Study objective: Examination of effects and component analysis of training functional behavior assessment (FBA) skills that are important in properly collecting information and designing behavior support plans (BSPs). Design: 2 groups assigned to the independent variables in different order were given a pre-test, mid-test, post-test, and maintenance test. Setting: The authors' university. Participants: 6 undergraduate students enrolled in a teacher-training course. Intervention: The students heard lectures about basic principles of behavior analysis, and engaged in simulation exercises with the use of checklists and feedback. Measure: The contents of interviews by the participants were analyzed, as were the contents and validity of the behavior support plans that they designed; their knowledge was also tested. Results: Almost all aspects of the skills relevant to functional behavior assessment and behavior support plans improved. Especially, information collection and planning about the consequences of behavior changed greatly. Conclusion: Though almost all aspects of the participants' skills improved, the 2 groups showed different trends. These results suggest the possibility that skills for planning valid behavior support plans may be predicated on basic knowledge of behavior analysis.

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Study objective: To examine effectiveness of guided notes when teaching students with intellectual disabilities (ID) how to take notes during lectures. Design: Multiple-baseline design. Setting: Morning and end-of-the-day meetings and classes that the students attended with classmates. Participants: N=2: A male student with intellectual disabilities and a female student with intellectual disabilities and autism, who were enrolled in the junior high of a special needs school, intervention: In each setting, the teachers provided notes consisting of 4-5 multiple choice questions related to the content of the lecture. The participants were instructed to circle the correct alternatives while listening to the lecture. Immediately after the lectures, the teachers asked questions about the items in the notes, as well as giving verbal praise for correct responses. Measures: Percentage of correct responses to the questions and percentage of correct note-taking without the teacher's prompt. Results: After the introduction of the guided notes, the participants emitted note-taking behavior, and the percentage of correct responses increased and stabilized with few errors. Conclusion: The effects of guided notes were replicated for students with intellectual disabilities.

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Punishment, a behavioral contingency that directly suppresses responses, is defined as a procedure in which (a) certain responses have consequences, (b) those responses decrease in frequency, and (c) the decrease in frequency occurs because of the response-consequences and not for some other reason. Regardless of side-effects of punishment, any procedure, including physical punishment, that satisfies the definition is a form of punishment. Several strict conditions are needed in order to realize complete response suppression, and diverse undesirable side-effects should be expected when punishment, especially positive punishment, is applied. Physical punishment is sometimes misused because it can be effective in social situations. Factors that justify its practice may include self-control or rule-governed behavior. It is recommended that physical punishment be avoided as a means of suppressing even problematic behavior because other available procedures have fewer problems. Although punishment can suppress responses, it should not be the procedure of first choice. In this sense, punishment may be considered a self-contradictory behavioral contingency.

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The present paper focuses on positive behavior support for preventing the use of corporal punishment. Positive behavior support (PBS) is an applied science that uses educational and systems-change methods to enhance quality of life and minimize problem behavior (Carr et al., 2002). It focuses on teaching desirable behaviors and improving the environment, based on a functional assessment of undesirable behavior. In the United States, positive behavior support is mentioned in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Considerable research has accumulated relating to individual support and whole-school approaches. Today, reliable proactive methods are available that do not involve using corporal punishment.

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The present article, which responds to a statement by the Japanese Association for Behavior Analysis condemning corporal punishment, explains due process, such as disciplinary action, suspension, and physical restraint, for students' behavioral problems. By drawing a line between what is corporal punishment and what is not, additional explanation is provided as to what the Association opposes. School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS), which is preventive, multi-layered, and system-wide, is also described. Furthermore, disciplinary procedures stipulated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are described, and procedures based on effective and valid support that are appropriate for behavioral problems are discussed.

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