Use of lithium with mentally retarded individuals with psychiatric conditions and/or behavior disturbances is discussed. The paper describes components of an adequate clinical trial and reviews case studies and double-blind cases. The paper concludes that aggression is the best indicator for lithium use, and reviews treatment parameters and…

Claims termination of counseling is punishment, not reward, to emotionally starved children from troubled environments. Discusses how counselor decided to allow students to come for weekly counseling if the student exhibited reasonably acceptable behavior that week. (ABL)

This commentary outlines considerations in assessing (and programing for) social validity to attain results that are valued by client audiences. It discusses the objectives and contexts of several types of social validation, procedures for conducting a social validation, and questions addressed by researchers in assessing social validity. (JDD)

Defines self-modeling as positive change in behavior that results from repeated observations of oneself on videotapes that depict only appropriate or desired behaviors. Sees self-modeling as effective, short-term, and relatively inexpensive technique that can be used by school psychologists in educational settings. Presents case study in which…

Describes Boys Town model which, grounded in research on development and dynamics of aggression, targets seven critical skills for creating safe, positive treatment environments that empower aggressive youth to change. Discusses these skills: relationship building components; praise and differential reinforcement; behavioral specificity;…

Discusses the use of transdermal nicotine (TN) in smoking cessation and its value as an effective procedure. The article reveals that, compared to a placebo, TN has double the quit rate percentages, and less than 5% of smokers quit TN due to side effects. (GLR)

Provides an overview of the Start SMART smoking cessation program which combines nicotine withdrawal therapy with behavior modification. The Start SMART program provides seven, intensive one-hour group sessions that are shown to be a most effective intervention with a specific population--motivated, yet highly dependent smokers. (GLR)

Explains the use of videotape recordings to provide examples of self-modeling for the purpose of student behavior change. Reviews research on the efficacy of videotaped self-modeling (VSM), technological requirements, editing, arranging the videotaping, using self-modeling as a positive behavior support, and precautions and challenges. (DB)

Provides a set of best practices for working with high-risk young people derived from the approaches and strategies that have been used successfully by "turnaround teachers" for generations. States that believing in students' resilience requires foremost that teachers believe in their own innate capacity to transform and change. (Author/MKA)

Provides information on the time-out research in hopes of enabling school psychologists to use, and train others to use, time-out more effectively when indicated by the data from a behavioral or functional assessment. The guide may also serve as a heuristic for those wishing to conduct research on the use of time-out in the classroom. (Author/MKA)

Investigates perceptions of self and others among young drivers. Conveys that the participants rated undesirable actions more probable under low verifiability and controllability and considered others more likely to engage in undesirable actions. Concludes that young drivers must be aware of their feelings of superiority in order to change their…

A study compared the effectiveness of two extinction interventions, extinction by omission and noncontingent delivery of reinforcement, to treat aggressive behavior with a 10-year-old boy. Analysis revealed that aggression was maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of attention. Noncontingent reinforcement of attention produced a more…

Fifty-six children with either autism or pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified received one injection of secretin, a gastrointestinal hormone. Re-evaluation 3-6 weeks later found minimal but potentially significant improvements, including changes in gastrointestinal symptoms, expressive and/or receptive language function, and…

Examines the cessation of corporal punishment by parents who start out spanking their children and then make a concerted effort to stop. Draws on semi-structured interviews with 22 parents and identifies five contexts in which those efforts arose: experiential, ideological, regulatory, relational, and biographical. Data suggests cultural…

Introduces protected areas as opportunities for outdoor education and considers the possibility that outdoor education may contribute to the ecological degradation of these areas through overuse or poor outdoor practices. Provides a new approach to minimal impact education through the promotion of individual change. (Contains 24 references.)…