This manual presents a training methodology for use in changing pivotal behaviors of children with autism or other severe handicaps. Behaviors specifically addressed for their far ranging effects involve motivation and responsivity to multiple cues. Seven instructional points are detailed with both good and poor implementation examples. The manual…

Three first grade students who exhibited difficulty completing independent work improved their math performance when given recording devices to self-record performance data, with two of the children showing more reactivity when using the more obtrusive device. Three of four second grade students increased math performance during periods when peer…

The study examined how adding students with learning disabilities (LD) to regular education classrooms changed the behavior of nonhandicapped students and their teachers. Initial observations were of mainstream classes containing no learning-disabled students. Observations were again conducted after LD students had been mainstreamed for 8 months.…

Primary symptoms of cocaine use and behavioral characteristics of chronic users are pointed out. Ways that school health services can help identify and assist students who abuse the substance are suggested. Approaches such as peer identification, self-diagnosis, and use of a school ombudsman are discussed. (PP)

Two studies of three youths (ages 12-14) with severe mental retardation, who used aggression and self-injury to avoid difficult instructional situations, found that simple commands interspersed among more challenging instructional trials were effective at increasing the learners' responsiveness to instructions and decreasing levels of problem…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a natural environment language training procedure that combined the mand-model procedure and the time delay procedure for the acquisition of noun signs and for the spontaneous use of the signs acquired. One autistic boy, aged 5 years, 4 months with no verbal imitation skills and few movement imitation…