A six-year old with developmental delays who exhibited aggression when asked to pick up his toys was studied to determine the effects of interventions. Treatment included praise, a break, and access to the toys contingent on compliance. Results showed aggression decreased only with social interaction during the break. (Author/CR)

This case study evaluated an antecedent intervention for tantrums by a five year-old girl with cognitive, language, and motor problems. Functional assessment correlated tantrums with high-demand activities but not with novel staff. Intervention placed novel staff in charge of high-demand activities and successfully eliminated tantrums, which…

Parents' and grandparents' ratings of alternative treatments for children with behavior disorders were assessed. Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), time-out, response cost, spanking, and medication were applied to noncompliance, aggression, tantrums, and hyperactivity. DRO, response cost, and time-out were found significantly more…

Two head-injured patients were treated for memory difficulties and two for temper control problems. The patients were taught memory aids and anger management strategies in a program emphasizing the role of relatives as co-therapists in ameliorating rehabilitation problems. Three obstacles to progress (denial, guilt, and family roles) are…

A functional analysis of eye poking by a four-year-old female with severe developmental disabilities and visual impairments showed that high rates occurred in all conditions. Attempts to identify the maintaining variable found that eye poking decreased only when finger-eye contact was interrupted by blocking the response. (Author/DB)

The University of Cincinnati's Disordered Eating Response Team supports health and athletic performance for all athletes, particularly those with eating disorders. The protocol for assessment and intervention for athletes at risk includes education for coaches, trainers, athletes, and dining service personnel. Evaluations indicate the program is…

Following inconclusive functional analyses of problem behaviors in 3 children (ages 3-4) with severe disabilities, interventions based on environmental enrichment were implemented. For all subjects, environmental enrichment decreased aberrant behavior if preferred stimuli were used. Explicit reinforcement of appropriate play behavior was required…

This paper explores the reasonableness of expecting conventional experimental methodologies and research reports on behavioral interventions for persons with developmental disabilities to both support the validity of promising practices and guide the efforts of practitioners to implement those practices. New directions for research and practice…

Twenty-six youth, randomly assigned to either a supportive counseling or a new behavioral treatment group, received six months of treatment. Behavioral treatment attempted to restructure family and peer relations and to control urges. At treatment's conclusion, 9% of supportive counseling youth remained abstinent, versus 73% of behavioral group…

Systematic implementation of a peer-mediated self-evaluation procedure to improve the recess behavior problems of three second-grade boys was evaluated. Clear improvements in the boys' behavior were found, which were maintained as the self-evaluation procedure was systematically faded. In addition, treatment effects generalized to another recess…

Functional communication training, extinction, and response chaining decreased escape-maintained aberrant behavior and increased task participation of 3 youth, ages 10 through 15, with moderate mental retardation, 2 of whom also had autism. Task escape was contingent on verbally responding and completing task steps. Behavior chaining also…

Antisocial behavior patterns and the assessment and management of aggressive and violent behavior in the schools are discussed. Behavioral analysis of aggression should identify its antecedents and consequences to provide the basis for intervention. Intervention strategies include behavior enhancement contingencies, behavior reduction…

A national survey of 147 institutions for individuals with mental retardation found that 68 percent of the institutions had used at least 1 of 3 specified treatment options to deal with behavior problems. Results indicated that, in comparison to in-house behavior shaping units and mobile intensive treatment teams, specialized outside referral…

Fifty-seven direct care staff members from an intermediate care facility for adults with mental retardation rated the acceptability of interventions used for self-injurious behavior and completed a measure of knowledge about behavioral principles. Results indicated that staff age and educational attainment were related to knowledge scores, but…

Twenty studies using cognitive-behavioral interventions to influence social behavior of children and adolescents were critically reviewed, using six criteria: subject characteristics, treatment specification, outcome measures, experimental design, generalization and maintenance, and cost effectiveness. It is concluded that cognitive-behavioral…