Researchers and practitioners often employ timeout procedures to manage inappropriate classroom behavior. When implemented inappropriately, however, timeout can result in dangerous situations and have received increased scrutiny (i.e., seclusion). The timeout ribbon procedure can prevent some of the dangerous situations associated with other forms…

Changes in imitative behavior of two preschool children with highly oppositional behaviors were examined as a function of adult models' use of differential attention and time-out. Results showed that the children's oppositional behavior varied predictably with the presence and absence of differential attention and time-out. (Author/CL)

Describes an approach to behavior modification employing gradual stages and beginning with the enhancement of positive behavior. Major emphasis is placed on accelerating prosocial behavior rather than decelerating antisocial behavior. (CM)

This study assessed the efficacy of using obsessions as reinforcers contingent upon nonoccurrence of inappropriate behaviors in four children (ages five and six) with autism. The most effective treatment was providing the obsession plus mild reductive procedures (such as time out). Use of obsessions alone and use of food reinforcers with mild…

This booklet reviews the literature and offers procedures to reduce undesirable behavior in school settings. The following topics are addressed: definition of terms relating to behavior reduction procedures; environmental modification (changing the demands of a task, reducing the complexity of each step, or teaching a new skill); differential…

Documented are the difficulties found in the use of ignoring and/or time-out procedures by parents of children with behavior problems in the home setting. (Author/IM)

Fourteen students, aged 7-24, with severe developmental disabilities who exhibited frequent aggression, self-injury, and/or tantrums were assessed to engage in problem behavior maintained by social attention or by escape from unpleasant situations. The differential effectiveness of praise and time-out was measured, indicating the importance of…

Individuals (n=55) with mild to moderate mental retardation rated the acceptability of differential reinforcement and time-out. Community-based subjects and institutionalized subjects differed in their ratings depending on the severity of the problem. (DB)

Timeout from auditory reinforcement was employed to reduce rates of target responses of two mentally retarded children (9 and 11 years old). Results supported the response deceleration characteristic of timeout from auditory reinforcement and indicated its effectiveness as a response reduction technique. (Author)

A parent training program which is highly effective in the treatment of child noncompliance and other behavior problems of 3- to 8-year-old children is described and data on the program's effectiveness are presented. (PHR)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the treatment process of individualized lesson plans for teaching discipline to children was effective in reducing time-off-task and disruptive behaviors, while increasing time-on-task and appropriate social behaviors. The study was conducted at a primary school in Knoxville, Tennessee.…

The present study developed a timeout procedure that did not require removal of the misbehaver from the learning environment and applied the procedure to the disruptive behaviors of five severely retarded children (8 to 18 years old). (Author/SBH)

This study found that, in a task context, differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) effectively reduced problem behavior and increased task performance of 2 adolescents with severe disabilities (ages 15 and 19), whereas a time-out procedure was ineffective. In a leisure context, time-out was effective while DRO was ineffective.…

This report outlines the limitations and weaknesses of singlecase, time-series research designs, of which the ABAB design is one of the widely used. An alternative design, the simultaneous treatment design, proposed by Browning and Stover (1971), has several advantages over the ABAB design. The design enables an experimenter to simultaneously…

Psychological treatment techniques for the control of self-injury in a 13-year-old male with de Lange syndrome (a rare disorder characterized by retarded mental and physical development) are presented. Techniques, which included mild punishment, time out, and differential reinforcement, produced a clinically significant control of self-injurious…