Behavioral strategies were used to teach exercise and weight control habits, and were combined with diet planning, nutrition education, and a strenuous physical education program in a residential summer camp, to successfully bring about a significant reduction in body fat and heart disease risk of obese boys, 8-18 years old. (Author/JDD)

This report discusses a study that examined clinical outcomes for 145 children (ages 5-17) with severe emotional disturbances attending a Children's Behavior Therapy Unit (CBTU) day treatment program across several locations. Children are referred to CBTU following failed placement with the respective school districts in less-restrictive settings,…

The purpose of the research reviews is to summarize and critique recent single subject designs that could help school psychologists and special education leaders make better decisions. 28 advanced graduate students evaluated the single subject research studies in accordance with the following criteria: Was the study applied, behavioral, reliable,…

This workbook is designed to help parents develop a "common sense" approach to child rearing and become more effective parents. Each of the 15 chapters suggests a parenting skill and gives examples for using the skill in a variety of situations. Each chapter also includes exercises designed to help parents put these skills into practice…

This report brings together empirically-based studies on classroom organization and management and outlines practices that facilitate creation of a classroom system that is both preventive and interventional. The nine sections focus on: using research to create a classroom management system (arranging the classroom, planning rules and procedures,…

In this interview with Susan Conners, a middle school French teacher who has lived with Tourette syndrome (TS) since age 6, she discusses her lack of diagnosis until age 36, difficulties in school, why TS should be listed under "Other Health Impaired" in federal legislation, characteristics of TS, and interventions. (Contains…

This article presents the challenges that urban special education administrators face in serving students with frequent behavior problems. New strategies for creating supportive environments are shared, including creating a positive school climate, increasing capacity to initiate and maintain research-validated practices, and implementing programs…

Children who are deficient in social skills or who have developed inappropriate communication skills may be at risk in school and disruptive to family dynamics. To prevent crises developing in adolescence, the Stop-Think-Do social skills program, first developed in Australia, provides a method of reinforcing cooperative behavior and…

Illegal parking in spaces reserved for people with physical disabilities was examined across three conditions: a vertical sign alone or in combination with a message sign announcing public surveillance or a message device dispensing reminder notes and announcing community involvement. Messages increasing expectation of negative social consequences…

A revised system was developed for documenting the rights restrictions of persons with mental retardation at a state residential facility. The system included a new form, response effort reduction, inservice training for staff, and staff feedback. Results showed an immediate and sustained reduction in documentation errors of 96 direct-care and…

This article reviews and analyzes the functional behavioral assessment (FBA) requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 and its regulations. It explores school district obligations under the law, including the need for training faculty to conduct FBAs, adhere to the procedures of IDEA, and provide quality…

This article describes a pilot program, initiated in 1999 by Smoky Hill High School in Colorado, to help gifted students overcome barriers to their success. The program addresses issues in all components or subsystems of a person's life: emotional/psychological, mental/intellectual, physical, spiritual, social, and family. Tips for parents are…

Explores fears and phobias of childhood from a behavioral perspective. Maintains that many childhood fears are mild, age-specific, and transitory, whereas others persist beyond normal developmental limits. Maintains that severe school phobia is difficult to manage. Notes that reports of successful behavioral treatments of fears/phobias are rare in…

This study examined fidelity in multidimensional family prevention (MDFP), a family-based prevention counseling model for adolescents at high risk for substance abuse and related behavior problems, in comparison to two empirically based treatments for adolescent drug abuse: multidimensional family therapy (MDFT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy…

This paper evaluates a smoking prevention intervention aimed at vocational school students, consisting of an existing Dutch in-school program (three lessons each lasting 50 min) and a computer-based tailored out-of-school program (three tailored letters with smoking prevention messages mailed to students' homes). Nineteen schools that already…