Synopses & Reviews
Based on a collaboration dating back nearly a decade, the authors—a behavioral analyst and a child psychiatrist—reveal their systematic approach for deciphering causes and patterns of difficult behaviors and how to match them with proven strategies for getting students back on track to learn.
The Behavior Code includes user-friendly worksheets and other helpful resources.
Review
“Teaching is an art, but it’s one that can be improved with science. Based on what we have learned in the field of psychology, The Behavior Code gives teachers the tools to transform the behavior patterns of some of their most challenging students. By using this essential book, teachers—instead of punishing or writing "off troubled students—can get them onto a path for success.” — Geoffrey Canada, president and ceo, Harlem Children’s Zone
Review
“The Behavior Code is truly a godsend. Concisely written and easy to read, this book offers a framework for creating successful behavioral plans. I predict that once teachers and principals begin to apply the authors’ approach for understanding and changing problematic behavior, they’ll never look elsewhere for help again. Buy it, read it, use it, read it again and again—and pass it on!” — William S. Pollack, associate clinical professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Review
“This book is an essential guide for teachers and school personnel who find themselves in daily contact with students presenting with difficult behaviors. The authors outline an intervention procedure that is easily implemented in a busy classroom with multiple demands. Too often, behavioral intervention plans require so much attention to detail that teachers soon decide to disengage. Not so with the FAIR plan. By providing clear instructions and helpful examples, the authors promote a plan that prevents inappropriate behaviors while reinforcing socially acceptable alternatives.” — LeAdelle Phelps, professor of counseling/school psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Synopsis
The Behavior Code provides proven, multipurpose strategies to help teachers get students with behavioral issues back on track. The authors offer practical examples of these behavior strategies in clear, concise, and readable language.
Synopsis
The Behavior Code unlocks a wealth of proven practices to help teachers, counselors, and parents identify the messages underlying challenging student behaviors and respond in supportive ways. The authors--a behavioral analyst with expertise in special education and a child psychiatrist--guide readers through their FAIR Behavior Intervention Plan, a systematic approach to decoding the causes and patterns of difficult behaviors and developing effective measures to address them in schools. They demonstrate how the FAIR Plan can bring about positive change, even with students who exhibit anxious, withdrawn, oppositional, or inappropriately sexualized behaviors.
Drawing on developments in cognitive science and educational psychology, the authors begin with a simple premise: all behavior is communication. Crucially, the first step of their FAIR plan is to discover the function (F) of a student's behavior. They encourage the use of nonjudgmental curiosity aided by standard data collection methods such as antecedent, behavior, and consequence (ABC) studies. The authors then give readers the tools to look beyond behaviors to implement targeted accommodations (A), interaction strategies (I), and appropriate response strategies (R). As they guide readers through their framework, they offer ample case studies, accessible worksheets, and focused thought exercises that allow readers to fully understand and implement suggested strategies.
This thoughtful and empathetic approach can shift the balance from reactive to proactive classroom management, fostering meaningful teacher-student relationships and reducing the need for school discipline. Taken together, FAIR practices equip educators to support students in building the skills they need to access their higher-order brain functions more consistently and maintain a ready-to-learn mindset.
About the Author
Jessica Minahan is a board-certified behavior analyst and special educator who serves as the director of behavioral services at the Neuropsychology and Education Services for Children and Adolescents group practice in Newton, Masssachusetts, and as a consultant to clients nationwide. She is coauthor of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students.Nancy Rappaport is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide (Basic Books, 2009).