Few studies examine the effectiveness of community-based early interventions in unselected samples of autistic children, especially those from minoritized backgrounds. These types of studies require attention to strategies for recruitment, retention, data collection, and support for community providers beyond those used in university-based trials.…

Training parents of children with autism spectrum disorder can be a challenge due to limited resources, time, and money. Interactive computerized training (ICT)--a self-paced program that incorporates instructions, videos, and interactive questions--is one method professionals can use to disseminate trainings to broader populations. This study…

Given that more paraprofessionals are hired to deliver one-on-one intervention to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) under the auspices of behavioral health agencies, it is important that these paraprofessionals receive adequate supervision to support their implementation of high quality intervention while often working alone without…

Fifty-nine college students used a modified version of the Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form to evaluate the acceptability of four versions of a sexual abuse prevention program for 10-year-old children. The four versions include an information-based training approach or a behavioral skills training (BST) approach with a focus on strangers…

Two experiments with four autistic children (ages 5-13) demonstrated that reinforcement of appropriate toy play was an effective means of reducing disruptive behaviors of autistic children in unsupervised settings. (Author/DB)

Two components of a gradually faded awakening procedure for treating bedwetting were tested with six children aged 4-11. Thorough awakening was more effective than partial awakening. A second experiment on advancing awakening time produced similar results between a stringent 6 consecutive dry night criterion and a more lenient 6 dry night…

In this case study, a six-year-old, multihandicapped child was treated for self-injurious arm-biting using two response contingent deceleration procedures and two forms of sensory extinction. Only the sensory extinction procedure with protective cuffs reduced arm-biting to manageable levels. (Author/DB)

Two functional communication training (FCT) conditions were compared to treat behavior problems of a child with mental retardation. The child was taught to emit a single FCT response to obtain one of six items or multiple FCT responses that specified the exact item. Only the FCT-multiple conditions reduced problem behavior. (Contains four…

Visual screening, a mildly aversive response suppression procedure in which the child's eyes are briefly covered, was evaluated across two studies for its effectiveness in reducing topographically similar and dissimilar stereotypic behaviors of four moderately or profoundly retarded children (aged 9 or 13 years). (Author)

Findings support the effectiveness of an integration of cognitive and behavioral procedures for developing self-control in children and suggest the relative superiority of the conceptual approach to cognitive-behavioral treatment. (Author)

This article describes use of the Awareness Enhancement Device with a typically developing 6-year-old child to reduce finger sucking despite the child's lack of motivation. This device delivers a tone contingent on occurrence of the target behavior. Substantial reductions in finger sucking resulted only with the addition of a more intense tone (90…

This study effectively eliminated face-slapping behavior in a 10-year-old boy with severe developmental disability and autistic characteristics. The subject wore wrist weights for up to 30 minutes each day. Face slapping did not occur during a follow-up check conducted five months after study completion. (Author/DB)

Two children with mental retardation were trained to emit different communication responses to request the reinforcer for destructive behavior and an alternative reinforcer. Differential reinforcement of communication reduced destructive behavior regardless of whether a functional reinforcer or an alternative reinforcer was available or whether…

The effectiveness of written instructions was compared with the effectiveness of direct instructions for training in the application of four behavior change processes with 12 undergraduates. Both instructional techniques were effective. Direct instruction was more consistently effective immediately, with both techniques producing similar effects…

Examined one-year follow-up data on a cognitive-behavioral treatment. Improvements were found for subjects in all treatment groups, and these effects were attributed to increased age. Results indicated that conceptually trained children showed significantly better recall of the material than either concrete trained or control group children.…