is a formal letter from your school that explains any changes being considered for your child's special education services. It's required by law to make sure you understand what's happening and why before anything changes. Prior written notice is important because it gives you clear information about what the school is proposing or refusing. It helps you make informed decisions about your child's and it ensures you have time to ask questions or disagree before any changes happen. You should get a prior written notice whenever the school proposes a new service like adding speech therapy, changes in an existing service like reducing time in a support class, or refuses a request you made for a service or support. Typically prior written notice includes what the school wants to do or not do, why they are making that decision, what information they used to decide like test results or teacher reports, other options they considered and why those were not chosen. When it comes to your rights, you have the right to review and understand the notice before agreeing. You can ask for clarification or request a meeting about the Notice. You can disagree and use dispute resolution options if needed. One resolution option, due process. Sometimes parents may disagree with a school's decision about discipline, especially when it involves a placement or the outcome of a manifestation determination review. If that happens you have the right to challenge the decision by requesting a due process hearing. This is a formal procedure designed to resolve disputes between families and schools. Both sides present their case and an impartial hearing officer makes the final decision. Schools can also request a due process hearing. For example, if a school believes that keeping a student in their current placement could be dangerous to the student or others, they can ask for a hearing to change the placement. The key takeaway here is that due process provides both parents and schools with a fair legal way to resolve serious disagreements. Another helpful dispute resolution option is mediation. This is a voluntary process where TA provides a trained independent mediator to assist you and your child's school in working through disputes over your child's special education program or eligibility. It is always preferable if a parent and school can reach agreement over the best way to resolve disputes and mediation gives you the opportunity to try. Next, we will explore key discipline considerations for students with disabilities in school settings. Every school district in Texas has a Student Code of Conduct. This is a set of rules that explains how students are expected to behave and what happens if those rules are broken. It's based on state law and district policy. The code lists possible consequences from small actions like warnings or detention to more serious steps like suspension or placement in an alternative program. The goal is to keep schools safe and make sure all students can learn. Chapter thirty seven of the Texas Education Code is where you find the state law that explains how schools handle discipline. It requires districts to adopt a student code of conduct. It sets clear rules for when a student can be removed from class, suspended, placed in a disciplinary alternative education program, or expelled. The law also requires schools to consider factors such as self defense, intent, homelessness, foster care status and whether a student has a disability before deciding on consequences regardless of the behavior. It also ensures that parents are notified when serious actions take place and discipline is handled fairly. Let's talk about what happens when any student breaks a rule. When a student violates the school's code of conduct, they might be removed from their regular classroom. This could mean the student is sent to another setting or is suspended from school for a period of time. This is called a disciplinary removal. If a student does something minor in the classroom, like talking out of turn or not following the directions, the school usually starts with simple steps to help the student get back on track. These might include a private talk or warning, a teacher or staff member speaks with the student to explain what went wrong and how to fix it, calling the parent, the school will contact you to share what happened and keep you informed, Meeting with the parent, sometimes a face to face meeting helps everyone work together to support the student. Detention, the student spends extra time at school, usually after class or during lunch to reflect on their choices. These steps are meant to correct behavior without removing the student from learning. Other examples are tardies or dress code related offenses. If the behavior is more serious such as fighting, repeated disruptions or breaking major school rules, the consequences can be stronger. This might include in school suspension, the student stays at school but is removed from regular classes for a period of time. Out of school suspension, the student is sent home for a certain number of days. Transferred to an alternative school or campus, the student moves to a different program focused on discipline and behavior support. Expulsion. The student is removed from school for a longer period which is the most serious consequence. These steps are used when safety or learning is at risk and schools follow state laws and district policies when making these decisions. Schools do not make these decisions randomly. They follow state law and district policy. Disciplinary consequences are meant to protect the learning environment, address behavior fairly, and give students a chance to correct their actions. For serious or repeated misbehavior, Texas law allows removal from class or placement in an alternative setting. These steps help maintain a safe learning environment. Before discussing discipline considerations for students with disabilities, let's start with the foundation. The law that gives students with disabilities their rights in school is called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA for short. IDEA is a federal law that makes sure students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education often called FAPE. This means schools must provide the supports and services your child needs to learn and succeed, just like any other student. IDEA also includes important protections for your child's rights, including when it comes to discipline. These protections make sure that if your child's behavior is connected to their disability, the school responds in a way that supports them rather than punishes them unfairly. These rights do not go away even if a student is suspended or