Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward (Paperback)

Are you ready to be done chasing compliance?

Tired of behavior strategies that don't create lasting change trapping you in a defeating cycle with students whose behaviors disrupt learning and consume disciplinary capacity?

Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward is a practical, neuroscience-grounded guide for educators, counselors, administrators, specialists & school teams who are ready for behavior support strategies that actually work-because they're aligned with the critical interplay between learning, behavior, and nervous system regulation.

Included is immediate access to a comprehensive Implementation Toolkit & Resource Portal, designed to support consistent, real-world application in general education and Tier 1 systems-as well as facilitating the development of shared language, aligned practices & reduced staff burnout across grade and experience levels, and diverse school contexts.

An essential general education companion to Your FBA Is a Fantasy!, Chapters 1-11 establish the same critical foundation - revealing why behavior management approaches consistently fail students with sensitized nervous systems, including those affected by trauma, chronic stress, ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent profiles.

From there, this guide deliberately departs the well-worn path of contingency-based thinking (consequences, motivation, control) and lays out a clear, actionable framework for achieving sustainable behavioral change and getting real results by prioritizing:

• Nervous system regulation as the gatekeeper of learning and behavior
• Skill development and access - as the ONLY path to meeting expectations
• Adult self-regulation as the catalyst for safe, steady learning environments

Designed for professional development & real-world implementation, each chapter supports reflection and discussion, and practical application - making the book ideal for:

• Trauma-Informed district, school or PLC book studies
• Leadership teams, MTSS teams, and Tier 1 behavior support teams

The comprehensive Implementation Toolkit includes the "FORWARD FROM the FANTASY" downloadable Book Study Workbook, along with ready-to-use frameworks, decision filters, classroom strategies, resource banks, and planning tools - so educators and leaders can translate insight into daily actions that fit their precise needs.

If you're ready to move beyond reactive discipline...

If you want behavior support strategies that actually work...

If your staff needs a clear path forward -

This book shows the way.

Throughout a 20+ year career in special education, Doris has been a driving force in transforming how schools respond to students with chronic behavioral challenges and mental health needs. She has led top-tier district programs and restructured district systems for ED and OHI eligibility as well as FBAs and Behavior Plans, with a focus on building emotional, behavioral, social and self-regulation skills necessary for students to return to or remain in general education and thrive. Doris, along with her husband, Rick - nationally recognized as "Team Bowman" - are co-authors of "Your FBA is a Fantasy! A Guidebook to Creating Truly Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans. They are sought-after speakers, trainers and consultants, known for delivery of hope-filled professional development grounded in real, actionable strategies to reach students for whom solutions are often hardest to find. They have trained, coached, and volunteered internationally in locations such as Cuba, Russia, Jamaica, and Guatemala, broadening their perspective on resilience and healing. Their training is not just theoretical - it is deeply personal, and intended to be practical, rooted in neuroscience, and designed for immediate impact. (https: //bowmanconsultgroup.com)What fuels Doris's work is a relentless passion for equipping educators with trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned practices that don't just "chase compliance" by temporarily managing behavior, but instead, truly transform lives-both students' and educators'. In a field and a time where burnout is high and hope can feel scarce, Team Bowman's sessions leave attendees feeling empowered, equipped, and ready to make a profound difference.---- Doris Bowman's qualifications include: - Licensed PreK - 21 Special Educator and Licensed Administrator- Graduate Certification - Applied Educational Neuroscience (AEN)- Adv. Certified Trauma and Resilience Practitioner - Education and Clinical- Certified "The Resilient Heart" (HM) Trauma Program Professional- Certified HM "The Resilience Advantage" Trainer- Certified "Stress and Well-being Assessment" Provider (HM)- Certified Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) Trainer (MGH)

Rick Bowman brings a powerful combination of leadership, clinical expertise, and real-world experience to the field of special education. With a career spanning military service, business, mental health and education, he's held roles as Clinical Psychologist, Alternative School Director, Student Services Director, Assistant Principal and more-always at the forefront of serving youth with the most significant behavioral challenges.Rick, along with his wife, Doris - nationally recognized as "Team Bowman" - are co-authors of "Your FBA is a Fantasy! A Guidebook to Creating Truly Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans. They are sought-after speakers, trainers and consultants, delivering transformative professional development on trauma-informed practices, resilience, and neuroscience-aligned interventions. Known for PD full of actionable strategies to reach students for whom solutions are hardest to find, their content is not just theoretical - it is intentionally practical, rooted in neuroscience, and designed for immediate impact. Rick's service extends beyond U.S. schools-he's trained, consulted and volunteered overseas in Russia, Cuba, Guatemala and Jamaica. He's also served as clinical consultant for mental health clinics, human service agencies, and for-profit corporations.Rick's passion? Equipping educators with proven approaches that don't just "manage" behavior but heal the nervous system and transform student lives and classroom dynamics. Team Bowman understands the immense stress educators face working with students in crisis-and they're committed to ensuring you leave their session feeling empowered, hopeful and equipped. If you're ready for real solutions you can implement immediately, Team Bowman's sessions are ones you won't want to miss!-- Rick Bowman's qualifications include: - PreK - 21 Licensed Administrator- Certified Trauma and Resilience Practitioner - Clinical- Certified "The Resilient Heart"(HM) Trauma Program Professional- Certified HM "The Resilience Advantage" Trainer- Certified Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) Trainer (MGH)