Students sometimes engage in challenging behaviors that require teachers to select and design appropriate behavior management interventions. Teachers may choose from various evidence-based intervention strategies when addressing students' challenging behaviors. Reinforcement-based strategies are preferred due to their desirable long-term outcomes.…

The only consistency with children, with and without disabilities, is that they are inconsistent. Much of a child's behavior is adult controlled by their reaction, methods used, and consistency in support and discipline. When adults change the way they respond to the child's behaviors, the child gradually will learn to modify their behavior.…

Positive or negative behaviors a child displays while exploring, learning, and communicating express how they are adapting to their environment. There are as many reasons for a behavior as there are children. Some children react inappropriately because they have never been given direction or taught how to handle various situations. It is important…

African-American and Anglo-American children's assessments of four disciplinary methods (spanking, reasoning, withdrawing privileges, and time-out) were investigated with 108 children ages 6-10 years old and one of their parents. Children watched videos depicting a child being disciplined and then rated each discipline method. Reasoning was rated…

Recent mandates related to the implementation of evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require that autism professionals both understand and are able to implement practices based on the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA). The use of the term "applied behavior analysis" and its related concepts…

Reviews research on overcorrection, a behavior reduction procedure, and considers its applications to special education in terms of punishment aspects and effects on generalization and maintenance. Advantages (including its effectiveness) as well as disadvantages (such as the length of time it requires) are pointed out. (CL)

The use of contingent positive reinforcement and aversive procedures in reducing inappropriate behaviors in five autistic preschoolers was examined. Ss were reinforced for appropriate behaviors (including spontaneous eye contact and verbalizations, appropriate play, interaction, and direction following) and not reinforced for inappropriate…

The article reviews various therapies for hyperactivity including pharmacological and behavioral therapies. The heterogeneous nature of this population suggests that punishment procedures used as part of a behavioral management intervention may be effective in establishing responsible behavior and warrant more research. (Author/DB)

The study examined effects of aversive taste treatment of thumb sucking on untreated habitual hair pulling by two young males (ages 2 and 5). Concomitant with successful treatment of thumb sucking, hair pulling was also eliminated. Results suggest an efficient method for changing behaviors that are difficult to treat directly. (Author/JW)

In response to Horner and others (EC 232 976), this paper notes earlier recommendation of procedural safeguards to protect client rights and encouragement of positive procedures to increase adaptive skills but questions whether a positive but slow intervention is more ethically valid than more quickly effective "aversive" interventions…

The study evaluated the effects of a fine mist of water applied to the face contingent upon self-injurious behavior (SIB) exhibited by profoundly retarded persons. Results indicated that the water mist procedure may be an effective alternative to traditional punishment techniques. (Author)

Ten papers contributed by school psychologists or university educators working with school psychology programs review psychological theory and research on behavioral strategies for psychological intervention. Following an overview on the effective use of behavior modification in the school, nine behavior change methods are examined in terms of…

The conflict between viewing aversive therapeutic interventions with mentally retarded persons from either an ideological or scientific perspective is examined. It is concluded that some of those who reject aversive therapeutic interventions do so out of a poor understanding of behavioral science and a primarily ideological frame of reference.…

This paper comments on James Mulick's paper (EC 232 032) and views Mulick as rigidly committed to the behavioral paradigm, selectively evaluating data, and misrepresenting the opposition. Because aversive procedures are not wholly effective, positive, educative interventions are encouraged. (DB)

The history of the terms "punishment" and "aversive" is traced, and the influence of inconsistent usage and negative association associated with these terms is analyzed. A conceptual framework is presented to guide the choice of an alternative terminology for behavior reduction. (Author/JDD)