A person's behavior is like a clue in a mystery story. It reveals and it conceals. It leads and it misleads. It speaks a variety of messages and serves a variety of purposes. It is affected by the situations in which it occurs, by the response that it receives, and by the depth of the need that it conveys. It is as complex as the person who uses it, and who is, too often, defined by it. This can be especially true for someone with special needs, who might not always be able to tell us what's wrong, what they need, or how to help. The process that you have before you is a team discussion tool for the development of respectful and successful behavioral strategies for individuals with special needs and those who support them. It is parent-friendly, teacher-useful, non-technical, jargon-free, and respectful of the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved. It is the result of more than 30 years of experience with literally thousands of students and their teams. The Social Learning Profile is useful for families, teachers, paraprofessionals, social workers, behavioral specialists, psychologists, advocates, day programs, group home personnel, and anyone who is searching for a values-based, person-centered approach to assessing and addressing complex behavioral issues for persons with special needs.
Jeff Jacobs, M. Ed. is a Special Education Instructor and Behavior Support Teacher who worked for 42 years within Intermediate School District 287 in Minnesota. Greg Cardelli, MA. Ed, is a Special Education Instructor and Behavior Support Teacher who worked for 37 years within Intermediate School District 287 in Minnesota. Doug Boeckmann is a Manager with Axis Minnesota Inc., an organization that provides homes and services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Doug has also worked as a part-time behavioral consultant with Intermediate School District 287 and for various residential homes and schools for 42 years.
"The Social Learning Profile results from years of experience with students with complex behavioral needs. For parents who are trying to understand those needs and educators who come to the classroom ready to provide the best educational experience possible for their students, this book is as close to an instruction manual as they will find." -Sandra Lewandowski, Ed.S. Superintendent "The Social Learning Profile is the most practical and enlightening tool that I have referenced to understand students' complex and individual emotional and behavioral needs. It embeds all required components of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). It yet offers a clearer and richer perspective of the learner." -Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D. "I have used the Social Learning Profile with hundreds of students throughout my 30+ year career as a tool for guiding team process and determining the needs and supports for the challenges that individuals with complex cognitive and behavioral demands may face. This process is not only thorough but also user-friendly." -Erlene Schwartz, Autism & Behavior Specialist "The Social Learning Profile is the most in-depth and effective method for developing behavior plans for students with special needs that I have used in my 40 years as a Special Educator. I saw amazing results when teams used the Social Learning Profile to address student behaviors. Need a new way to look at student programming around behavior? - The Social Learning Profile is such a method!" -Sara Renee" Soule-Chapman, Special Educator
