A sharp pinch on the back of the hand, contingent upon hand in mouth behavior, was found to be an economical and effective aversive stimulus in a program which successfully reduced compulsive hand in mouth behavior related to vomiting and rumination of a profoundly retarded adolescent over a 3-month period. (Author)

Lists advantages and disadvantages of the token economy system as a behavior control tactic. Discusses ethical issues relating to the use of behavior modification techniques in the classroom. (SK)

Examined the effectiveness of a response cost treatment package for improving the classroom behavior of four aggressive preschoolers. Teachers removed smiley faces and reprimanded children contingent on aggressive behavior. Results indicate that this method substantially decreased aggressive behavior and was a highly acceptable classroom treatment…

This article describes the development of statewide system change in positive behavior support being implemented by the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs in collaboration with the University of South Carolina. Key areas discussed include the impetus for change, the development process, plan components, capacity building,…

Takes issue with the findings of T. Levine, and S. McCornack, which suggest that behavioral adaption explanation (BAE) cannot account for the probing effect, the effect that sources interrogatively probed appear more honest to message recipients than nonprobed sources. (TB)

Responds to David Buller's defense of Behavioral Adaption Explanation (BAE), which was, in turn, written in response to the authors' critical analysis of BAE as an explanation for the probing effect. (TB)

Describes consultation to a public school district in the form of a systems-wide evaluation of instructional and behavior support practices for students with developmental disabilities. The format of the evaluative model, respective findings, suggested remedies, and implications for large-scale public school consultation are provided. (Contains 22…

Parent training is often used to treat non-compliance and social problems in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The current study directly examines changes in hyperactivity and inattentiveness in 3 girls whose parents participated in a parent training intervention. Findings suggest that parent training programs may narrowly focus on overt…

This paper expresses support for the resolution of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps to prohibit aversion-based procedures. In response to Horner and others (EC 232 976), the paper agrees on the values expressed but disagrees on the science reported. (DB)

An ecological survey is used to collect information about a wide range of variables that can influence a student's problem behavior. The survey enables teachers and parents to identify the settings and conditions in which behaviors are displayed, in order to develop an appropriate behavior change program. (JDD)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of high probability requests and time-out as treatments for noncompliance which appeared to be maintained by contingent attention in two developmentally normal children. The introduction of high-probability requests increased compliance for one child but not the other. Time-out was effective with both…

Parents (n=58) rated the acceptability of behavioral treatments recommended to them for their children's behavior problems and completed an attribution measure. Results indicated that a significant, negative correlation exists between physical attribution ratings and acceptability ratings of behavioral treatments, with the magnitude of the…

Two students with severe disabilities were alternately presented with interspersed high-compliance requests and social comments as antecedents to low-compliance requests. Analysis found similar positive effects on compliance for interspersed requests and social comments. The effectiveness of social comments was related to the time interval between…

A home-based contingency management program, consisting of diet modification, laxatives, correction for soiling accidents, stimulus control training, and positive reinforcement, was implemented for treatment of a 4-year-old encopretic male. The findings provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of dietary modification combined with behavior…

This response to a paper by Guess and Carr (EC 602 212) on stereotypy and self-injurious behavior in the disabled focuses on (1) potentially misleading statements that may discourage practitioners from operant approaches to stereotypy and self-injury, and (2) strengths and weaknesses of the model compared to existing operant models. (DB)