The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students

Based on a collaboration dating back nearly a decade, the authors of The Behavior Code--a behavioral analyst and a child psychiatrist--reveal their systematic approach for deciphering causes and patterns of difficult student behaviors and matching them with proven strategies that get students back on track academically. This book includes user-friendly worksheets and other helpful resources for applying the authors' approach.

"Teaching is an art, but it's one that can be improved with science. Based on what we have learned in the field of psychology, The Behavior Code gives teachers the tools to transform the behavior patterns of some of their most challenging students. By using this essential book, teachers--instead of punishing or writing "off troubled students--can get them onto a path for success." -- Geoffrey Canada, president and ceo, Harlem Children's Zone

"The Behavior Code is truly a godsend. Concisely written and easy to read, this book offers a framework for creating successful behavioral plans. I predict that once teachers and principals begin to apply the authors' approach for understanding and changing problematic behavior, they'll never look elsewhere for help again. Buy it, read it, use it, read it again and again--and pass it on!" -- William S. Pollack, associate clinical professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

"This book is an essential guide for teachers and school personnel who find themselves in daily contact with students presenting with difficult behaviors. The authors outline an intervention procedure that is easily implemented in a busy classroom with multiple demands. Too often, behavioral intervention plans require so much attention to detail that teachers soon decide to disengage. Not so with the FAIR plan. By providing clear instructions and helpful examples, the authors promote a plan that prevents inappropriate behaviors while reinforcing socially acceptable alternatives." -- LeAdelle Phelps, professor of counseling/school psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY

Jessica Minahan is a board-certified behavior analyst and special educator who is currently employed in the Newton (Mass.) public school system as a district-wide behavior analyst. Nancy Rappaport is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide (Basic Books, 2009).