A brief negative-reinforcement assessment was conducted with five children (ages 4 to 14) with developmental disabilities with severe destructive behavior. Children were trained to engage in an escape response and were presented with a variety of stimuli. For each child, several stimuli were identified that may serve as effective negative…

A study investigated the validity of the Questions about Behavioral Function, a checklist designed to assess antecedent behavior, using a sample of 398 persons with mental retardation and self-injurious behavior, aggression, or stereotypies. The checklist was used successfully to derive clear behavioral functions across all three target behaviors.…

Eighteen adolescents and adults with severe/profound intellectual disability were rated by two staff members using the Motivation Assessment Scale to identify variables maintaining their aggressive behaviors. Analysis of interrater reliability indicated that for some individuals the scale may not represent a feasible alternative to more formal…

Evaluation of a 16-session group intervention for reducing inappropriately expressed anger (as aggression) in 25 individuals with intellectual disabilities found a reduction in expressed anger and measured levels of depression. Reductions in expressed anger were maintained at 6 and 12 months follow-up, although scores on the depression scale…

A study used the Questions about Behavior Function Scale to examine the functions of five severe problem behaviors (self-injurious behavior, aggression, stereotypies, pica, and rumination) in 417 institutionalized persons with mental retardation. The most common function for all behaviors except aggression was nonsocial. Aggression was maintained…

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…

A study compared the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI) for assessing the maladaptive behavior of 226 adults, mostly with severe or profound mental retardation. Individuals with elevated BPI scores generally had higher ABC scores, however, the extent of covariation differed across subscales. (Contains…

Two cases are presented in which modifications to the social attention condition were needed to identify maintaining contingencies for two young children with mental retardation and destructive behavior. The effects of two different qualities of social attention are examined, along with the effects of contingent verbal, versus contingent physical,…