Covert self-injurious behavior in a 21-year old with mild mental retardation and cerebral palsy was treated by first identifying tangible and social reinforcers and then providing reinforcers contingent on absence of tissue damage identified during physical examination. Almost complete success was achieved and maintained over 10 months. (DB)

This article reviews features of behavioral support plans that teams should consider as they develop positive, effective responses to problem behavior, including investing in prevention occurrences of problem behavior and developing instructional objectives, avoiding rewarding problem behaviors, rewarding positive behaviors, and knowing what to do…

This article delineates the reasons why educators find punishment a more acceptable approach for managing students' challenging behaviors than positive reinforcement. The article argues that educators should plan the occurrence of positive reinforcement to increase appropriate behaviors rather than running the risk of it haphazardly promoting…

This article describes the Good Student Game, a classroom management tool that uses a game format to help students monitor appropriate classroom behavior such as staying seated and working quietly. It provides recommendations for playing the game and results from three classrooms demonstrating the effectiveness of the game. (Contains references.)…

This study analyzed specific stimuli reinforcing destructive behavior in two 11-year-olds males with mental retardation and severe destructive behavior problems maintained by attention. The use of concurrent schedules of reinforcement identified alternatives to the reinforcing verbal reprimands and led to development of effective treatments to…

A naturalistic behavioral assessment and intervention program over a 3-year period for a New Zealand girl (age 5) with Rett syndrome is described. The most significant reduction in hand mannerisms and other excess behaviors was related to positive social interactions and play that allowed for communication at the affective level. (Author/CR)

This study evaluated use of a token reinforcement program to reduce three inappropriate behaviors of an elementary student with learning disabilities. Results indicated that awarding tokens for the absence of the target behaviors was effective. Practical aspects of the token program, as well as difficulties of employing data collection in an…

The current study describes an assessment sequence that may be used to identify individualized, effective, and preferred interventions for severe problem behavior in lieu of relying on a restricted set of treatment options that are assumed to be in the best interest of consumers. The relative effectiveness of functional communication training…

Positive Behavior Facilitation (PBF) is a comprehensive approach to understanding and intervening in the behavior of youth. Research clearly indicates that the behavior of children is best understood and ultimately managed by comprehensive strategies and techniques that consider not only what a child is doing but also why a child is demonstrating…

We evaluated and treated swimming pool avoidance that was exhibited by a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with autism. In part, treatment involved blocking for flopping (dropping to the ground) and elopement (running away from the pool) and access to food for movements toward a swimming pool. Treatment also involved reinforcement for exposure to various…

A single-subject multiple treatment design counterbalanced across nine participants with moderate to severe and multiple disabilities was used to determine the efficacy of a school-based multi-treatment package (a combined dysphagia treatment and positive reinforcement behavior management program) for children and youth (ages 4-17) with feeding…

School discipline is a growing concern in the United States. Educators frequently are faced with discipline problems ranging from infrequent but extreme problems (e.g., shootings) to less severe problems that occur at high frequency (e.g., bullying, insubordination, tardiness, and fighting). Unfortunately, teachers report feeling ill prepared to…

Off-task and disruptive behavior in two fifth graders decreased rapidly during an intervention in which, working in dyads, they served either as peer monitors or point earners. Peer-monitor and point-earner roles, when alternated on an every-other-day basis, were equally effective in reducing inappropriate behavior. (Author/JW)

The study assessed the effects of a negative practice contingency plus DRO on the self-stimulatory hand-clapping of three developmentally disabled students, aged 6-9. The procedure was effective in suppressing the behavior, and follow-up observations showed that the occurrence of hand-clapping continued to be low. (Author/JDD)

This bulletin is intended to share research-based promising practices with educators including family members, teachers, building administrators, and paraprofessionals. Using a question-and-answer format, it discusses the definition of positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) and characteristics of PBIS. Program characteristics include:…