Doctors increasingly use psychiatric medications to treat children and adolescents who have psychosocial difficulties. Briefly describes the most commonly prescribed medications for the following categories: (1) inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; (2) depression, obsessions, and anxiety; and (3) severe aggression and out-of-control…

This article reviews 49 studies describing the use of differential reinforcement procedures to reduce maladaptive responding of persons with severe or profound mental retardation. Reviewed were the differential reinforcement of (1) alternative behavior; (2) low rates of responding; (3) other behavior; and (4) incompatible behavior. Findings were…

To increase the number of times that a woman with severe disabilities complied with requests to take prescribed oral medication, the woman was asked to follow a number of requests with which she typically complied, her compliance was reinforced, and then she was requested to take the medication. (Author/JDD)

Tested efficacy of social problem-solving therapy for unipolar depression and examined relative contribution of training in problem-orientation component of the overall model. Dismantling research design, involving 39 depressed subjects, revealed problem-solving to be an effective cognitive-behavioral treatment approach for depression. (Author/TE)

The conflict between viewing aversive therapeutic interventions with mentally retarded persons from either an ideological or scientific perspective is examined. It is concluded that some of those who reject aversive therapeutic interventions do so out of a poor understanding of behavioral science and a primarily ideological frame of reference.…

This paper comments on James Mulick's paper (EC 232 032) and views Mulick as rigidly committed to the behavioral paradigm, selectively evaluating data, and misrepresenting the opposition. Because aversive procedures are not wholly effective, positive, educative interventions are encouraged. (DB)

In response to James Mulick (EC 232 032), this paper questions the value of the rhetoric used and motives ascribed to both proponents or opponents of the use of aversive therapy with persons having severe mental retardation. Questions concerning distinguishing aversive therapies from abusive treatment and identifying dehumanizing treatment are…

Predictors of premature withdrawal from a 12-week program of behavioral conditioning for childhood nocturnal enuresis were examined for 47 children (ages 5-14). The function containing number of previous techniques used, presence of child behavior problems, and parent tolerance of enuresis was a significant predictor of early termination of…

The literature on the use of physical restraint with adults and children with mental retardation is reviewed, including person-to-person restraint, mechanical devices, and voluntary self-restraint. Conclusions regarding outcomes of contingent and noncontingent restraint, maintenance, reinforcing effects of restraint, and risk of injury are…

Seven parents conducted assessments in an outpatient clinic using a prescribed hierarchy of antecedent and consequence treatment components for their children's problem behavior. Brief assessment of potential treatment components identified variables controlling children's appropriate behavior. Experimental control was achieved for six of the…

This commentary summarizes methodological and conceptual issues in functional analysis methodologies and offers some suggestions for their resolution. Considered are increasing complexity, absence of contingencies during assessment, use of subtle manipulations, alternative assessment strategies, analysis of antecedent influences on behavior,…

This study examined how 3 students (ages 14-18, with emotional or behavioral disorders) allocated their responding across 2 concurrently available tasks associated with unequal rates and equal versus unequal qualities of reinforcement. It found that time allocated to concurrent response alternatives was approximately proportional to obtained…

This study examined the acceptability ratings of positive reinforcement procedures recommended to parents (n=50) in a pediatric behavior management clinic. Results indicated differences in acceptability ratings as a function of behavior problem severity. Significant correlations occurred between acceptability variables and compliance at each of…

This commentary on the use of gentle teaching with individuals with developmental disabilities examines the method's assumptions, describes its use of behavioral techniques, and criticizes its ineffectiveness. (JDD)

This paper reviews the functional properties and procedural variations of differential reinforcement for the reduction of behavior disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes that limited success may be a result of the arbitrary relationship that exists between reinforcers and target behaviors when behavioral…