In order to properly understand and compare traditional and innovative assessment techniques for students with disabilities, we must be able to access examples of how they work in a logical and thoughtful sequence. This finely curated collection of thirteen chapters presents ideas and research on different disability topics from key leaders in the…

This article describes the use of structured interviews to obtain information on which to base hypotheses about the functions of students' behavior disorders and the effectiveness of alternative interventions to teach new behavior. Phases and purposes of the structured interview are illustrated with several examples. (DB)

This article reviews general classes of variables which help to maintain aberrant behavior including attention seeking, sensory and perceptual consequences, and access to materials or activities. Suggestions for a methodology providing a comprehensive functional analysis are offered which include descriptive analysis, hypothesis forming,…

A medication efficacy graph was developed, revised, and applied in a case study to effectively monitor progress of a client with profound mental retardation and maladaptive behaviors. The graph enables clinicians to measure and display not just incidents of maladaptive behaviors but weighted maladaptive behaviors, adaptive behaviors, potency of…

This article examines the behavioral treatment of Trichotillomania. A brief overview of the diagnosis and assessment of Trichotillomania is provided. Guidelines for a structured clinical evaluation when working with people diagnosed with Trichotillomania are supplied. The most effective behavioral interventions and treatments for working with…

The Early Intervention Program of the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is a demonstration, research, and training program focused on the primary and secondary prevention of serious childhood behavior problems. Four assessment and intervention protocols are described…

Discussion of school violence compares possible causes of the school shootings in Colorado and Georgia with a prior analysis of possible causes of school shootings. Characteristics of these violent perpetrators are discussed as a possible guide to help identify these seemingly "invisible kids." Identification options include warning…

This paper explores how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects students and how teachers can help such students lead productive lives in the classroom and elsewhere. It describes the symptoms of OCD in students, including trouble getting to school on time because of rituals while getting cleaned and ready in the morning, inability to finish…

Principles and guidelines for conducting ecological assessment of preschool children with behavior disorders are offered. Steps in the assessment process are identified with suggestions for translating assessment results into intervention actions. Included are a sample parent education home visit record and a list of characteristics of effective…

The first in seven sets of guidelines based on the consensus of experts in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation (MR) focuses on diagnosis and assessment. It includes the definition and levels of mental retardation, difficulties in diagnosing psychiatric and behavioral problems in the presence of MR, assessment…

The third in seven sets of guidelines based on the consensus of experts in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation (MR) focuses on psychosocial treatment. Guidelines cover general principles, choosing among psychosocial treatments, severity of MR and psychiatric/behavior symptoms, diagnosable disorders, target…

The manual examines issues in determining eligibility criteria for students with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Educational and clinical definitions of SED are compared, components of the educational definiton are examined, and the issue of differentiating behavioral disorders from serious emotional disturbance is considered. The assessment…

A 1980 study of special education teachers' reports on the availability and usefulness of several types of assessment information for emotionally disturbed/behaviorally disordered students was replicated and results compared. Overall progress was found, with notable increases in availability for types that teachers consider educationally relevant,…

First addresses the use of destructive labels to describe students with behavior disorders, including negative multiassessment practices, weakness-focused Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), punitive management programs, disparaging remarks, and behavioral descriptions that accentuate student weaknesses. It then suggests ways to promote dignity…

Addresses the use of functional assessment in making treatment decisions with students having emotional/behavioral disorders. Discussion covers indirect and direct measures of the relationship between the target behavior and variables maintaining the behavior. Strategies for selecting and verifying hypothesis-driven treatment decisions are…