This review defines contingency contracting and describes its theoretical basis, examines empirical studies using contingency contracts to improve various school-related behaviors, discusses potential advantages and problems, provides recommendations to assist school personnel in effectively using contingency contracts, and suggests areas in need…

Literature on the use of affective educational approaches and behavioristic approaches with mildly retarded children is reviewed, and it is suggested that educators concentrate upon the functional compatibility of the two approaches in program development. (SBH)

A four-step process for the development of a system for the management of classroom behavior is presented. (PHR)

The booklet provides information on a number of strategies for teachers to use in managing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. In the first section several approaches (such as token economies) are discussed that pertain to the general, comprehensive management of classes. Included in Section II are several strategies (including taking away…

In this study, 24 individuals (ages 6-37) with down syndrome had to learn a symbolic conditional discrimination task. Participants showed better terminal accuracy and faster learning of the task when the alternative correct responses were each followed by unique different outcomes than when nondifferential outcomes were arranged. (Contains…

This article reviews two instructional strategies, derived from applied behavior analysis, designed to develop meaningful social relations for children with autism. The literature on the implementation and effectiveness of teaching peers to be intervention agents and using group-oriented contingencies is reviewed. Emphasis is on the social…

Ways to promote generalization of social skills of students with learning disabilities (LD) are considered. Approaches include: sequential modification, introducing naturally maintaining contingencies, training sufficient exemplars, training across settings, training loosely, using indiscriminable contingencies, programming common stimuli, and…

Some educators are turning to the process of contingency management within a classroom as a short term, immediate motivator which can work for virtually every student, regardless of his/her final grade in the course. Contingency management consists of providing a set of alternatives from which those chosen by the student reward the students in…

This paper reviews studies that have used instructional variables as nonaversive interventions for problem behaviors of individuals with severe disabilities. These include student choice of task, task variation, pace of instruction, interspersal of high probability tasks, partial versus whole task training, decreasing task difficulty, and a…

The paper addresses behavior management strategies for developing new behaviors in special needs learners, strategies for changing existing behaviors, and strategies for developing behavioral generalization. An introductory overview identifies five basic principles of behavior management. Fourteen behavioral terms are then defined (e.g.,…

Provided are strategies for teaching activities of daily living (ADL), which include dressing, eating, grooming, toileting, and basic homemakine, to severely retarded students. Reviewed are the steps necessary to teach ADL skills: ADL assessment, identification of appropriate strategies and tactics, and task analysis. Explained are four common…

Describes some practical techniques that lead to effective classroom discipline and that maintain an optimal learning environment. Suggestions include (1) spending time with students individually; (2) using a variety of techniques to help students make smooth transitions from one activity to another; and (3) constructing contingency contracts to…

Entitled Project Success Environment and funded by Elementary Secondary Education Act Title III, the pilot 1970-71 study included eight experimental classes with appropriate comparison classes. Following this initial effort the program was expanded to include twice the number of students within a wider age range during the second year of operation…

Presented are 10 papers given at a conference on the design and implementation of comprehensive educational programs and the delivery of related services to emotionally handicapped children. Entries include the following titles and authors: "Seriously Emotionally Disturbed Children" (J. Spence); "The Rutland Center--Developmental Therapy Model: A…

Classroom intervention is an essential component of comprehensive treatment for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Several educational interventions are reviewed. Most are based on contingency management, but some deal with modifications of the task or the classroom. Research needs, particularly for adolescents with ADHD, are…