Skill‑Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Challenging Behaviors in Schools: A Scoping Review

This scoping review examines how skill-based treatment (SBT) has been implemented to address challenging behavior in school settings. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR) framework, seven peer-reviewed studies and one dissertation involving a total of 20 participants aged 4–18 were reviewed. All participants received SBT in school settings following a Practical Functional Assessment (PFA). Data were coded on participant characteristics, target behaviors, setting and implementers, intervention characteristics and reported outcomes. Across studies, most participants demonstrated suppression of dangerous target behaviors and reductions from baseline in non-dangerous behaviors. Although preliminary findings suggest SBT can be integrated into school contexts, its use in general education classrooms remains limited. This review highlights promising preliminary outcomes for SBT in school settings but underscores the need for further research examining scalability and implementation in typical school environments. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.