Some students who have developmental disabilities avoid settings and activities that can improve their learning and quality of life. This two-phase study concerned an adolescent boy with autism who avoided the gross-motor exercise room, gymnasium, and music room at his school; he demonstrated distress, agitation, and problem behaviors when…

Two men with profound developmental disabilities used a mouth-wiping response instrumental to reduce drooling via a micro-switch-based program (i.e., a program in which the response was automatically monitored and followed by positive stimulation). The wiping response was performed via a napkin or a handkerchief placed inside a belt pocket. The…

Many children with mental retardation and developmental disabilities suffer from the consequences of chronic drooling. Behavioral treatment for drooling should be considered before other, more intrusive treatments such as medication and surgery are implemented. However, empirical studies on behavioral procedures are scarce. This article reviews 19…

Significant advancements have been made in the development of procedures to systematically identify preferred stimuli that may function as reinforcers for persons with developmental disabilities. Indirect assessment procedures include care provider and client interviews, whereas direct assessment procedures involve systematically exposing…

Three individuals with severe behavior disorders and mental retardation, whose destructive behaviors were being maintained by positive reinforcement, were treated using functional communication training with extinction. The case studies investigated techniques used to increase effectiveness of delayed reinforcement and to teach individuals with…