Evaluated the educational, psychological, and medical literature that addressed emotional difficulties and behavioral problems in students. Determined that the lack of consensus on the terms used to describe the problem prevented accurate assessment of its prevalence. Concludes that low-cost, gate-keeping mechanisms are needed to facilitate early…

Inclusive classrooms are responsible for delivering appropriate education to culturally diverse and behaviorally at-risk students. The Intervention with Dissimilar Learners Model (IDL) addresses diverse student needs. Research shows that this four-level intervention system is effective. The paper explains the use of the IDL to increase positive…

The Parent Perception Inventory (PPI), used to measure children's perceptions of parental behavior, was administered to children in 12 physically abusive families, 15 child problem behavior families, and 16 nondistressed families. All families were single parent, mother-headed, and impoverished. Data from the present sample were compared with data…

Significantly more negative functioning was observed during marital and parent-child interactions for parents of mentally retarded school-aged children than for parents of typically developing children. For both groups, marital quality, the parenting partnership, and child behavior accounted for up to 53 percent of the variance in parenting…

This study examined response to treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin) across 6 measures of cognitive, academic, and social functioning in 71 boys (ages 7-11) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Response ranged from 18 percent to 71 percent across the six measures, suggesting that classifying a child as a responder to methylphenidate…

Weaknesses in traditional forms of social-emotional curriculum development are identified. In the Data Based Curriculum Project, teachers submit, on a standard reporting form, interventions they have found to be effective in changing student behavior, and forms are duplicated, distributed to each participant, and filed by behavior label. (JDD)

Twelve children (ages 40-62 months) with developmental disabilities were divided into 2 groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out. Both interventions were initially successful, but durable results were achieved only with functional…

This case study demonstrates the use of functional assessment to improve the classroom behavior of a 10 year old with mild mental retardation. The process involved conducting a brief prefunctional assessment, identifying variables for hypothesis testing, and developing and implementing an intervention based on the hypotheses. (DB)

Studied patterns of boys' social development by examining data from two longitudinal studies: a Finnish study of eight year olds begun in 1968; and a French Canadian study of six year olds begun in 1984. Patterns were identified using variables of aggression, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, anxiety, and lack of prosocial behavior. (LB)

Teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist were collected on 666 students with mental retardation attending special classes. Classroom placement and age had significant effects on subscale scores, whereas sex failed to affect ratings. The study concludes that the original scoring method, developed for individuals in residential facilities,…

This study found that use of a dependent group evaluation system effectively decreased the group's inappropriate verbalizations and that the 9 students (ages 11-13) with disabilities had positive reactions to the system. The system involved delivering reinforcement based on an identified student's rating and congruence of the student's rating with…

Offers practical suggestions for college faculty and administrators who encounter disruptive students, emphasizing the need for well-defined codes of student conduct and procedures for handling disruption. The article considers why some university officials hesitate to handle psychiatrically related disciplinary problems. It also examines the role…

Examined causal links between early disruptive behavior, poor school achievement, and delinquent behavior or antisocial personality in 324 students followed from first grade to age 14. Concerning self-reported delinquent behavior at age 14, best model for boys was direct causal link between first grade disruptive behavior and delinquency. For…

Discusses expanding the "evaluate solutions" step of problem-solving strategy to develop a guidance plan to solve children's troublesome behaviors. Parents and teacher determine the goals for the child, the child's relevant individual characteristics, the needs of the people involved, and the feelings of those involved as a guide to…

This article presents an intervention framework in which speech-language pathologists and behavioral psychologists view the challenging behaviors of individuals with traumatic brain injury from a communication perspective and address these problems in a way that is positive, integrated, functional, collaborative, and environmental. (Author/JDD)