expelled from school. Although different types of disciplinary removals exist, the three most common exclusionary school removals are in school suspension, out of school suspension, and expulsion. If a student with a disability is taken out of their current educational placement for more than ten school days in a row, like being sent to a disciplinary alternative education program for thirty days or being expelled, that is considered a change of placement. You might hear this called a long term removal. But it's not just about long removals. If a student has several shorter removals, like a few suspensions that add up to ten school days in a school year, that can also count as a change of placement. If a student has multiple short term removals, such as several suspensions that together exceed ten school days in a school year, this may be considered a change of placement under IDEA. However, it's not just about the total number of days. Federal law explains that a series of removals can also constitute a change of placement if they form a pattern. Determining whether a pattern exists is based on factors such as the length of each removal, the total amount of time the student has been removed, and the proximity of the removals to one another. This determination is made by the school on a case by case basis, considering the specific circumstances of the student's behavior and disciplinary history. When a change of placement happens, certain legal protections kick in to make sure the student's rights and educational needs are still being met. The school must continue to provide services that help the students stay on track with the general education curriculum and work toward the goals in their individualized education program or IEP. These services might happen in a different setting, but the support must continue. When a student with a disability is facing a change in placement because of a disciplinary removal, the school must hold a special meeting called a Manifestation Determination Review, or MDR. This is part of the ARD committee process and it must include the parent or guardian. During the MDR, the team looks closely at the behavior that led to the discipline and answers two important questions. Was the conduct in question caused by or have a direct and substantial relationship to the student's disability? Or was the conduct in question the direct result of the LEA's failure to implement the IEP? LEA is the acronym for local education agency, most commonly referred to as a school district. The goal of this meeting is to make sure decisions are fair and considers the student's needs. To answer these two questions, the team will look at a variety of information including the student's evaluation, the student's IEP, and behavior intervention plan if they have one. The team will also take a look at their current placement, notes and observations from teachers and staff, any other information the parent or guardian wants to share. This process helps ensure that students are treated fairly and that their disability is taken into account when decisions are made about discipline. Question one, was the conduct in question caused by or have a direct and substantial relationship to the student's disability? This question asks, did the behavior happen because of your child's disability? For example, if your disability affects impulse control or emotional regulation and the behavior was linked to those challenges, then the answer to that question might be yes. The team looks at whether the disability directly influenced the behavior not just whether the child has a disability. The second question, was the conduct in question the direct result of the LEA's failure to implement the IEP? This question is asking, did the school fail to provide the supports and services in your child's IEP and did that lead to the behavior? For example, if the IEP says your child should have a behavior support plan or extra adult help and those were not provided, that could have contributed to the behavior. The team checks if the school followed the IEP as it is written. There are some situations where schools are allowed to take immediate action even before going through the usual process of determining whether the behavior is a manifestation of students disability. These are called special circumstances and they apply when a student's behavior involves a weapon, illegal drugs, or serious bodily injury to another person. In these cases, the school can remove a student to a different educational setting, such as a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, or DAEP, for up to forty five school days. This can happen even if the behavior is later found to be a manifestation of the student's disability. But even during this time, the student still has the right to receive educational services and support through their IEP. The goal is to keep them learning and progressing even in a different setting. In cases where a student has not officially been identified as having a disability or doesn't yet have an IEP, they may still have protections under special education law during disciplinary actions. But only if before the misconduct occurred one of the following had already happened. One, the parent or guardian expressed concerns in writing to a teacher or administrative staff member that the child may need special education services. Two, the parent requested an evaluation. Or three, a teacher or school personnel expressed specific concerns about the child's academic or behavioral performance to appropriate school staff. In these cases, the school must treat the student as if they already have a disability and ensure the same disciplinary protections, including conducting a manifestation determination review. This requirement helps ensure students are not left without support simply because the evaluation process is not yet complete. Begin by taking a look at behavior supports and how they are developed to support children. Let's take a moment to think about behavior in a different way. Behavior isn't just something kids do. It's often how they communicate. When a child acts out, they may be trying to tell us something they don't yet have the words for. For instance, if a child throws something, it may not be an act of defiance. It could be their way of expressing frustration or signaling I need help. That's where behavior supports come in. These are tools and strategies that help kids learn better ways to express themselves. Instead of throwing something, a child might learn to say, I need a break or use a signal to let a teacher know they are overwhelmed. When schools use behavior support plans effectively, they're not just helping kids manage their