Supported living has been described as an approach that contributes to higher lifestyle quality. We compared supported living and traditional residential support. Twenty supported living participants were matched with 20 participants receiving traditional support. Results indicated that participants receiving supported living services were more likely to be experiencing features of supported living and that supported living participants experienced significantly more community activity variety, did community activities more frequently, and did preferred community activities more frequently. Further, they engaged in activities with more people and did activities with these people more frequently. The costs were similar for providing supported living and traditional support.

Recent developments in the field of autism and related disabilities have included two prominent themes: (a) the emergence of functional assessment (FA) as a requisite step in behavioral support and (b) a growing acknowledgment that families represent the most essential resource for the social, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral development of their children. In the vast majority of cases, families are the most committed, enduring, and knowledgeable source of personal support available for their children.Therefore, families are considered vital contributors in the educational process and, increasingly, in the application of FA and assessment-based behavioral interventions. This article provides a discussion of family involvement in the process of FA and offers some key considerations pertinent to the appropriate and optimal incorporation of families in the FA and intervention process.n the last few years, researchers, practitioners, and family members have increasingly focused attention on the use of functional assessment (FA) as the means to develop effective interventions for ameliorating problem behaviors (e.g.,

The authors examined the problem-solving practices of school teams engaged in implementing and improving schoolwide behavior support implementation. A multiple baseline design across 4 elementary school teams was used to assess the effects of the Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) training program (1 day of team training plus 2 coached meetings). A direct observation data collection protocol-Decision Observation, Recording, and Analysis-was used to index if teams followed "meeting foundations" practices for effective problem solving (e.g., predictable agenda, stable participants, clear roles for facilitator, minute taker, data analyst) and "thorough problem solving" practices for building interventions (e.g., problem definition, use of data, solution development, action planning). Direct observation results indicate that 3 of the 4 teams demonstrated improved meeting foundations and problemsolving skills after TIPS training. The fourth team also performed well, but documented baseline patterns that were either at optimum levels (meeting foundations) or with an increasing trend (problem solving) that prevented demonstration of an intervention effect. 42 Downloaded by [Georgian Court University] at 16:53 04 April 2015 Effect of TIPS Training 43Team members perceived their meetings after TIPS training as resulting in more effective problem solving. Collectively, the results are interpreted as demonstrating a functional relation between TIPS training and improved problem solving practices by school teams. Implications address how to improve team-based consultation and problem solving in schools.Data-based decision making and problem solving are continuous and central activities in schools. Decisions are made not just about individual students and their instruction, but also about the organization of schoolwide educational systems and resources. Nearly every school in the country has teams meeting regularly to make decisions concerning administrative, academic, and social support issues. The assumption is that the involvement of multiple individuals on a team will provide a more inclusive system of problem solving and decision making in which collective experiences, knowledge, skills, language, and vision contribute to improving the core features of schooling and outcomes for children. The ubiquitous and central role of school psychologist as leaders in school-based decision making and on problemsolving teams (cf. a need for improved understanding of how collaborative problem-solving teams operate and how to assist individuals on them to effectively address educational concerns common in U.S. schools.An impressive literature exists with guidance and recommendations about the need for and the process of team-based problem solving (Bransford ). Two messages from this literature are (a) the steps for data-based problem solving remain consistent across time, context, and authors; and (b) there is evidence that current problem-solving practices in schools leave room for improvement.As a field, education is not using be...

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