Treatment of an eight-year-old severely mentally retarded girl's repetitive spoon banging consisted of saying "no bang" and pulling a terry cloth bib over the subject's entire face for five seconds. High frequencies of spoon banging during nontreatment conditions rapidly decelerated when facial screaming was in effect. Follow-up data indicated…

Analysis of effects of intertrial intervals on correct responding and self-stimulatory behavior by four autistic children (6-11 years old) revealed that short intertrial intervals produced decreased levels of self-stimulation and increased levels of correct responding. (Author/CL)

Three behaviorally disordered mainstreamed 10- to 12-year-old students were systematically trained to prompt teachers for help, praise teachers after receiving help, and prompt teachers for approval on their academic and social performance. All three subjects were able to modify the amount of teacher help they received in the regular classroom.…

Discusses several strengths and weaknesses of the behavioral approach in psychotherapy. Possible remediation of some of the weaknesses are explored through integration of contributions from client-centered or psychodynamic approaches. Risks associated with an integrated model of psychotherapy are considered. (Author)

Evaluation results provided strong evidence for the efficacy of university-level self-modification courses. Students demonstrated improvement in their target behaviors and reported significant positive changes in dysfunctional attitudes, fear of negative evaluation, and general self-control skills. (RM)

Of the three profoundly retarded adults trained in this study, two attained criterion for independent undressing. No residents reached criterion on dressing despite as much as 108.2 hours of training. Results contrasted with those of Azrin et al whose subjects reached criterion on all skills in an average of 12 hours. (Author/CL)

Examined mother-child dyads (N=52) in a training program to modify aggressive child behavior. Obtained several measures of mother-child interaction and compared them between dyads that succeeded and dyads that did not. Results indicated unsuccessful mothers were more aversive and indiscriminate in their use of aversive behavior toward their…

Investigated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior modification (CBM) and cognitive-behavior modification plus assertiveness training (CBM/AT), in reducing Type A behavior among university faculty. Findings indicated that both treatments were effective in reducing Type A behavior, but that the addition of assertiveness training in the CBM/AT…

Contrasts the "ability training" and "task-analytic" approaches in teaching learning disabled children. Describes the use of the task-analytic behavioral model in Project EXCEL, a Child Service Demonstration Center. Summarizes guiding principles of this approach, and indicates that participating students have shown dramatic…

Parents and teachers can cooperate by requiring that behavior problem children successfully complete an activity of low priority (nonpreferred) to them before participating in a high priority (preferred) one. The daily report approach documents the way in which school behavior can be linked to access to home or community activities. (CL)

The authors describe behavior modification treatment procedures applied by direct-care staff in a residential school to conrol severe aggression and self-injury in two developmentally disabled, visually handicapped students. Techniques included positive practice overcorrection, verbal command, and response immobilization. (Author/CL)

Reviews individual and group studies describing the application of behavior therapy techniques to the management of 41 electively mute children. Updates previous reviews of treatment techniques, examines criteria influencing application of specific techniques to individual children, and evaluates evidence as to relative effectiveness of different…

The recalcitrant spitting of a blind, deaf, and retarded adolescent was eliminated with a behavioral intervention consisting of positive reinforcement for not spitting and facial screening for spitting. The social and academic implications of modifying such behaviors are discussed. (Author/CMG)

Examined the relationship between outcomes of behaviorally oriented treatment for children (N=366) and eye color. Findings were consistent with theoretical expectations: Dark-eyed children and teenagers responded better to reactive treatment programs than their light-eyed counterparts, while the reverse was true for self-paced treatment programs.…

A token economy was employed for the sequential modification of three high-priority behavioral deficits in a disturbed, autistic child: appropriateness of dress, academic achievement, and appropriate group walking. After establishing a stable baseline rate for all behaviors in both settings, the treatment was systematically implemented until all…