Before | Student was attending school but was refusing to participate in any undesired activities.
After | By partnering with PTS, a Penn Delco School District reduced the student’s school refusal behavior by 94% within the first month of treatment.
The Details: The PTS Behavioral Services Team Helped Prevent a Costly Outplacement
A student at a suburban high school had been attending school but was refusing to participate in any undesired activities for over three months. As a result, he spent multiple hours a day engaged in problematic behaviors like leaving and disrupting the classroom.
The school had been through several non-PTS behavior support staff personnel and turnover and lack of consistency was a problem. The district was certain this student would be unable to remain in-district and was gearing up for an extremely costly outplacement.
PTS’s Director of Behavioral Health arrived on site within 24 hours to begin a consultation and determined that more targeted assessments were needed. Next, we:
- Completed a formal functional behavior assessment.
- Developed a behavior plan and immediately implemented it.
- Identified a highly trained behavior technician with a comprehensive background in applied behavior analysis (ABA) to meet the needs of this student.
The team collected data on the success of individual reinforcement strategies, enabling the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to fine-tune the student’s program. The daily on-site presence of the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) helped teachers and other staff members learn how to appropriately implement the interventions.
The Results: Student Received the Support He Needed in the Least Restrictive Environment
PTS’s behavior team successfully reduced the student’s school refusal behavior by 94% within the first month of treatment. This student began fully participating in all general and special education curriculum in his home district, and our BCBA continued monitoring him for maintenance.
A year later, this student was still in his home district and serving as an example of success in the least restrictive environment for both families and school district staff.