A study used functional analyses to identify the social variables that maintained the inappropriate social-communicative behaviors of two adolescent students with mental retardation. Results were used to identify appropriate, functionally equivalent behaviors that the students were taught to self-monitor. The use of appropriate social skills was…

A six-year old with developmental delays who exhibited aggression when asked to pick up his toys was studied to determine the effects of interventions. Treatment included praise, a break, and access to the toys contingent on compliance. Results showed aggression decreased only with social interaction during the break. (Author/CR)

The effects on compliance of two types of differential negative reinforcement (DNR) were studied with a five-year-old girl with moderate mental retardation and a history of severe disruption. Escape from instructional trials was either contingent on a communicative behavior or compliance. Behaviors improved with both interventions, but compliance…