SchoolBehavior.com Homepage

Over the last 20 years, many children and teens with hidden disabilities have told me, "It would be easier for me if I was in a wheelchair or blind. At least then my teachers and classmates might be more understanding."

Knowing that most educators welcome practical knowledge and tools that they can use, I created this site to help educators learn about neurobehavioral disorders -- the "hidden" disabilities that can impair a student's academic, behavioral, and social-emotional functioning and that can occasionally create chaos in your classroom.

welcome!

CHALLENGING KIDS, CHALLENGED TEACHERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

My new book with Sheryl Pruitt, Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers is now available for pre-order from Woodbine House:

Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers is an educator's go-to source for creating a supportive environment to successfully teach children with multiple neurological disorders including Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, LD, Nonverbal Learning Disability, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Executive Dysfunction, Sensory Processing Disorder, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep (PANDAS), Bipolar Disorder, "Storms" or "Rages", Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Sleep Problems. Parents, school psychologists, and social workers will also find this book essential reading.

Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers also includes a glossary and resources, and its appendix of screening tools, forms, and checklists are on the accompanying CD-ROM for easy reproduction.

The book will be shipped mid-June. If you pre-order now, there's a discount.

NEED HELP RIGHT NOW COMING UP WITH ACCOMMODATION IDEAS?

Looking for a convenient guide to helpful accommodations for students with a variety of disorders? I have a new book out for educators and parents:

Find a Way or Make a Way Find a Way or Make a Way:
Checklists of Helpful Accommodations for Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Executive Dysfunction, Mood Disorders, Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Other Neurological Challenges

The book is designed to provide lots of practical ideas to incorporate in a student's plan and also has sections on accommodations for homework, tests, sleep problems, and the almost-always present handwriting problems. The checklists are reproducible so that you can make copies and share them at a meeting on a student. Check it out!

SITE ORGANIZATION

DISORDERS
Learn about neurological disorders and find helpful tips for accommodations and strategies for students with: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety disorders, tics and Tourette's Syndrome, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disability, Asperger's Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, sleep disorders, "rage attacks" or "storms," Sensory Processing Disorder, and Executive Dysfunction. You'll find plenty of free handouts that you can download and take with you.

BEHAVIOR
In this section of this site, you'll find a general discussion of how to think about behavior in the classroom. Many teachers ask me, "How can I tell if what the student is doing represents a symptom or a behavior?" In this section, you'll find my answer, and then go to the next step of "OK, so even if it is a symptom, what do I do about it?"

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS
A potpourri of articles and materials for educators, including a file on accommodating medication side effects in the classroom, some articles on bullying, pitfalls in parent-teacher collaboration, a bibliography of children's literature on disabilities, and much more!

LINKS
A listing of all links pages on this site, including links for disorders and links for other topics such as learning disabilities and accommodations.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
"Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task." -- Haim G. Ginott

AHORA EN ESPAÑOL:
Some of the files on this site are available in Spanish, thanks to M.D. Cebrián-de-Miguel of AMPASTTA. See the listing of what's available.

SERVICES
A description of the various professional services I offer to schools and parents.

CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?
Use the Search link at the bottom of each page to get to the search box.

they're counting on you to understand and help!

"POP QUIZ #1:"

If a student is having behavioral problems in school, what three things should teachers be sure to ask parents about? Click here for the answer.

IMPORTANT ADVOCACY ALERT - JANUARY 2010

Over on my other web site, www.tourettesyndrome.net, I have posted an important advocacy alert about a bill proposed in Congress that would impose new helpful restrictions on restraint and seclusion in schools.

Please read the alert and take action by calling your Representative and Senator.

I have already written to Congress to express my support for this bill and my concerns about it. You can read my letter here (pdf). I am urging all my U.S. site visitors to call Congress this week. Parents will benefit by having greater protections for our children, while teachers and school personnel will benefit by getting more training in positive-based supports and crisis de-escalation techniques.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

Copyright 2001 - 2010, Leslie E. Packer, PhD, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Ilustrations on this site are the copyrighted work of Dennis Cox, and may not be reproduced. Background papers and trims were designed by the very talented Cyndi K. of Eos Development. Information on this site is for educational purposes only and does not constitute advice for any specific student or child.

To reproduce material from this site, please see the Reprint page for terms and conditions. If any material reproduced on this site violates anyone else's copyright, please contact me and I will remove the material. For any other problems with this site, contact: Webmaster. Privacy policy.