Independent descriptive (correlational) and functional (experimental) analyses, conducted with six subjects with profound mental retardation exhibiting self-injurious behavior (SIB), found that the descriptive analysis was useful in identifying the extent to which SIB was related to social versus nonsocial contingencies but was limited in its…

This editorial introduces the papers in this special issue and contends that aggressive, violent student behavior is not the responsibility of schools alone but of the community. It argues that a strong proactive response to aggressive behavior's origins in childhood and effective interventions in schools will have substantial impact on violent…

This article examines the origins of aggression and identifies the link between aggression and conduct disorders in children. The existence of two subcategories of conduct disorders is noted--undersocialized and socialized. The role of the family, peer group, and school is explored. (JDD)

This article discusses strategies for preventing aggression and violence in children and youth, including understanding and applying appropriate interventions for escalating levels of aggression and violence, classroom preventative and planning measures, and systemwide policies and procedures. A student crisis plan sheet is provided as a tool for…

This article describes a current pilot program of the Albuquerque (New Mexico) schools for twice exceptional students (i.e., gifted students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and/or communication disorders) in grades 9 through 12. Three program components will be implemented over the next three years: (1) transition plan, (2)…

Implementation of a social skill training package with three elementary-school children who had behavioral and learning disorders resulted in increasing student acquisition of targeted social behaviors, which in turn led to lengthier peer interactions. Increases in nontargeted social responses were also demonstrated. (Author/JDD)

The Fostering Individualized Assistance Program (FIAP) was driven by permanency and family-focused values and involved intense case management to ensure that services could be adjusted as children's situations and needs changed. Compared to children in standard foster care, FIAP children with, or at risk for, emotional/behavioral disorders showed…

This paper examines data from three survey activities conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes for specific relevance to social/behavioral outcomes development and assessment. Findings suggest that little effort is being directed to the measurement of the extent to which students with behavioral disorders are meeting such outcomes.…

Questionnaires documenting self-injurious behavior (SIB) among 113 elementary students were returned by 21 London schools. Cluster analysis found patterns of behavior associated with each other, indicating that SIB may not be a homogeneous condition but may comprise a number of distinct syndromes depending on sex, age, mobility, communication…

Eight young adults (ages 19-39) with autism were given the opiate antagonist naltrexone to control self-injurious behavior and maladaptive idiosyncratic mannerisms. Although one subject appeared to have partial decreases in maladaptive behaviors, the drug did not clearly reduce the self-injurious and other maladaptive behaviors of the subjects.…

Caseloads of teachers of students with serious emotional disturbances/behavior disorders were examined to compare current service delivery across states. Caseloads ranged from 3 to 35 students per teacher. Evaluation of hypothetical relations between caseload and predicted student achievement showed that predicted achievement decreased as caseload…

This article explains how cooperative-learning behaviors can be taught systematically and directly to students with behavior disorders using a four-step procedure in conjunction with an enhanced cooperative-learning environment to encourage generalization. Application with five primary grade students is reported. (DB)

This paper reviews the literature on functional assessment in the behavioral treatment of aggression in persons with mental retardation or developmental delays. Increased use of functional assessment and skill training is noted but no concomitant decrease in the use of intrusive procedures. (Author/DB)

Records covering a five-year period of adults with mental retardation in a residential program were reviewed to determine differences in antipsychotic dosages over time. Findings suggest that individuals with mental retardation who do not have psychoses are a suitable group for dosage reduction and that use of alternative medications facilitates…

This report examines distinctions and interrelationships among attention deficit disorder and learning disability and oppositional/conduct disorder. A study with 98 children (mean age 10 years) referred for learning or behavior problems found a referral bias in that children referred to mental health settings differed from those referred to…