Males (ages 7 to 17) in a psychiatric hospital were studied while off psychoactive medication to determine how serum dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) activity varies with childhood maltreatment experiences. Lowest DBH levels were found in boys maltreated before 72 months of age or with the principal diagnosis of conduct disorder solitary aggressive…

Response practice variables for learning spelling and sight vocabulary were studied in 4 experiments involving a total of 18 rehabilitation clients and adolescents with developmental disabilities or behavior disorders. The experiments specifically examined the "cover write" method, written versus oral practice, less versus more response practice,…

Assessed the reliability and validity of Cole's four-item version of the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ). Clinical outpatients and undergraduates completed the SBQ and other measures. Results indicated the SBQ's strength lay in two areas: internal consistency and test-retest reliability over a two-week time period. (RJM)

Examines the long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse in six areas: posttraumatic stress, cognitive distortions, altered emotionality, disturbed relatedness, avoidance, and impaired self-reference. Concludes that childhood sexual abuse has a variety of long-term impacts and that the measurement strategies used to demonstrate these sequelae…

Types of psychiatric and behavioral disturbances were reviewed for 169 preschoolers with developmental disabilities admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Differences were found in the proportion of some diagnoses and behavior problems across cognitive functioning level and across age; 72 percent had 1 or more medical diagnoses. (Author/SW)

Evaluates the use of self-recording with an adolescent male in a psychiatric hospital school setting. When self-recording was introduced along with access to computer time, the frequency of off-task behaviors decreased as compared to baseline measures. Benefits of employing self-recording and utilizing contingent access to the computer are…

A point system was developed to reinforce appropriate study habits and behaviors of secondary students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders. The system functioned as a bank, with students depositing their points and earning weekly interest on points saved. Students could also use points to conduct financial transactions at the…

The area of adult learning disabilities is reviewed from a neurobiological and neuropsychological perspective. The paper covers possible pathophysiologic bases in dyslexia, neurobehavioral disorders that may coexist with learning disorders, neuropsychological assessment methods, treatment in the context of brain plasticity and recovery of…

This article reviews 15 empirical studies in the area of academic skill improvement for students with behavior disorders being served in public school settings. The review addresses the nature of the samples, dependent variables, independent variables, and results. It concludes that the studies contain much useful information for practitioners and…

This review of instruments for assessing psychopathology and behavior problems in people with mental retardation characterizes evaluation tools in such terms as age groups encompassed, levels of mental retardation, number of domains, and types of raters used. The structure of maladaptive behavior is described, and several instruments are…

Eight public school adolescent students with mild mental retardation and severely disruptive classroom behaviors participated in a cooperative behavior management intervention in which student teams were rewarded for appropriate classroom behavior. Rewarding both teams and individuals was most successful in decreasing inappropriate behavior in all…

Key elements of a continuum of services for individuals with autism and other severe behavior disorders are described, focusing on development of a strong central organization; funding; staff recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation; program evaluation; outreach parent training; home-based early intervention; vocational training;…

This study examined the sustained effects of methylphenidate on reading performance in 42 boys (ages 8 to 11) with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, either with or without conduct disorders. Only the subgroup of those with conduct disorders responded, and significant reading improvement was exhibited in only a subgroup of these students.…

This study assessed the relationship between parent/teacher ratings of hyperactivity and developmental indices in psychiatric clinic children (ages 5-16). Findings suggest that chronological age should be considered when behavior ratings are used to assess cognitively delayed children for hyperactivity but do not support use of mental age in…

A group-administered interview was administered in 16 third- through sixth-grade classes (n=406) including 20 students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Although boys with EBD were assessed by peers as significantly higher in aggression and disruption and lower in cooperation than general education boys, they tended to associate with…