Five adolescents with autism, 5 control participants, and 4 child controls received rewards for varying their sequences of responses while playing a computer game. In preceding and following phases, rewards were provided at approximately the same rate but were independent of variability. When reinforced, variability increased significantly in all…

Reviews practical issues involved in the behavioral treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Traditional treatment strategies, non-behavioral treatment approaches and their efficacy, behavioral methods of treatment, and best treatment practices are outlined. A summary sheet of treatment methods and best treatment practices is…

Mood disorder subjects have a selective deficit in recognizing human facial emotion. Whether the facial emotion recognition errors persist during normal mood states (i.e., are state vs. trait dependent) was studied in one male bipolar II patient. Results of five sessions are presented and discussed. (Author/EMK)

This article on the use of applied behavior analysis with students who have autism focuses on discrete trial training (DTT) to develop new forms of behavior, new discriminations, advanced skills, and manage disruptive behavior. Cautions include the need to combine the method with other interventions, provide intensive DTT during early phases of…

This paper examines behavior interventions for echolalic behavior in children with autism, including verbal prompting (focusing on the echolalic behavior itself) and the cues-pause-point procedure (which employs the child's prerequisite skills to teach correct verbal responses). A review of the literature indicated that both techniques were…

Presents details of Instant Alert Hypnosis procedure as an adjunct to neurotherapy in the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Discusses AD/HD diagnostic issues, demographics, traditional treatments, neurological basis, EEG assessment, implications for the use of hypnosis, and the efficacy and promise of neurotherapy with and…

Tested use of instant alert hypnosis on 16 children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Found that EEG beta-theta ratio means were significantly higher in trials of neurotherapy combined with alert hypnosis than neurotherapy alone. Beta was significantly enhanced, whereas theta was inhibited. Identified improved treatment efficacy and…

A study assessed the effectiveness of using objects of obsession as token reinforcers to increase task performance of three children (ages 7-9) with autism. Results indicated that percentage correct on task performance was higher when objects of obsession were used as tokens as opposed to when typical tokens were used. (Author/CR)

Proposes that recent, successful litigation in the UK against 'stress-inducing' employers suggests that therapists need to be aware of the possible pitfalls of providing stress counseling in the workplace. Some therapeutic approaches, for example, cognitive therapy, may be efficacious but provide a perspective that can be given a different…

This study evaluated the effects of alcohol-focused spouse involvement and behavioral couples therapy (BCT) in group drinking reduction treatment for male problem drinkers. Sixty-four male clients and their female partners were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: treatment for problem drinkers only (PDO), couples alcohol-focused treatment, or…

Little is known about longitudinal prescribing practices for psychoactive medications for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (IDDD) who are living in community settings. Computerized pharmacy records were accessed for 2344 community-based individuals with IDDD for whom a total of 3421 prescriptions were…

Behavioral and cognitive behavioral treatment interventions have been shown to be effective for the treatment of trauma-related problems in children. However, many children and families in need of treatment do not have adequate access to services and do not have access to effective, evidence-based treatment services. The present article describes…

Despite the successes in the treatment of chronic trauma-related distress, little attention has been devoted to developing behavioral interventions to be delivered soon after traumatic exposure in an effort to promote positive posttraumatic adjustment and to minimize the likelihood of enduring psychopathology. As a result, other forms of early…

In this article Simon Ellis and Janet Tod review the KS3 National Strategy Behaviour and Attendance strand (DfES, 2003a; 2004a) and the Behaviour and Attendance pilot materials from the Primary National Strategy (DfES, 2003b; 2003c; 2003d). Relevant policy documentation is examined in order to explore how the role of the special educational needs…

Despite a long history of viewing homosexuality as pathological and in need of change, the majority of mental health professions have, during the past 30 years, adopted statements that have depathologized lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. However, concurrent with these advances has been a rise in religious and therapeutic approaches to…