Julie Everhart-Sherwood is a Behavior Specialist/BCBA in the Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) located in Central Ohio. OLSD is Ohio’s 4th largest school district, serving 23,540 students (as of May 2023) from preschool through 12th grade. Here she serves multiple schools by providing behavioral support, data collection, coaching, behavioral assessment, training in de-escalation strategies and crisis prevention, professional development, and support for implementing positive behavior support strategies. In addition to her daily responsibilities, Julie recently learned to implement Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT).
“My first experience with the PFA-SBT process began in November 2022. As part of a cohort, I learned how to implement PFA-SBT from Alexandra Beckwith. To say the results of this process impacted me is an understatement. The transformative effects extended far beyond significant behavioral improvements. I had the privilege of learning how to support my students by generalizing the SBT process across settings and events that once seemed unattainable. I witnessed attendance in recess and field trips for the first time and the extension of skills taught during small practice SBT sessions to the general education classroom.
Additionally, as part of my position with OLSD, I often engage in difficult conversations with parents and caretakers concerning severe problem behaviors. Since introducing PFA-SBT, I am happy to share that I have participated in parent-teacher conferences where every comment was positive and entire teams expressed pride and enthusiasm about the positive changes made since introducing SBT. The PFA and SBT process has left an indelible impact, strengthening the rapport between teachers and their students and between teachers and parents.”
