This study used a self-management treatment package to teach three children with autism to play appropriately in the absence of a treatment provider. Results indicated appropriate play skills were learned and generalized to new settings, and two of the children maintained gains at one-month followup. In addition, self-stimulatory behaviors…

The use of cognitive behavior modification is suggested to remediate problems of illiteracy with deaf students. The discussion focuses on the costs of illiteracy among deaf youth; intervention to improve academic performance; self-efficacy and academic achievement; Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and the concept of scaffolded instruction;…

In this case study, music was applied noncontingently and contingently across four settings with an adolescent male with autism, to reduce aberrant, repetitive vocalizations. The intervention was associated with dramatic reductions in the primary aberrant behavior and reductions in two other aberrant behaviors. Task performance was differentially…

Reviews diagnosis, developmental progression, and etiology of oppositional defiant and early-onset conduct disorders (ODD/CD) in children. Describes family and school behavioral programs for helping these children. Notes that most successful programs will be those which target multiple symptoms of ODD/CD across risk factors, multiple settings…

Describes the use of functional assessment for behavior-support planning with students having chronic behavior problems. Focus is on a functional assessment method that includes the student as an important information source. Following a definition of functional assessment, six steps for developing a comprehensive behavior support plan are…

Describes strong empirical support for the efficacy of behavioral interventions for ADHD and much less than expected support for cognitive behavioral interventions. Asserts that literature suggests that children with ADHD are better suited to highly structured, teacher-centered, well-managed classrooms. Describes reluctance of some teachers to…

This article discusses the contributions of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in effective instruction of students with autism spectrum disorders. Emphasis is on the use of antecedent interventions and curriculum-based assessment. It also notes that the principles and methods of ABA are being integrated into routine educational procedures, including…

Examines home behavior and maternal perception of three girls (ages 10-11) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder before and after parent training intervention. Parent ratings of behavior and emotional states were collected, and observations were made of child and parent home behaviors. Data showed that child compliance improved in two…

A naturalistic assessment of self-injurious behavior in an 11-year-old boy with multiple disabilities, including severe mental retardation, found that the boy's self-injury was occasioned by low attention and low stimulation and maintained by tangible and social reinforcement. Naturalistic assessment effectively guided the selection of behavioral…

This paper discusses how to set up and implement a token economy system for students with behavior disorders in a classroom setting. The available literature is reviewed, and it is concluded that token economies have been proven effective in improving behavior among students with social and academic deficits. (Author/PB)

This article discusses three major purposes of observation in functional behavioral assessment: to describe and help analyze the classroom events leading to challenging behaviors, to develop and evaluate the accuracy of hypotheses about these triggers, and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for challenging behavior developed from the…

This article describes a holistically oriented therapeutic intervention (Quiet Place) developed to promote a sense of peace and relaxation for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Evaluation of the first cohort of British children (n=22) to complete the program indicates the intervention had a positive effect overall on emotional…

An analysis of 396 articles (that included 706 participants) on the treatment of self-injurious behavior found the use of reinforcement-based interventions has increased during the past decade, whereas the use of punishment-based interventions has decreased slightly; both of these trends coincide with an increase in the use of functional…

This preliminary study evaluated effectiveness of a tobacco prevention program on knowledge, attitude, intention, and behavior of tobacco use among fourth-grade students. Results suggest that the program was effective and showed that students in the education group had greater improvement in knowledge than the comparison group. Both students and…

This article discusses the etiology and scope of autism in young children, screening and diagnosis, intervention options, and the use of applied behavior analysis. Supporting evidence of the efficacy of intensive behavioral intervention is cited, and variations in treatments and techniques are reviewed. Barriers to effective services are also…