Most definitions of emotionally disturbed youngsters suggest that disturbances in the child's behavior patterns cause academic and social problems which affect the child and his peers. While the process of identification may be facilitated by operational criteria within a definition, these factors are noticeably absent from definitions of…

In this retrospective commentary on "Acceptability of Behavioral Interventions Used in Classrooms: The Influence of Amount of Teacher Time, Severity of Behavior Problem, and Type of Intervention," I first examine the concept of social validity and related measurement challenges per Wolf's concerns about consumers' subjective reactions to…

The popularity and success of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in public schools across the United States has led professionals to advocate for its implementation in secure juvenile settings. Statewide implementation efforts have been mounted in several jurisdictions, and a number of secure facilities are applying it with…

The current status of at-risk and adjudicated youth with behavioral challenges provides a context for addressing needed future directions for research and practice in fields that impact this population. This context includes the myriad characteristics and complex needs of these youth, the programs and services currently available in communities…

Research on school social dynamics suggests that antisocial behavior is often supported by peer group processes particularly during late childhood and adolescence. Building from a social interactional framework, this article explores how information on the social functions of aggressive and disruptive behavior may help to guide function-based…

The observational study examined the frequency and severity of misbehaviors of 98 behaviorally disordered adolescents on both mainstreamed and categorical bus transportation arrangements. Data indicated a dramatic increase in frequency and severity of misbehavior during the period of categorical transportation with a parallel increase in the…

The article presents an approach (the Fagen-Long Curriculum) to developing skills for self-control as a means of preventing and reducing emotional and behavioral disorders in schools. (SBH)

Saida, a 16-year-old girl in Bermuda, attended a special alternative high school program for students with serious behavior problems. She had been receiving special education for her behavioral problems since the age of 5. Saida regularly used profanity in response to teacher directives, particularly in social studies class. A functional…

The article critiques the Fagen-Long curriculum, an affective education program which provides emotionally disturbed and learning disturbed students with lessons in self-control. (SBH)

The article lists skills to be taught, then describes the psychoeducational training procedures, management problems, and research evaluation results of the structured learning approach for teaching social competencies to aggressive, withdrawn, immature, or developmentally lagging preadolescents and adolescents. Effectiveness reported includes…

Social comparison (i.e., an applied behavior analysis procedure) was used to evaluate a reading program with behaviorally disordered elementary school students. Behaviorally disordered students in a self contained special classroom were compared to average readers in a regular classroom on oral reading performance. (SEW)

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) are characterized by academic deficits and classroom behavioral problems. The relationship between problem behavior and academic difficulties is complex, and some researchers have hypothesized that the classroom behavior problems of students with E/BD are responses to aversive stimuli, namely…

Discussion of science and education focuses on a 35-year collaboration of University of Kansas scientists with an inner city, economically impoverished community, the Juniper Gardens Children's Project. The project has conducted research designed to improve the developmental and educational experiences and achievements of the community's children.…

The current emphasis on educating children in the least restrictive environment has resulted in the use of physical restraint procedures across all educational placement settings, including public schools. Since its initial use, restraint has been controversial. Professionals who use physical restraint claim that it is necessary to safely manage…

Educators have frequently expressed concern about young children who are exposed to known environmental risk factors associated with the development of chronic behavior problems (e.g., poverty, domestic violence, child maltreatment). Nevertheless, a societal commitment to address these environmental risk factors by identifying young children who…