This 7-year study examined the consequences of early pregnancy and parenting for girls with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and risk factors identified with teenage pregnancy. Risk factors that were examined included sociodemographic characteristics, psychological characteristics, and psychopathology. The 109 participants in the study were…

In order to qualify for special education services, students must meet criteria that signal a serious behavior disorder. The Executive Committee of the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (1998) expressed the need to move away from norm-referenced measures and recommended utilizing a more functional assessment approach. Members of the…

This guide examines the rationale for and the process of conducting a functional behavioral assessment as required under the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The guide looks at ways schools and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can translate this new public policy into classroom practice by means of a…

This paper reviews provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and findings from court cases regarding behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for students with disabilities. The following eight recommendations are provided for school districts as they strive to implement the behavioral intervention provisions of IDEA and…

This digest discusses the new requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that Individualized Education Program teams conduct a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and implement behavior intervention plans that include positive behavioral interventions and supports for students with disabilities. It describes the purpose…

The relationship between compliance with "do" and "don't" requests was examined with six developmentaly disabled children with severe behavior disorders. Generalized compliance occurred only with requests of the same types as the target exemplar ("do" or "don't"). (Author/SEW)

Adolescents in psychiatric treatment (N=133) participated in a case-comparison study investigating the association of attachment patterns with a history of suicidal behaviors. Attachment patterns were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview. In accordance with definitions provided in the scoring system, 86% of case and 78% of comparison…

This article describes measures for process assessment of handwriting fluency, spelling, and composition of students with learning or behavioral disabilities. It then discusses common writing problems for these students, and specific process and strategy interventions. (DB)

A study of the effects of a typing tutor plus a computer-based word processor versus paper and pencil on the writing of six elementary students with behavioral disorders found small improvements in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and complete sentences attributable to either method, though story length increased for three of six students…

Investigates the effects on marijuana use of a drug prevention curriculum, as well as this curriculum with added parent and other adult community activities in comparison with a control community. Baseline information on drug-related behaviors from a sample of fourth, fifth and sixth graders aged nine to fourteen years (N=1,200) in rural New…

This paper identifies specific classroom management strategies for children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that have been supported by research, and offers evidence that these strategies are not being effectively implemented in classrooms. It suggests that classroom management strategies in experimental studies may not match the…

Addresses research-based issues related to preparing teachers and other professionals to work with children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Discussion includes an identification of basic personnel preparation questions to be addressed, components of an effective training program, steps for establishing program effectiveness, and…

This article examines three legal and policy issues affecting students with emotional and behavioral disorders: placement in the least restrictive environment; discipline of students who present a danger to staff and students; and inclusion of students with disabilities in accountability and assessment programs. (DB)

This article examines the case of a male with Down syndrome who has been referred to a clinical psychology service due to challenging behaviors. It provides a case history and rationale for the assessment of autism, and describes the positive effects of an intervention for increasing staff awareness of autism. (Contains references.) (CR)

Raises concerns about the failure of mental health service providers to address the psycho-developmental needs of people with mental retardation, especially incarcerated individuals with severe behavior disturbances and both mental illness and mental retardation. A "flight from developmental theory" is seen in most service providers to this…