emotions, they're also preventing bigger issues like suspensions or crisis situations. It's about teaching skills, building trust, and creating a safe space for learning. This pyramid shows how schools support student behavior using a system called MTSS, which stands for Multi Tiered Systems of Support. At the bottom, you'll see tier one. These are universal supports that all students receive. Things like school wide expectations, routines, and positive reinforcement. It's the foundation for creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone. Moving up to tier two, we have targeted supports. These are for students who need a little extra help, maybe small group interventions or check ins with a counselor to work on specific skills like managing emotions or staying focused. At the top is tier three, which includes intensive supports for students with more significant needs. These are highly individualized strategies, often a part of a behavior intervention plan and may involve one on one support or specialized services. The goal of this system is to meet students where they are and give them the right level of support to help them succeed academically, socially and emotionally. Special education is part of tier three within MTSS. This means your child already receives the most individualized level of support through their IEP. MTSS does not replace special education, it works alongside it. For students with an IEP, they still have access to tier one and tier two supports in addition to their special education services. MTSS helps the school monitor progress and add extra supports if needed. Your child's IEP team makes sure any MTSS strategies align with their goals and services. Consider MTSS as a safety net. Your child's IEP is the foundation and MTSS adds layers of support so nothing falls through the cracks. A behavior intervention plan or BIP is a detailed plan that addresses the individualized behavioral needs of a student. A BIP is developed by the student's admission review and dismissal committee and used to teach or reinforce positive behaviors. In general, whenever a student's behavior impedes his learning, his or her learning or the learning of others, IDEA requires that the Admission Review and Dismissal Committee considers the use of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. These supports may include a BIP. The BIP typically includes teaching strategies designed to increase appropriate behaviors, changes that can be made in the classroom or other school environments to reduce or prevent problem behaviors, supports for the student that promote the appropriate behavior, consequence strategies that address the problem behavior. A BIP is a written plan that identifies problem behaviors, explains why they happen, and outlines strategies to help your child succeed. It is part of the IEP for students with disabilities. Let's talk about how schools create behavior intervention plans or BITS to support students who are struggling with behavior. The first step is an assessment called a functional behavioral assessment or FBA. If the FBA is considered an evaluation under special education law, the school cannot just start the process. They must first get your written consent. Why? Because evaluations are part of your child's special education rights called procedural safeguards as described in the document that was discussed earlier in our presentation. Anytime the school wants to do an evaluation, they must explain what they plan to do and why and ask for your written permission before starting. You have the right to say yes or no and to ask any questions before you agree. Once you give consent, the school completes a functional behavioral assessment. A functional behavioral assessment or FBA is a process schools use to understand why a student is showing challenging behaviors. The goal is to figure out what is causing the behavior so schools can create a plan that helps the student succeed. During an FBA, the school team gathers information in several formal and informal ways such as observations. Staff will watch the student in different settings to see when and where the behavior happens. Interviews, teachers, parents, and sometimes the student are asked questions about what they notice about the student's behavior. A review of records, the team looks at attendance, discipline reports, and other school data. Assessments, these can be formal or informal tools such as rating scales or questionnaires to help identify patterns. All of this information helps the team understand what triggers the behavior and what the student might be trying to communicate through their actions. Parents play an important role in the FBA process. Parents may be asked to share your observations. Please tell the team what you see at home or environments outside of school. Participate in an interview. Answer any questions about your child's interests, routines, strengths and challenges. Complete a rating scale. This helps the team compare what happens at home and at school. Your input is critical because you know your child best. The information you share, the more information you share the better the team can create a plan that works for your child. The FBA is not about punishment. It is about understanding and support. When schools know the reasons behind a behavior, schools can teach new skills and make changes that help your child thrive. Afterward, you receive a written report. This report explains what the team learned about your child's behavior, what might be causing the behavior, and recommendations for supports and strategies. This written product becomes part of your child's educational record and helps guide decisions about services. Once schools know what's causing the behavior, the admission review and dismissal committee works together to create a plan with proactive strategies. These are steps designed to help the child before the behavior happens, like teaching routines, offering choices, or adjusting the environment. A big part of the plan is teaching replacement skills. These are better ways for the child to express themselves or cope with frustration. For example, instead of yelling or throwing something, the child might learn to ask for a break or use a calming strategy. And finally, the school will track progress. They'll collect data to see how things are going, what's working, what needs adjusting, and make sure the plan is helping the child grow and succeed. The goal of a BIP is not just to stop challenging behavior, but it's to teach skills that help the child thrive in school and beyond. Next, we will explore some practical strategies designed to support children with autism at home and in school. These approaches