Wicksell and colleagues (2005) addressed the important and currently understudied realm of chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain treatment in children. They presented a brief overview of empirically supported treatments for children with chronic pain, detailed their case and intervention strategy, and offered conclusions regarding the potential…

This paper presents cognitive strategies as one major approach to pain management. They are discussed as part of a trimodal system of pain management that also includes behavioral manipulations and physical intervention. The need for a standardized classification to deal with terminological inconsistency in the literature on cognitive management…

This introduction to several articles on punishment in treating persons with mental retardation notes the ethical dilemmas involved and offers the editor's view that research on the side effects and relative efficacy of various treatments for reducing self-injurious behaviors should continue, and clinical practice should be guided by research…

This report reviews current literature on feedback and suggests practical implications of feedback research for educators. A definition of feedback is offered, and past definitions in prior research are noted. An analysis of the current state of knowledge of feedback discusses the historical development of feedback theory and suggests that…

This response to a paper by Guess and Carr (EC 602 212) on stereotypy and self-injurious behavior in the disabled focuses on (1) potentially misleading statements that may discourage practitioners from operant approaches to stereotypy and self-injury, and (2) strengths and weaknesses of the model compared to existing operant models. (DB)

The conflict between viewing aversive therapeutic interventions with mentally retarded persons from either an ideological or scientific perspective is examined. It is concluded that some of those who reject aversive therapeutic interventions do so out of a poor understanding of behavioral science and a primarily ideological frame of reference.…

This paper comments on James Mulick's paper (EC 232 032) and views Mulick as rigidly committed to the behavioral paradigm, selectively evaluating data, and misrepresenting the opposition. Because aversive procedures are not wholly effective, positive, educative interventions are encouraged. (DB)

This commentary summarizes methodological and conceptual issues in functional analysis methodologies and offers some suggestions for their resolution. Considered are increasing complexity, absence of contingencies during assessment, use of subtle manipulations, alternative assessment strategies, analysis of antecedent influences on behavior,…

This paper reviews the functional properties and procedural variations of differential reinforcement for the reduction of behavior disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes that limited success may be a result of the arbitrary relationship that exists between reinforcers and target behaviors when behavioral…

The field of behavior analysis has not learned how to develop interventions that rely on positive reinforcement for all participants, including the normal adults who implement them. Thus, the field has not learned how to avoid evoking countercontrol. Establishment of collaborative relationships with the people targeted for help is suggested. (JDD)

Discusses ways of dealing with the learned helplessness common in clinically depressed children undergoing foster care. Recommends social care treatment, which is inherent in daily living, and is guided by trained foster parents and caretakers. (SKC)

The educational and research implications of defining mental retardation as a self-regulatory disorder are explored. Behavioral, social-learning, and cognitive conceptualizations regarding the structure and development of self-regulation is examined. Self-regulation is described as a complex linguistically guided skill that can be taught through…

The paper argues that behavioral research with children might have more impact if experimenters paid more attention to assessment of long term maintenance effects, dissemination, and social validity of behavioral programs. Selected illustrative studies from the child behavior modification literature are reviewed and suggestions offered. (DB)

Issues that impact on the ability of behaviorists to be effective in solving social and community problems are discussed, including use of legislative initiatives to bring about behavior change, sustaining interventions with local resources, and the possible rewards from employing collaborative methods in behavioral research. (JDD)

This paper responds to commentaries on an original article which proposed decreasing the training of applied behavior analysts as if they were going to be researchers, because most are not. The paper supports high quality research but opposes inculcating proresearcher, antipractitioner values in graduate education and recommends trying harder to…