Antecedent: A stimulus (i.e. a verbal cue, activity, event or person) that immediately precedes a behavior. This stimulus may or may not serve as discriminative for a specific behavior.

Coercion Theory: Coercive interactions develop between two people when one person engages in a negative behavior to achieve a social outcome and the other person responds in an equally negative fashion. The ongoing exchange between the two individuals increases in intensity until one of them gives up. The origin of this hypothesis is associated with G. Patterson and M. Sidman.

Consequence: A stimulus (i.e. a verbal response, the acquisition of a reinforcing item or activity) that contingently follows a behavior. For instance, if a little girlīs crying results in attention from her teacher, then teacher attention would be considered a consequence that followed the crying behavior.

Consequence Interventions: Strategies that address the stimuli (i.e. a verbal response, the acquisition of a reinforcing item or an activity) that contingently follow a behavior. Two strategies can be used when problem behavior occurs more frequently than appropriate behavior: increase reinforcement for appropriate behavior, and decrease reinforcement received for engaging in problem behavior.

Crisis Prevention Strategies: Developed by an interdisciplinary team to provide teachers and staff with clear strategies for interrupting and redirecting dangerous behavior. The crisis prevention approach is only one component of the overall positive behavioral support plan.

Environmental Modifications: Changing the variables within a student's physical surroundings to increase desirable behavior and decrease problem behavior.

Extinction: Reinforcement is withheld from a previously reinforced behavior in order to decrease the occurrence of that behavior.

Functional Assessment: Also known as Functional Behavioral Assessment. The process of collecting information in order to develop hypothesis statements regarding the variables that maintain and predict problem behavior. Functional assessment strategies include indirect assessment methods, direct observation, and functional analysis.

Noncontingent Reinforcement: The same reinforcers that are maintaining problem behavior are delivered to a student on a time-based schedule and are not dependent upon the occurrence of specific behaviors. Extinction procedures are usually implemented in conjunction with noncontingent reinforcement.

Proactive Interventions: Strategies that are implemented before problem behavior has a chance to occur.

Punishment: A consequent stimulus that reduces the probability a behavior will occur.

Quality of Life: A variety of elements in a student's life including predictability, environmental stability, level of social belonging, empowerment and control, well being and satisfaction.

Redirection: Involves guiding the student toward a positive interaction (for example, talking about things that are interesting to the student, providing additional assistance or asking the student a series of questions that you know they will answer). The purpose of redirection is to create opportunities to give the student positive feedback for appropriate behavior.

Reinforcement: The state of receiving or presenting a reinforcer. A stimulus that when presented immediately following a response increases the probability that the response will occur again. Can be the presentation of a reward or removal of something unpleasant.

Reinforcer: A consequent stimulus that increases the probability a behavior will occur, or maintains the future rate of that behavior.

Response Efficiency: When teaching a student an alternative behavior that is meant to replace problem behavior, the efficiency of the alternative behavior is considered. Response efficiency refers to the a) physical effort required to perform the new alternative behavior, b) the schedule of reinforcement, c) the immediacy of the reinforcer that follows the behavior, and d) the quality of the reinforcer.

Setting Event: Any occurrence that affects a student's responses to reinforcers and punishers in the environment. Setting events can be due to environmental, social, or physiological factors. Occurrences that affect a behavior at one point in time may change the likelihood of a targeted behavior at a later point.

Social Network: A web of interconnected people who directly or indirectly interact with or influence the student and family. May include but is not limited to teachers and other school staff, family members, friends, neighbors, community contacts, and professional support.