Background: Physical activity holds great promise as a natural and enjoyable setting for learning and for behavioral change. Despite claims that engagement in physical activity can promote socially desired behaviors, there remains a lack of a clear conceptual base that can guide interventions as well as research endeavors in this field. This…

This pilot study examined the utility of acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (AEBT) for trichotillomania (TTM) and chronic skin picking (CSP) and the impact of altering treatment sequence on overall treatment efficacy. Participants referred to a TTM and CSP specialty clinic were assessed by an independent evaluator within separate, nonconcurrent,…

This paper addresses two problems which are common amongst university students, namely perfectionism and self-handicapping. Perfectionism deals with setting unreasonably high standards for one's own performance, while self-handicapping behaviours provide a possible excuse for poor performance, for example putting tasks off until the last minute.…

Introduction into federal policy of response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) led to widespread adoption and adaptation of the three tier intervention pyramid. As originally presented, the pyramid highlights three different levels of intervention and suggests the percent of students at each level. While…

This Research Note is in response to a request from the Office of Alternative Education to review and report on "model disciplinary policies" as used in school districts around the nation. The primary source of information used to prepare this Research Note came from a professional group identified by Alternative Education. The Advancement…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a training designed to increase early childhood teachers' use of specific praise statements to address problem behaviors demonstrated by children at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders. A multiple-baseline across-participants design was employed to examine the teachers' use of specific praise…

Historically, behavior management in treatment settings has focused on external controls such as points, tokens, and level systems. This article describes one program's transformation where troubled youth develop internal controls and become active participants in their own change. The authors describe their program's journey to help troubled and…

Using rewards to impact students' behavior has long been common practice. However, using reward systems to enhance student learning conveniently masks the larger and admittedly more difficult task of finding and implementing the structure and techniques that children with special needs require to learn. More important, rewarding the child for good…

Bullying behaviors are a growing concern in U.S. schools. We present here a behavioral approach to bully prevention utilizing a schoolwide intervention. Bully prevention in positive behavior support (BP-PBS) teaches students to withhold the social rewards hypothesized to maintain bullying. A single-subject multiple baseline design across 6…

We report a randomized, wait-list controlled trial assessing the effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). An effectiveness analysis was conducted with elementary schools in Hawaii and Illinois where training and technical assistance in SWPBS was provided by regular state personnel over a 3-year period. Results document that the…

This article describes the journey that a family and community took to prepare Leon, a young man with autism, for his Bar Mitzvah. A positive behavior support (PBS) intervention was used to prepare Leon for this symbolic rite of passage into the Jewish culture. He had specific problem behaviors that needed to be addressed for him to participate in…

Behavioral problems such as disinhibition, irritability, restlessness, distractibility, and aggression are common after acquired brain injury (ABI). The persistence and severity of these problems impair the brain-injured individual's reintegration into family, school, and community life. Since the early 1980s, behavior analysis and therapy have…

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vision screening of all children between 3 and 5 years of age, and states have mandated vision screening for all school children. Participants were three 4-6-year old school children with either a developmental delay or autism who scored "could not test" on the state required vision screening.…

Objective: To compare the relative long-term benefit of family-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (FCBT) and child-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) for child anxiety disorders at a 1-year follow-up. Method: Thirty-five children (6-13 years old) randomly assigned to 12-16 sessions of family-focused CBT (FCBT) or child-focused CBT…

Preference for mand topography was evaluated for 2 individuals with developmental disabilities who exhibited problem behavior. The results of a functional analysis showed that each participant's problem behavior was maintained by social reinforcement. Participants were taught two novel mand topographies for the same functional reinforcer, and each…