Investigated the efficacy of positive behavior support (PBS) prevention/early intervention strategies on the rate of problem behavior displayed by elementary schools students during recess. Specifically, this study examined the effects of directly teaching playground-related behaviors and the use of a group contingency to reinforce mastery in an…

The functional play of children with autism (n=15) was compared to that of developmentally matched children with Down syndrome (n=15) and typical infants (n=15). The functional play of the children with autism was less elaborated, less varied, and less integrated than that of the controls. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Analyzes the importance of vocational education in the careers of six cohorts born in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1919 and 1961. Questions how the behavior of the cohorts regarding vocational training and further education changed over a period of four decades. (CMK)

Assessed young children's perceptions about what misconduct behaviors peers are likely to commit at school and the grocery store. Found more moral than conventional misbehaviors were generated; moral acts were expected more often at school whereas conventional misbehaviors were expected in both contexts; and expectations of peers' misbehaviors…

Investigated the role of behavioral style and cognitive performance as predictors of cognitive development in extremely low-birth-weight children assessed at age 2 and again at age 4. Found stability of cognitive performance from 2 to 4 years of age; this as well as behavior style and orientation-engagement predicted subsequent cognitive…

For a number of years, the dominant approach to measuring individual differences in how people respond to interpersonal conflict has been the dual-concerns model, which assesses five broad conflict styles said to result from one's standing on two underlying dimensions: concern for self and concern for other. This article describes the development…

The professional literature provides ample evidence that individuals with autism exhibit a myriad of unusual social, communication, and behavioral patterns of interactions that present challenges to their families and service providers. However, there is a dearth of quality works on multicultural issues regarding autistic spectrum disorders. In…

Polygraph testing is becoming increasingly important in sex offender treatment. Polygraph advocates cite dramatic increases in historical disclosures that presumably allow more precise targeting of treatment interventions, earlier detection of risky behaviors that often lead to new offenses, and improved treatment and supervision compliance. Based…

The goal of this laboratory exercise is to increase student understanding of the impact of nervous system function at both the organismal and cellular levels. This inquiry-based exercise is designed for an undergraduate course examining principles of cell biology. After observing the movement of "Caenorhabditis elegans" with defects in their…

In this article, the author explores the evolution of the use of the triangle as a communication tool for describing positive behavior support (PBS) systems. The conceptual framework for the triangle used for PBS is credited to Walker et al. In that seminal work, the a model of school-based prevention strategies for children displaying antisocial…

This article outlines a conceptualization of personality as a cognitive-affective processing system (CAPS) and explores its implications for understanding disorders and pursuing therapeutic change. The CAPS conception of personality was proposed in 1995 in order to resolve a long-standing paradox in personality and social psychology, namely, the…

This analysis of third and fourth graders suggests that enemy relationships are common, often of short duration, and partially reflective of negative behavior patterns between boys and girls in elementary school. (Contains 4 tables.)

Education professionals consistently rank disruptive/aggressive student behavior as persistent and troubling, reporting various types of maladaptive behaviors ranging from talking out in class to assault. Researchers suggest that childhood aggression accounts for a high proportion of the referrals to special education for emotional and behavioral…

This study evaluates impact of collaborative efforts of parents and school professionals in the treatment of autism in a five-year-old boy. Method of treatment was discrete trial training across settings (e.g., home and school) and change agents were the child's parents, siblings, special education teacher, resource teacher, and speech…

Logistic regression analyses were used to establish the most robust set of risk factors that would best predict borderline/clinical levels of problem behavior (i.e., a t score at or above 60 on the Child Behavior Checklist Total Problem scale) of kindergarten and first-grade children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Results showed…