For years, the assumption has been that stereotypical behaviors functioned only to provide sensory or automatic reinforcement. However, these behaviors also may serve social functions. Given the unsettled debate, functional behavior assessment and functional analysis can be used to identify the exact function of stereotypical behavior and design…

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 position paper of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders critically reviews objections to special education service for children with conduct disorders and concludes with a series of recommendations for improving the assessment and identification of all children with behavioral disorders. (DB)

A study assessed the prevalence and structure of antisocial behavior among 440 Head Start 4-year-olds. Findings indicate overall levels of aggression of the children were higher than in children in community child care classrooms, however, the percentage of highly aggressive children did not differ significantly between samples at this age.…

A descriptive study compared family management practices of parents of antisocial and nonantisocial fourth grade boys (N=80), including discipline, monitoring, positive reinforcement, involvement, and problem solving. On average, antisocial subjects were exposed to far more negative and less competent family management practices than were subjects…

The article critiques interpretations purporting to distinguish between serious emotional disturbance (SED) and social maladjustment (which is excluded from the federal SED definition). An interpretation of social maladjustment based on social deviance is proposed to more clearly determine eligibility for services under provisions for the…

The authors review and discuss the applied behavior analysis procedures that have been found to be effective in controlling severe forms of maladaptive behavior and outline several considerations that may influence the success with which severe forms of maladaptive behavior are controlled in a classroom setting. (SBH)

The article addresses the exclusion of social maladjustment from the federal definition of serious emotional disturbance and proposes a limited interpretation which would prevent the inappropriate exclusion of students with antisocial behavior from special education services. Briefly discussed are related issues of identification and programing.…

Two studies evaluated effects of First Step to Success, a collaborative home and school early intervention program designed for kindergartners who show signs of emerging antisocial behavior. Two sets of 5-year-old male twins were the subjects of the 4-year studies. Exposure to the First Step program produced powerful behavior changes that were…

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…

The increased prevalence and seriousness of antisocial behavior displayed by today's youths have become serious concerns for parents, educators, and community members. Antisocial behavior has a developmental course that starts with minor offenses in preschool (e.g., whining, teasing, noncompliance) and develops into major offenses (e.g.,…

We compared threats of violence made by K-12 students in special education (120 cases) or general education (136 cases) in schools that were implementing threat assessment guidelines for managing student threats of violence (Cornell, Sheras, Kaplan, McConville, Posey, Levy-Elkon, et al., 2004; Cornell & Sheras, in press). Students in special…

Social skills training has been recommended as an intervention for students having difficulty establishing meaningful social relationships with peers and teachers in school settings. Several meta-analyses of the relevant literature have shown weak to moderate effects, whereas other syntheses have shown somewhat larger effects. The meta-analyses…