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 girl's crying results in attention from her teachers, then teacher attention would be considered a consequence that followed the crying behavior.

Crisis: When a student's problem behavior has increased to such a high frequency or intensity that the student or other individuals in the environment may be injured.

Crisis Prevention Approach: 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 Interventions: When the physical setting, routines, activities, and individuals surrounding a student are modified in order to make problem behavior unnecessary or irrelevant.

Escalating Sequence of Problem Behavior: A number of problem behaviors (i.e. whining, spitting, throwing kicking) that appear on a continuum from lower to higher levels of intensity. Knowledge of the escalating sequence of problem behavior is used to intervene early in a chain of problem behaviors.

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

Positive Behavioral Support: A comprehensive set of strategies meant to redesign environments in such a way that problem behaviors are prevented or inconsequential, and to teach students new skills, making problem behaviors unnecessary.

Proactive Interventions: Strategies that are implemented before problem behavior or undesirable situations have a chance to occur.

Prompts: The physical, verbal, or gestural assistance provided to a student after the presentation of the instructional materials but prior to the response of the student. Prompts are used to communicate or facilitate a desired response.

Protective Equipment: Special clothing or devices worn by a student to ensure the safety when severe forms of behavior are present. Protective equipment is used as a short-term solution, in conjunction with a crisis intervention approach, and as part of the student's overall positive behavioral support plan. Examples of protective equipment include: using a helmet to prevent injury from head banging, or wearing a wristband to prevent tissue damage when a student bites his arm or wrist in general area.

Protective Procedures: Interventions used during a behavioral crisis that may include staying out of reach when a student is aggressive, removing yourself or others from the room, or moving to the opposite side of a table making it more difficult for a student to reach to you. By implementing protective procedures, you are better able to ensure the safety of yourself and others.

Restraint: A physical procedure that temporarily restricts the movement of an individual engaging in problem behavior that has increased in severity to such a degree that injury to the individual or others will occur without intervention. Restraint procedures should only be used in extreme situations with the consent of the student's parents and in conjunction with a positive behavioral support plan. Due to improper techniques leading to serious injury or death, restraint procedures should only be implemented by trained staff.

Self-Injury: When a student engages in a behavior directed toward her own body resulting in redness or tissue damage. Examples of self-injury include but are not limited to rocking, head banging, arm biting, self-pinching, and wound picking.

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.

Setting Event Interventions: Approaches that identify social, environmental, and physiological events that may temporarily alter the value of reinforcers and punishers within the student's environment. Setting event interventions may involve minimizing the likelihood of the setting event, changing expectations on days when setting events occur, or neutralizing the setting event.

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 family, teachers and other school staff, friends, neighbors, community contacts, and professional support.