Literature is reviewed documenting the relationship between implementation of communication intervention and decreases in excess behavior in persons with severe disabilities. Operant conditioning and pragmatics are discussed in terms of their joint application to excess behavior, and a list of possible pragmatic intents of excess behavior is…

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) was applied to reduce the destructive behaviors of five-year-old quadruplets diagnosed with mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorder. Findings suggest that the effectiveness of NCR may be dependent on the use of a dense schedule of reinforcement initially and that systematic fading can increase the…

After finding that self-injurious behavior in two young males with developmental disabilities was negatively reinforced by escape from instructional activities, an intervention provided noncontingent escape on a fixed schedule and differential negative reinforcement of other behavior. Provision of escape, even when noncontingent, resulted in…

Presents a model to help teachers and curriculum developers identify priorities for health instruction. The model combines ideas from many accepted theories in health education. The paper examines basic questions for curriculum planning, then describes the development and use of behavioral maps. (SM)

This article points out the demonstrated effectiveness of behavioral interventions across a broad spectrum of school populations. The article discusses the following aspects of applying reinforcement techniques in the classroom: commonly used behavioral terminology, reinforcer selection, critical application factors, advantages and disadvantages,…

Evaluation of reductive treatment versus instructional treatments on the generalized reduction of problem behaviors in two adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities indicated that when only one member of a response class was blocked, a collateral increase in other problem behaviors was observed, but learning an alternative positive…

This article reviews the psychoeducational, behavioral, and ecological models underlying educational services to students with behavior disorders. Models are compared for their explanatory nature, implications for intervention, and how they address the scientific approach to behavior disorders. (DB)

A review of the January 1993 issue of the "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior" concludes that behavioral interventions produce collateral effects, but predicting those effects in applied work is complicated because of verbal and instructional influences and because of interactions among reinforcer types. (JDD)

Examined effect of locked behavioral/cognitive treatment setting on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Jesness Inventory scores of conduct disordered adolescent inpatients. Pre- and posttest scores for 30 male and 20 female patients showed statistically significant changes on both inventories. Males responded to treatment more…

A draft policy developed by the Minneapolis (Minnesota) public schools concerning the use of aversive or deprivation procedures with students who are handicapped is presented. The policy model covers such elements as response to prior interventions; written treatment plan; informed consent; supervision; maintenance and retention of records;…

Comparison of eight individuals with mental retardation and severe, life-threatening, self-injurious behavior who received electrical aversive treatment with eight similar individuals who did not receive this treatment found that, over a 3-year period, electrical aversion treatment significantly reduced the degree of imposed mechanical restraints.…

Presents a historical overview of the pragmatic and multidisciplinary field of child psychopathology, its origins, evolving trends, and future directions as a supplement to the 1998 edition of Ollendick and Hersen's "Handbook of Child Psychopathology." Follows with a detailed review and evaluation of the handbook, with general…

A study investigated the use of self-modeling to facilitate generalization and maintenance of the reduction of self-stimulation in a six-year-old boy with intellectual disability. The study used a videotape self-as-a-model method to successfully decrease hand flapping. (CR)

A study conducted functional analyses of the elopement of three children (ages 4-11) with developmental disabilities. The results identified a maintaining reinforcer for the elopement of one child and reinforcer assessments clarified the reinforcers for the other two. Results of the assessments were then used to develop successful treatments.…

The automatically reinforced self-injury of a girl (age 11) with autism was treated by providing noncontingent access to a single set of preferred toys during 30-minute sessions. Rotating toy sets after 10 minutes or providing access to multiple toy sets resulted in reductions that lasted the entire 30 minutes. (Contains four references.)…