Sheldon Braaten has worked with children and youth with serious emotional and behavioral disorders for over 25 years. He began his career as a therapist at a mental health center, and then served as a special education teacher followed by 18 years as the administrator of a special school for adolescents. He served as the Meeks Distinguished Professor of Special Education at Ball State University, Muncie, IN (1997 to 2006) and continues as an adjunct professor at Metro State University in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Braaten has taught for the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State University, Portland State University, Portland, OR; Hamline University, St. Paul, MN; California State University, San Bernardino, CA; Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC; and as national faculty for the doctoral program in special education at Utah State University, Logan, UT. 

He is the cofounder of the Minnesota Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (MNCCBD), serving in many roles including president and is a past president and governor of the International Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. 

Dr. Braaten is the author of numerous publications involving program design and development, assessment, intervention planning, policy development and educational reform issues. He served as Executive Editor of Preventing School Failure for 12 years and serves as a consulting editor for other journals. He served as a consultant to many school districts in the U.S. and has made has made hundreds of presentations at state, national and international conferences and numerous presentations for school districts, organizations and other groups. 

As founder and Executive Director of the Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents, he initiated the International Child and Adolescent conference in 1982. Dr. Braaten coordinated the development of transdisciplinary training models for Indiana and Minnesota which provide a foundation for training of teachers and school teams. The Institute offers training to service providers of children and youth throughout the US, including courses for credit. His current research and training interests include skill-based assessment and curriculum-based interventions. He also pursues interests in public policies related to practices in education, mental health and juvenile justice and their implications for improving outcomes for all at risk students who are struggling at home, in schools and the community.