The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom behavior management procedure that has been shown to be effective in reducing disruptive behavior across many settings and populations (Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, Muething, & Vega, 2014). We investigated the effects of the GBG on student and teacher behavior in two classrooms containing fourth- to…

This paper reviews the functional properties and procedural variations of differential reinforcement for the reduction of behavior disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes that limited success may be a result of the arbitrary relationship that exists between reinforcers and target behaviors when behavioral…

Five adult males with profound retardation were assessed on a motor task during baseline, satiation, and deprivation conditions, with three classes of consequences: small food items, music, and social praise. Each stimulus class functioned as reinforcement, with different degrees of effectiveness during satiation versus deprivation conditions.…

A study evaluated the utility of a five-minute stimulus preference assessment for 20 individuals with developmental disabilities. The brief assessment identified stimuli that functioned as reinforcers for a simple operant response and identified preferred stimuli that were differentially effective as reinforcers. This assessment was associated…

The applicability of two reinforcer assessment procedures to children with developmental disabilities and visual impairments was evaluated. Greater differentiation between stimuli occurred with a choice procedure than with a preference procedure. Measurement of compliance and responding rate in adaptive skill training confirmed that the choice…

Study investigates three preschool boys with language delays who exhibited tantrums. Alternative communicative responses were identified and reinforced as tantrum replacements for each child. Results show brief functional analyses of tantrums serve as viable assessment options in outclinic settings. Identifying the functional properties of…

Concerns about noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) are illustrated in a case study of a 13-year-old girl with severe mental retardation who was demonstrating severe aggression. Her NCR treatment produced an extinction burst and incidental reinforcement. A brief omission contingency was added to the reinforcement schedule, which resulted in decreased…

A study compared the effects of extinction (EXT) and fixed-time (FT) schedules as treatment for the severe problem behaviors of three individuals with developmental disabilities. During EXT, the reinforcer maintaining problem behavior was withheld. During FT, the reinforcers were presented response independently at preset intervals. FT schedules…

We evaluated and treated swimming pool avoidance that was exhibited by a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with autism. In part, treatment involved blocking for flopping (dropping to the ground) and elopement (running away from the pool) and access to food for movements toward a swimming pool. Treatment also involved reinforcement for exposure to various…