Examines the utility of visual cues as a form of antecedent management for promoting task engagement and lessening the effects of severe and challenging behavior among children with autism. Specific guidelines for designing and implementing activity schedules are described, and a case study is presented. (Author/CR)

Injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for HIV and viral hepatitis, and risky injection behavior persists despite decades of intervention. Cognitive behavioral theories (CBTs) are commonly used to help understand risky injection behavior. The authors review findings from CBT-based studies of injection risk behavior among IDUs. An extensive…

The use of systematic prompting and monitoring to increase written sentence production during a ten-minute assigned composition task was investigated with 78 learning disabled (LD) students in grades 7-12. Subjects were classified as LD, were receiving special education services, and evidenced at least a 2-year lag in written language skills. Six…

The paper examines the effect of two types of prompts in eliciting a zero- or low-probability behavior in three Chicano gang members. A general prompt was ineffective, but subject-specific prompts elicited the target behavior (chain of responses terminating in the publication of writing and art work in a community newsletter). (NQA)

A multiply-handicapped totally dependent young adult exhibited a steadily increasing rate of response in learning to turn her radio on and off by moving her head to activate a controlling device mounted on the headrest of her wheelchair. Positive reinforcement, prompting, and fading were employed during the intervention (Author/JW)

A review of 10 research articles on the use of auditory prompting systems with persons with moderate to severe disabilities found a functional relationship between the use of an audio prompt system and increased task performance. Results support the use of an audio prompt system as an effective intervention. (Contains references.) (CR)

Effects of using dashboard stickers and signature sheets providing information on safety belt regulations were evaluated among 893 occupants of state-owned vehicles in three Florida agencies. Safety belt use increased significantly during the intervention phase in all three agencies and maintained variable but high levels for five months. (JW)

Two experiments to replicate P. E. Touchette's findings on the delayed prompt effect, with 34 subjects having mental retardation, found more variable results, with all five of the possible outcomes occurring with some subjects. The paper concludes that successful use of the delayed prompt technique depends on such factors as difficulty of target…

A prompt fading method was employed to teach an eight-year-old student with severe behavior disorders the self-paced use of a functional behavior (requesting rather than grabbing food items). Initial pairing of prompts and natural cues was followed by a mix of prompted and probe (unprompted) trials. (Author/JW)

Teachers of the learning disabled (LD) and mainstream teachers can incorporate preventive cuing practices into existing classroom management procedures to stop disruptive behavior before it starts. They can encourage LD students to accept responsibility for self-management and can maximize cooperation, minimize conflict, and promote positive…

This paper outlines and reviews two types of interventions used with students with learning disabilities. Cognitive cue cards are regarded as a form of cognitive intervention and correspondence training is regarded as a behavioural intervention. It is concluded that both kinds of interventions are valuable and result in improvements in the…

Teaching strategies that work for typically developing children often do not work for those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. However, teaching strategies that work for children with autism do work for typically developing children. In this article, the author explains how the principles and concepts of Applied Behavior Analysis can be…

Prompting, positive and negative reinforcement, and a gradually extended reinforcement schedule were used with three autistic clients (two six-year-olds and one adolescent) to teach them to maintain on-task behaviors without constant supervision. Results indicated that appropriate behavior could be successfully maintained with only infrequent and…

This study assessed the effectiveness of posting signs for reducing graffiti in three men's restrooms on a college campus. Immediately following the intervention, no marks were made, and results were maintained at three-month follow-up. A possible explanation for the results is that the signs specified an altruistic contingency. (Author/DB)

Reports of 36 studies using the constant time delay procedure with discrete behaviors of special needs students were analyzed. Results are described in terms of demographic variables (e.g., type of subjects, settings, behaviors, instructors, and instructional arrangements), the procedural parameters of the strategy, strategy effectiveness, and…