Described is a graduate interdisciplinary seminar held at the University of South Florida from September 1972 through June 1973 on the prevention of learning and behavior problems in young children. Faculty members from the areas of anthropology, guidance, special education, early childhood, and linguistics led presentations and discussions on…

The School Organization program of the Center for Social Organization of Schools is currently concerned with authority-control structures, task structures, reward systems, and peer group processes in schools. This report, prepared by the School Organization program, examines one aspect of authority-control structures in high schools--content of…

Both papers deal essentially with the same content. The author discusses briefly the popularity of behavior modification in the treatment of children and characterizes early behavior modification studies as: (1) overly reliant on undesirable features of the antipathetic medical model; (2) too limited in its selection of target subjects and problem…

This report outlines a method for analyzing the status of stimuli which control deviant child behavior. Hypothetically, an effective family treatment program would not only alter the reinforcing contingencies provided by family members for the deviant behaviors of the problem child, but would also reduce the frequency with which they present these…

The purpose of this study was to examine young Children's tendencies to be task or socially oriented in an experimental situation. On the basis of past research, two independent variables were chosen: field dependence-independence and sex. It was expected that field-dependent subjects and girls would tend to be more socially oriented, while…

The traditional service programs are not doing the job of providing the comprehensive services needed for youth. Using the following premises as a foundation, an alternative model of providing services for youth is possible: (1) A person does not have to go to a Mental Health Clinic in order to get service. Services can be provided in a local…

This project sought to demonstrate that: (1) teams of educational personnel could be trained to serve the needs of certain handicapped children exhibiting marked behavior disorders; (2) members could be trained to identify behaviors of their children and themselves which may appear to cause classroom disorder; and (3) techniques could be devised…

The role of community mental health consultants in schools is discussed. Consultants can provide feedback to administrators and teachers about changes in school programs; can consult with counselors about problem students; and can help parents to understand better the problems of their children. (SE)

In discussing ways in which schools can be more responsive to youth needs, the article outlines psychological principles used in successful vocational programs. The principles address student needs for meaningful learning materials, emotional involvement, novelty, and success. Factors of control along with freedom within structure are included in…

Relationships among teachers, exceptional children, and their peers should be considered when determining causes of misbehavior and the strategies to correct them. Checklists outline possible teacher and student behaviors which contribute to student misbehavior, and such interventions as independent, dependent, and interdependent group…

The study examined the effectiveness of a behavior point system in reducing the frequency of three maladaptive social behaviors (verbal outbursts, interruptions, nonsensical talk) in a severely brain injured male (age 21). All target behaviors declined with introduction of the point system, though nonsensical talk was least responsive to…

Outlined are behavior management strategies for emotionally disturbed students who are partially mainstreamed. Appropriate behavior outside the classroom earns the child stamps. Inappropriate behavior inside the classroom results in warnings, penalty points, and time-out. On-task behavior is also rewarded with stamps, which may be accumulated for…

Discusses some of the factors that cause young children to be behaviorally difficult, or hard to handle in class. Considers ways in which early childhood teachers, caregivers, and programs, as well as parents and society, can help to meet difficult children's needs. (BB)

Evaluated teachers' acceptability ratings of three types of interventions applied to an acting-out behavior problem, and the relationships among these acceptability scores and self-reported use of those interventions. Teachers rated humanistic and behavioral approaches most acceptable and the pragmatic approach least acceptable. Ratings of…

Educational policy in British Columbia does not distinguish between special needs and regular class students in relation to discipline practices. Although Canadian courts have generally upheld the rights of school boards rather than the unspecified rights of special needs children, a recent court case suggests the possibility of change. (JW)