The present meta-analysis integrates research from 1,435 studies on associations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing symptoms in children and adolescents. Parental warmth, behavioral control, autonomy granting, and an authoritative parenting style showed very small to small negative concurrent and longitudinal associations with…

The field of early autism research is in dire need of outcome measures that adequately reflect subtle changes in core autistic behaviors. This article compares the ability of a newly developed measure, the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC), and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to detect changes in core…

Autism is the fastest growing disability ever. With the growth comes a lot of questions as to the etiologies and treatment of this condition, often putting parents, schools, and traditional medical personnel at odds with what treatments have efficacy. As the popularity of alternative treatments increase, so does the need for research. …

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often prescribed psychotropic medication to treat behaviors such as aggression and self-injury. Evaluation of these medications is often based on caregiver report or changes in frequency of behavior. The purpose of this research was to characterize the rate and function of problem…

Background: This study described similarities and differences in the 5-year stability and change of problem behaviour between youths attending schools for children with mild to borderline (MiID) versus moderate intellectual disabilities (MoID). Methods: A two-wave multiple-birth-cohort sample of 6 to 18-year-old was assessed twice across a 5-year…

This review of the literature on functional assessment and treatment of challenging behavior in children and adults with developmental disabilities first discusses functional assessment methods and then research issues, including informant assessment, direct observation assessment, and experimental (functional) analysis. The implications of this…

Three experiments were conducted with two participants with mental retardation that displayed property destruction and stereotypy. The experiments assessed the function of the responses, determined their relationship, and developed a treatment to reduce property destruction. Response blocking reduced property destruction (and attempts), prevented…

This evaluative review describes the history of applied behavior analysis in the area of developmental disability and its strengths and weaknesses. Emphasis is placed on the fact that behavior analysis can continue to provide valuable insights into the education and treatment of people with mental retardation. (Author/CR)

The literature on fears and phobias of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities is reviewed. Assessment procedures are then examined, including interviews, self-reports, parent rating scales, and behavioral observations. Interventions are drawn from the principles of respondent, operant, and vicarious conditioning. (Author/DB)

Using a construction building analogy, this guide provides a plan for building a system of behavior strategies. These strategies are designed to assist behavior analysts of contracted provider agencies in the construction and maintenance of procedures which will help monitor and reduce the frequency of problematic behaviors in individuals with…

Studied the process of child psychotherapy by means of analyses of client verbal behaviors. Analyses of variables demonstrated the nature of each client's verbal responding as well as their pattern of change. Summarized the overall verbal response behavior of each client best through the factor analyses. (Author)

The use of an observational assessment instrument designed for autistic children is described. The Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and other Atypical Children (BRIAAC) measures behavior in eight developmental areas: relationship to an adult, communication, drive for mastery, vocalization and expressive speech, sound and speech reception,…

This article presents criteria researchers should consider when seeking to establish a socially valid understanding of problem behavior. Criteria include determining if behavior change is demonstrated in typical settings and whether the intervention promotes movement in the least restrictive environment, is conducted by families and/or school and…

Both papers deal essentially with the same content. The author discusses briefly the popularity of behavior modification in the treatment of children and characterizes early behavior modification studies as: (1) overly reliant on undesirable features of the antipathetic medical model; (2) too limited in its selection of target subjects and problem…

Replicated a study of boys with conduct problems using a parent-mediated treatment. Parents were trained to alter deviant behavior by following procedures derived from social learning theory. Child behavior showed significant change through termination as measured by parental reports. Follow-up data showed improvements were maintained through one…