Examined relationship between therapist verbal behavior and family cooperation and resistance during second session of family therapy with juvenile delinquents (n=12 families). Results of sequential analysis revealed that therapist "support" and "teach" behaviors were associated with significant increases in likelihood of family cooperation.…

This study examined 40 articles published in the "American Journal on Mental Retardation" or the "Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps" (JASH) from 1976-78 and 1986-88. Both journals published low numbers of articles with ecological validity in the late 1970s, but JASH subsequently increased…

The promise of behavioral community research remains vibrant today, but behavior analysts are reminded that there are differences among advocacy, application, and research; there are many forms of research; knowledge alone is often insufficient to foster long-term change; and the complex environments of most community work involve multiple and…

Three articles help practitioners better understand exercise behavior motivation, providing guidelines and techniques for motivating children, adults, and older adults to adopt physically active lifestyles. The articles offer pertinent exercise motivation concepts and show how the concepts can be used to help people of all ages exercise regularly.…

The function of self-injurious behavior (SIB) by an adult with severe mental retardation was analyzed via descriptive and experimental analysis methodologies. Results indicated that SIB occurred more often when the participant was presented with nonpreferred novel activities. Intervention resulted in the use of negation to terminate the…

A reevaluation of data from Berkman and Meyer (1988), a study supporting the effectiveness of positive-oriented programing approaches with persons with mental retardation, suggests that medication, especially the introduction of Thorazine (with subsequent increases of dosage), may have been related to reductions in the client's self-injurious…

This article describes the communication characteristics and needs of adults with severe mental retardation and discusses a transactional approach to intervention for adults who do not communicate symbolically in any mode. The approach promotes communication skill development by considering communicative acts as critical antecedent and consequent…

A structured coaching strategy was effectively used with three day-care teachers, resulting in (1) substantial increases in delivery of behavioral support of social interactions of children with developmental disabilities; and (2) marked increases in positive interactions of socially withdrawn children. Long-term maintenance effects were also…

Studies a special education classroom in a rural elementary school. After learning to check spelling with a dictionary, 11 special education students were required to decrease spelling errors by 20 percent per week to attend storytelling sessions. Ten students met the requirement during two treatment weeks and maintained reduced error rates at…

Sixteen studies of self-management with students who have behavioral disorders are reviewed. Procedures involving self-instruction, self-evaluation, self-recording, and combinations are examined. Results indicate the effectiveness of the procedures in promoting social and academic behaviors and the need to systematically program for…

Assessed changes in college student behavior regarding alcohol consumption before/after implementation of statewide legislative and campuswide administrative actions to cope with alcohol abuse. Findings showed no major changes in responsible alcohol-related behaviors. Factor analysis of behaviors and consequences, however, led to groupings of…

Twenty-seven parents with sexually abused children evaluated the effectiveness of a parent support group. Results indicated significant decreases in some of the children's dysfunctional behaviors, increased parental perception of coping skills and confidence as parents, but no change in parents' stress levels. (Author/JDD)

This study examined 40 articles published in the "American Journal on Mental Retardation" or the "Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps" (JASH) from 1976-78 and 1986-88. Both journals published low numbers of articles with ecological validity in the late 1970s, but JASH subsequently increased…

Implemented 6-week parent-child-school contract program with parents of 12 elementary school students and compared behavior of those 12 students to that of 12 matched controls. Written contracts prepared by parents and child stated target behaviors and predetermined reward or privilege. Rate of weekly goal completion for experimental students was…

In this case study, music was applied noncontingently and contingently across four settings with an adolescent male with autism, to reduce aberrant, repetitive vocalizations. The intervention was associated with dramatic reductions in the primary aberrant behavior and reductions in two other aberrant behaviors. Task performance was differentially…