Describes the use of functional assessment for behavior-support planning with students having chronic behavior problems. Focus is on a functional assessment method that includes the student as an important information source. Following a definition of functional assessment, six steps for developing a comprehensive behavior support plan are…

Presents the legal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in disciplining students with disabilities, describes IDEA's requirement that school officials address student problem behavior in the Individualized Education Program, and offers recommendations regarding the formation of school district policies and…

Results of a functional analysis indicted that the hand mouthing of a woman with profound mental retardation was maintained by multiple sources of control (sensory stimulation and access to a leisure item). Hand mouthing, though maintained by automatic reinforcement, was also susceptible to social contingencies when exposed to them during…

A case study illustrates how the ongoing data-based monitoring of timeout use by parents enhanced the treatment of an 8-year-old boy, referred because of noncompliance in the home. Maintaining the timeout record enabled rapid refinements in the timeout procedure by providing a feedback mechanism to the therapist, identification of the need for…

Explores the causal nature of the association between grade repetition and later adolescent problem behaviors for 197 retained and 204 promoted African-American sixth and seventh graders in two urban middle schools. Regression analyses imply that retention reduced rebellious behavior in school and increased attachment to school. (SLD)

Notes that caregivers, parents, and teachers struggle with discipline; suggests that examination of possible causes of unacceptable behaviors may lead to understanding. Contends that reflection rather than reaction can promote positive outcomes as five basic issues contribute to child behavior: (1) developmental stage; (2) individual difference;…

Students with a history of behavioral problems helped produce a videotape program on best practices for teaching this challenging population. In a series of interviews, these students from an alternative junior high school provided range of viewpoints on issues related to inclusion, time-out, and prevailing discipline practices. Results show…

This study examined predictability of inappropriate behavior in a random sample of 452 adolescents. Behaviors examined included dropping out, teen pregnancy, criminal activities and conviction, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol abuse. Found that academic achievement and aspirations, and learning-focused school settings related to…

Examined correlates of aggression in highly stressed urban children in second and third grade and again in third through fifth grade. Found that difficult temperament and lack of parental warmth related to aggression in early grades; learning problems and poor social skills related to aggression at both times. Early aggression predicted later…

A Problem Task Force from the Fairfax County Public Library worked with other county agencies such as the police and social services to redesign a "Problem Behavior Manual" and present a training module for staff to better prepare them to deal with socially ill patrons. (Author/AEF)

Assessed attachment/indiscriminate friendliness in children who spent at least eight months in Romanian orphanages (RO); a nonadopted, never-institutionalized Canadian group; and an early-adopted Romanian group. Found that RO children showed more insecure attachment and indiscriminate friendliness than others. Insecure RO children had more…

Two studies evaluated effects of First Step to Success, a collaborative home and school early intervention program designed for kindergartners who show signs of emerging antisocial behavior. Two sets of 5-year-old male twins were the subjects of the 4-year studies. Exposure to the First Step program produced powerful behavior changes that were…

Examined influences on children's behavior problems in households defined by marital status and sibling relatedness. Found that genetic influences accounted for 81 to 94 percent of mean-level difference in behavior problems between two-parent/full sibling, and the mother-only/half sibling groups. Shared environmental influences accounted for 67 to…

Contends that the lack of school adaptation is one of the most serious problems within the Russian educational system. Expounds that the lack of adaptation is the impossibility of adequate school instruction in accordance with students' natural abilities and students' social interactions within their own lives. Discusses efforts to overcome the…

Behavior problems demanding severe disciplinary actions are disruptive, eroding forces in classrooms. Effective group guidance programs have students keep track of concerns, problems, or difficulties encountered. The Problem Tracker, allowing students to record stressful or problematic situations, provides a buffer permitting more thoughtful…