This paper argues that human agency as a causal factor in behavior must be considered in any model of behavior and behavior disorders. Since human agency is historically tied to the issue of consciousness, to argue that consciousness plays a causal role in behavior requires a plausible explanation of consciousness. This paper proposes that…

This study investigated whether the Barkley behavior change program was effective in changing oppositional-defiant behavior of a 12-year-old, male student. The Barkley program uses an applied behavior analysis approach with daily assessment and reinforcement. Weekly meetings were held between the student's parents and the school psychologist at…

The Bridges Program of the Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative in Kansas works to have students with chronic aberrant behavior in alternative school settings function successfully in a self-contained setting in the student's home school. The program works to create an environment which will address the curriculum needs and…

Using a construction building analogy, this guide provides a plan for building a system of behavior strategies. These strategies are designed to assist behavior analysts of contracted provider agencies in the construction and maintenance of procedures which will help monitor and reduce the frequency of problematic behaviors in individuals with…

An exploratory study investigated the success of a small group behavior change program in eliminating self-defeating behavior (SDB) in outpatients with chronic mental illness. Four of the six subjects were outpatients at the local mental health center but were currently not exhibiting psychotic behavior. The remaining two subjects were student…

Summaries of four papers and a discussion presented at a symposium on expanding the research base of systems of care for children's mental health examine school-wide systems of positive behavioral support and provide data on a three-tiered Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program for improving mental health functioning of…

In order for schools and community agencies to develop the capacity to support persons with severe patterns of problem behaviors in typical community settings, they need to be knowledgeable about recent behavioral advances and have processes in place for implementation of these advances. This need creates a new challenge for inservice training of…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated whether a self-contained (SC) or pull-out (PO) intervention model was the most effective and most supportive of children's behavioral gains over the course of the entire 1996/1997 year. Data were collected by reviewing the clinical records of children (ages 6-14) who participated in…

The paper describes a North Carolina program which teaches new behavior as a curriculum area to students with emotional handicaps. New behaviors require instructional approaches similar to academic areas including instructional levels of awareness, understanding, and application. The first step in behavior instruction is targeting behavioral…

A description is provided of the Garrison Model, an educational therapeutic program for youth with severe behavior disorders which emphasizes a student's responsibility for choices that are made. The model was developed at the Garrison School, a public alternative day school in Illinois that serves students with severe behavioral disorders. The…

This report describes first year activities and results of a project comparing two early interventions with 102 children (grades 1 and 2) at risk for emotional or behavior disorders. Fifty-nine children received an intervention involving social skills lessons given on a whole-class basis at least twice a week with information sent home regularly…

Augmented communication was used to reduce aberrant behaviors in a 19-year-old student with severe mental retardation and behavior disorder. Using an individualized constructed communication board with symbols and pictures, the behaviors of inappropriate greetings, grabbing objects without requesting, and lengthy latency in taking medication were…

This report describes the methodology and initial results of an evaluation of the universal (school-wide) Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) initiative in Illinois, including (1) strategies for establishing research-based practices and data-based evaluation systems in implementation schools; (2) methodology and initial findings of…

Using urban schools to provide a pivotal platform from which to launch mental health services, the target population in this study was a group of students (n=41), ages 5-13, with serious emotional disturbances and their families at two elementary schools in Cleveland, Ohio. The children were referred for school-based mental health services by…

This paper addresses two approaches to serving students at risk for or with emotional and/or behavioral disorders in general education settings: (1) use of individual behavior plans (IBPs), and (2) use of the combined classroom model. The process of developing an IBP is detailed, including when an IBP is developed, by whom it is developed, and the…