Differentiating Academic Behaviors from Academic Skills to Inform Interventions

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effect of a reading intervention based on reading need compared to a mismatched behavior intervention and (b) the effect of an academic behavior intervention based on behavior need in comparison to a mismatched reading intervention. Six students took part in the multiple baseline study. Half of the students were selected based on their reading screening scores (CBM-R), and half were selected based on their behavior screening scores (SAEBRS). Interventions were provided in a contraindicated fashion. Providing mismatched intervention did not lead to improvements, but the matched interventions increased positive outcomes. Results indicate that additional brief problem analysis is warranted when planning interventions. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided.