This article describes positive effects of modifying curricular activities in accordance with the individual interests of three elementary students with disabilities (including autism, mental retardation, and emotional/behavioral disorder). Students exhibited less problem behavior and more on-task responding in the modified activity condition. (DB)

Five students with mild disabilities (4 with learning disabilities and one with emotional disturbances), ages 10 through 13, were studied to investigate the effectiveness of self-monitoring, including using self-recording. Results indicated that self-recording was effective in reducing excessive time out of class during unsupervised conditions.…

Research on a team game designed to reinforce positive target behaviors is reviewed. Classroom organization, reinforcement criteria, when and how long to play the game, and reinforcement for winning teams are discussed, as are two variants on the original game. The game is found to be highly effective in reducing talking and out-of-seat behavior.…

Results of this study, involving an adolescent with learning and behavior problems, indicated that self-monitoring can be successfully used in special education settings and then implemented with little effort in mainstream classes to improve on-task behavior and academic performance. (Author/JDD)

This study found that a procedure involving choral responding and self-assessment accompanied by contingent praise may be an effective tool for teaching in-class transition skills to preschoolers with developmental delays. Active engagement sharply increased, with collateral decreases in competing behavior and levels of teacher prompting of target…

This paper examines the relationships of pupils' on-task orientation at school and their opposition to teachers with perceived cognitive competence, perceived relevance of schoolwork, and the belief that going against school norms increases peer status. The study was conducted as a survey among a national representative sample of 3834 pupils in…

Three elementary-age students with severe disabilities were moved from a special education class to an integrated (chronological age-appropriate regular education) classroom. The intervention resulted in substantial reductions in challenging behavior along with simultaneous increases in appropriate task-related and social behavior for all three…

Research on the peer relationship problems of learning disabled (LD) children is summarized, highlighting methodological shortcomings and drawing implications for social intervention. Noted are tendencies of LD children to be frequently off task, to have more negative interactions with teachers and peers, and to be conversationally less assertive.…

This document discusses a program designed to decrease students' off-task behaviors in order to help create a positive learning environment. The targeted population consisted of elementary students from two midwestern communities. Children attended schools in both lower-middle class and upper-middle class schools. The problem of off-task behavior…

The use of a self-monitoring strategy to increase on-task behavior was examined with a post-institutionalization 13-year-old child included in a regular school in Ireland. A functional assessment conducted prior to the intervention indicated the student engaged stereotypy unless involved in academic tasks. After implementation of the intervention,…

This paper reports on the application of a token economy approach to increase on-task behavior and decrease inappropriate "call-outs" of nine seventh and eighth grade Caucasian male students in a self-containted emotional support classroom. The program included a behavioral contract, token economy "bucks" kept in a classroom bank, and a list of 12…

A descriptive analysis of disruptive behavior was generated from filmed observations before and after self-management training with 2 junior high students, ages 13-14, with serious emotional disturbance. Self-management training included modeling, rehearsal, and rehearsal in the apparent absence of supervision. Conditions associated with problem…

The present research describes the development and pilot testing of a new instrument, the Responses to Interpersonal and Physically Provoking Situations Schedule (RIPPS), designed to measure the reactivity of students with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) in the naturalistic setting of the classroom. For this study, 29…

Four junior high aged students (three behaviorally disordered and one learning disabled) received self-management training, without the external control of a token program. The self-evaluation procedures reduced students' off-task and disruptive behaviors in the resource room, but there was little or no spontaneous generalization to the students'…

This study implemented a physical education curriculum focusing on positive social skills in two urban elementary schools. Results showed an immediate increase in student leadership and independent conflict resolution, increased class time devoted to activity participation, and decreased time spent off task or on organizational tasks. Similar…