Abstract
The push for inclusive education has been the trend in the last decade. With the movement for all students to be educated with their peers of the same age, no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or disability, teachers are in need of additional training to prepare them for the ever-changing educational environment. With inclusive practices, educators are working with students of all needs, including students who display challenging behaviors. These behaviors could be due to a disability (e.g. Autism, Other Health Impairment, Emotional Disturbance, Specific Learning Disability), a traumatic event(s), or a mental illness. Students who display challenging behaviors come from many culturally diverse environments and it is important for general and special education teachers to understand the difference between a student exhibiting challenging behaviors due to a disability or due to trauma, which may be related to a mental health concern. Teachers are in need of training for more individualized supports to help assist students who are showing behavior challenges that do not decrease with the current school wide and class wide interventions taking place. This project provided training in a series of two presentations on the topic of supporting students with challenging behaviors. The specific topics addressed were how challenging behaviors could be due to a disability, the role of trauma, as well as the impact of mental health. This project overviews the importance of trauma-informed schools, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), as well as the various multi-tiered level of supports to assist students’ needs in the classroom.