Schools are confronted with students who present serious behavior problems that were once only seen in secure settings. In order to be effective with these students, staff members need to acquire skills for managing crises. Article suggests that staff members put students first; use many tools for cultivating strengths; and learn from young…

Individuals (n=177) who had participated in an 18-month trial of behavioral interventions involving food provision and financial incentives were examined 12 months later. Food provision, but not financial incentives, led to better weight loss than standard behavioral treatment, but over 12 additional months of no-treatment follow-up, all treated…

Comments on the exchange between N. S. Jacobson and S. D. Hollon, I. Elkin, R. D. Gibbons, M. T. Shea and B. F. Shaw, and R. J. McNally highlight issues of continuing controversy in the comparison of drugs versus psychotherapeutic interventions. Discusses the best way to control for things such as the allegiance effect and the role of pill…

Three developmentally normal adolescents with chronic hair pulling were treated with a simplified habit-reversal procedure consisting of awareness training, competing response training, and parental social support. Treatment resulted in immediate reduction to near-zero levels of hair pulling with one to three booster sessions. Results were…

Describes a model of service delivery for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders that seeks to prevent at-risk students from being placed residentially and to return those who live in residential school to less restrictive environments. Describes the organization and critical components for the Family Support Program. Discusses…

This commentary discusses three major factors that are reshaping the field of behavioral support: change in the outcomes of research/intervention, change in the comprehensive nature of interventions, and change in the contexts in which research is conducted. The focus on broader outcomes, comprehensive support, and real contexts is emphasized. (CR)

A study investigated whether an academic or a social skills intervention would be more effective in increasing academic performance and social competence and in decreasing problem behavior of 53 first-graders. Academic, social, and behavioral outcomes measures were examined. None of the interaction terms was significant for any dependent variables…

Stereotypy is a relatively common behavioral disorder displayed by individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism. In this paper, we review selected studies on neurobiological interpretations of stereotypy and pharmacological interventions for stereotypy. Specifically, we review studies that evaluated the effects of serotonin uptake…

We evaluated an enriched teaching program for reducing resistance and indices of unhappiness displayed by 3 individuals with profound multiple disabilities during teaching sessions. The program involved presentation of preferred activities before, during, and after each teaching session, discontinuation of identified nonpreferred activities, and a…

Psychosocial treatment options are nearly as broad as the behavioral problems that they address. With literally hundreds of treatment approaches available, how should clinicians select the most appropriate and effective intervention? One way is to consider using only those treatments with evidence of therapeutic efficacy. Indeed, funding agencies…

Corrective Thinking Training, a cognitive-behavioral intervention, is often used to address delinquency. It is intended to help individuals develop more responsible thinking. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Corrective Thinking Training on the self-reported level of responsible thinking of at--risk youth. The "How I…

The authors conducted an investigation of The Pennsylvania State University's Alcohol Intervention Program Level 2 (AIP2) to determine goodness of fit of the program components and its underpinning theories. They determined that the Health Belief Model, Social Norms Theory, Social Learning Theory, and the Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change…

In this study, an autism support teacher used a high-probability request sequencing technique to help a middle-school student with autism engage in three transition behaviors. High probability request sequencing refers to a procedure in which 2 to 3 preferred questions, highly associated with compliance, are rapidly given before presenting a low…

The association between the development of antisocial behavior, affiliation with deviant friends, and peer rejection was tested with a preventive intervention; 664 boys and girls were randomly assigned to a universal classroom-based intervention targeting disruptive behavior or a control condition. Peer nominations of antisocial behavior, friends'…

Assessments of consultants, clients, and consumer satisfaction were used to examine the effects of a competency-based consultation training program conducted over 4 years. Using a multiple-baseline framework to assess training effects on consultants and single-case study designs to evaluate changes in client behavior, a number of significant…