Analyses of data from task measuring imitative acquisition of cognitive responses indicated that differences in performance were related to differences in (a) treatment, (b) sex and role of rewarder, and (c) sex of rewarder and sex of subject. (DR)

The study assessed the effectiveness of a head holding procedure for establishing eye contact with a three-year-old developmentally delayed child who had not acquired the response via positive reinforcement techniques. A multiple baseline across four behaviors demonstrated that the head holding procedure substantially increased eye contact for…

Life Space Interviewing (LSI) can be useful in dealing with students with behavior problems. LSI focuses on real events and takes into account the mood of both the child and adult. Five steps in conducting LSI are applied to a hypothetical classroom incident. (CL)

When an oral hygiene punishment procedure was introduced, rumination (regurgitation) of profoundly retarded monozygous adolescent twins was dramatically reduced. The decrease was maintained over a 6 month period and was accompanied by increased rates of socially appropriate behavior. (CL)

The relationship between changed or erratic behavior of nine Ss with Prader-Willi syndrome (a disorder involving retardation, obesity, and hypotonia) and their ingestion of excess kcalories from sucrose was examined. Results showed that out of 162 test correlations performed, only eight were significant, the number expected by chance. (Author)

Two experiments investigated the effects of two durations (1 and 3 minutes) of physical restraint on the rate of self injurious behavior (SIB) of a profoundly retarded adolescent girl. In both experiments one minute restraint was found to be more effective than three minute restraint in reducing the rate of SIB. (Author/SB)

Among the findings cited are that interactions between autistic and nonhandicapped students enhanced nonhandicapped students' understanding of autistic students and that maintenance of autistic students' improved social behaviors after cessation of intervention has been successful. (SB)

In the first study, observation and labeling behavior were investigated in 5-, 8-, 11-year-olds, and adults. Subjects were asked to find differences in stimuli. In the second study, an attempt was made to determine whether children can learn to adapt their attention to tasks requiring exhaustive or selective observation and to transfer such…

Results of the study involving three autistic Ss (four to six-years-old) showed rapid acquisition of target behaviors only when the target behavior was a direct part of the chain leading to the reinforcer. (Author)

The study showed the effective use of omission training (reinforcing the S only when s/he fails to make the target response) in controlling stereotyped acts and in producing multiple effects. (Author/SB)

Results showed that restraint, in comparison to no restraint, reduced the amount of body rocking. Also, restraint was judged to be generally more effective if it were applied when the S was bent over in the middle of the response sequence rather than administered while the S was sitting upright at the end of the response sequence. (Author)