can help improve behavior and daily functioning. While these strategies are especially helpful for children with autism, many of them can also be used with any child who is experiencing behavior challenges. One helpful strategy for supporting students with autism is called priming. Priming means preparing a student ahead of time for what's coming so they feel more comfortable and less anxious. Priming sets students up for success by increasing the predictability of events. This is helpful because it increases the child's sense of control over the environment. Previewing expectations allows the child to process the upcoming demands and expectations when they are calm rather than when they are in the midst of a transition or task. Lastly, the preview should be brief and can involve showing a picture, reading a social story, looking at a schedule, or just verbally reviewing the steps of an activity. A school based example. Before a fire drill, a teacher might quietly tell the student what's going to happen, what the alarm will sound like, and what they will need to do. They might even walk the student through the steps ahead of time. This helps reduce anxiety and makes the experience more predictable. An example at home, if you're going to a new place like a doctor's office or a birthday party, you might talk with your child beforehand about what they will see, hear and do. You could show them pictures, describe the people they'll meet or even role play what to expect. Another great example of priming is using a visual schedule. This is a simple tool that shows the student what their day will look like using pictures, symbols, or words. Might include things might include things like morning arrival, math time, lunch, recess, and going home. For many students with autism, knowing what to expect helps reduce stress and make transitions smoother. It also gives them a sense of control and predictability. Visual schedules can be reviewed at the start of the day, before a new activity or even before a change in routine. They're especially helpful when something unexpected is going to happen like a fire drill or substitute teacher. Another simple but powerful strategy that is used to support behavior is called first, then. It helps students understand the order of activities and what's expected of them. The idea is straightforward. An adult will show and or tell the student what they need to do first and then what they get to do next. For example, first, finish your math worksheet, then you can play with blocks. This helps makes the expectations clear and increases motivation, especially when the then is a preferred reinforcer. A reinforcer is something that motivates your child to repeat a positive behavior. It's a reward or outcome that makes the behavior more likely to happen again. Reinforcers can be tangible items like a favorite snack or toy, activities like extra time on a game or choosing a fun activity, social praise like great job or a high five. The key is that the reinforcer is meaningful to your child. It's something they really value. Reinforcers help encourage positive behaviors and build new skills. The first then strategy is especially helpful during transitions or when a student is asked to do something that they may not prefer. It gives them a sense of structure and something to look forward to. It works best when paired with a visual aid like a simple card or picture showing the two steps. And it's most effective when the then activity is something the student finds highly rewarding. Here is an example to use at home. First, brush your teeth, then you can watch your favorite show. This sets a clear expectation and pairs a less preferred activity, brushing the teeth, with a reinforcer watching the favorite show. It helps the child understand what needs to happen first and then gives them something to look forward to. If this is new for a child, they might push back at first. That's okay. Stay consistent, repeat the request and show the visual again. Over time, they'll begin to understand the pattern and respond more positively. Social narratives are short, simple stories that help children understand social situations and what's expected of them. They're written in a calm and reassuring way using clear and positive language. These stories describe what's happening, how others might feel and what the child can do in that situation. Instead of telling the child what not to do, social narratives focus on I statements like, I can raise my hand when I want to speak, to encourage positive behavior. Reading the story before the situation happens, kind of like priming, helps the child feel more prepared and less anxious. When one adds visuals, it makes the story even easier to understand. Social narratives are especially helpful during changes in a routine, when learning new skills, or when a child has trouble picking up on social cues. A school based example, before a school assembly, a teacher might read a social story that explains what an assembly is, how students are expected to sit quietly, and why it's important to listen to the speaker. An example at home, if a child is going to the dentist for the first time, a parent might read a story that explains what will happen during the visit, what the dentist might say or do, and how the child can stay calm and ask questions. More information about your rights as a parent can be found at spedtechs dot org. There you can find the overview of special education for parents as well as the notice of procedural safeguards in several languages. Before we wrap up, I wanted to provide some links to some resources that you might want to review. Thank you for having TEA present to you today and please continue to visit spedtechs dot org with questions and to find resources. Have a great rest of your day, and please join us for our next SPED TEX webinar. Thank you so much, Courtney. That was such great information. I know that everyone that is here learned a lot. I know that I did as well. I am going to share my screen again, and I am going to go back to Stephanie McLaughlin to share some additional information with us about Partners Resource Network. Thank you, Sarah. Our regional coordinators are available to help you understand and navigate the special education process. If you are not already connected with your regional coordinator, give us a call and we'll get you connected. For more information, you can check out our website at prntexas dot org, and you can like and follow us on social media prntexas. Thank you. Have questions about special education? Contact us at SpedTex, your source for special education information. We are happy to help. Our contact information is on the screen.