TECBD Conference 2021

Each year at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, the TECBD Conference is held in association with Arizona State University and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The annual Teacher Educators for Children with Behavior Disorders Conference is an educational research conference for teacher educators working with children and youth with severe behavioral disorders. Some of the themes discussed this year were:

Academic interventions

Culturally responsiveness in EBD

Behavioral interventions

Internalizing behaviors

Aggression and violence in schools

Assessment

Restraint and Seclusion

Research to Practice

Autism research and interventions

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Characteristics of students with EBD

Multi-tiered Systems of Support

Inclusion

General EBD

Juvenile Justice

Transition

This year IM, in partnership with Brigham Young University and Westlake High School, presented ‘The Use of High School Wellness Centers to Address Mental Health Concerns’. The team, lead by Malka Moya, a Masters Student at BYU studying Educational Psychology, was also comprised of Dr. Paul Calderella (BYU), Jennifer Bitton (Westlake High School), and Paul Feyereisen (IM).

Malka first started her research in October of 2020 which concluded in the summer of 2021 (“Evaluation of a High School Wellness Center”, Moya et. al. 2021). Her research has demonstrated the overwhelming approval from students, parents, and Westlake Staff alike. As a mixed-method study, Malka was able to bring forth quantitative data combined qualitative themes to affectively understand people’s positive perceptions and use of the IM Wellness Center at Westlake.