This paper reviews the functional properties and procedural variations of differential reinforcement for the reduction of behavior disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes that limited success may be a result of the arbitrary relationship that exists between reinforcers and target behaviors when behavioral…

This research review concerning intervention to improve young children's social behavior and strategies for promoting generalization and maintenance of young children's social responding focuses on taking advantage of natural communities of reinforcement, training diversely, and incorporating functional mediators. Implications for interventionists…

Analysis of the reinforcement and extinction components of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) of three women with developmental disabilities and self-injurious behavior (SIB) found that DRO was only effective in combination with the relevant extinction component (withholding of attention for SIB). (Author/DB)

Assessment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in three individuals with developmental disabilities revealed that the behavior was an escape response maintained by negative reinforcement. Treatment consisted of extinction plus instructional fading and resulted in immediate and large reductions in SIB behaviors. Maintenance occurred as instruction…

In this description of an unusual family, accounts are given of the later development of two sisters who had suffered severe social and emotional deprivation in infancy. The development of a half brother who was raised elsewhere is recounted, and discrepancies in development are discussed.(RH)

Reviews five previously published and one novel case history of children who suffered extreme deprivation in early childhood. Aspects of cognitive, emotional, and social development are critically appraised, and three issues central to theories about the origins of developmental disorders are addressed.(RH)

The empirical support for three theoretical approaches to infant intervention is reviewed, including direct intervention via nonsocial means, direct intervention via social means, and indirect infant intervention via social support to the family. For each approach, underlying theoretical assumptions are identified, and for each assumption,…

Individuals with developmental disability (n=400) were assessed with the "Dyskinesia Identification System: Condensed User Scale" (DISCUS), a 15-item tardive dyskinesia rating scale shortened from the "Dyskinesia Identification System-Coldwater." Based on interrater reliability, 2-week stability, and other analyses, DISCUS is…

Discusses a sibling support group for 7-13-year-old siblings of developmentally delayed children. Describes group sessions and family responses to the program. (RJC)

Aimed to determine to what degree newborns' auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs) predict delayed or impaired development during the first year. When 93 infants' ABRs were evaluated at three, six, and nine months, newborn ABR was moderately sensitive for detecting hearing impairment and more sensitive than other indicators in detecting…

This paper provides a history of the development of the DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III, Revised) section on pervasive developmental disorders. It describes the process by which the text and criteria for "Autistic Disorder" and "Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" were decided and gives…

The demographic characteristics, life histories, and current placements of dually diagnosed elderly persons (n=27) was obtained by reviewing 132 case records of a Los Angeles regional center for developmentally disabled persons. Approximately 20 percent of the total sample were dually diagnosed and the most common mental health diagnosis was…

Sixteen children with developmental disabilities and 32 nondisabled children (all between 1.5 and 4.5 years of age) were placed in either a same- or mixed-age grouping of 6 children. Observation six months later showed that children in mixed-age groups took more conversational turns with partners with disabilities than did children in same-age…

There should not be an intentional reduction of the technological focus in applied behavior analysis research to expand the theoretical focus. The manner in which applied behavior analysis has beneficially affected the field of developmental disabilities services demonstrates how technologically related research plays a necessary role. (JDD)

This study investigated the language input of eight childcare providers to eight young children with developmental disabilities and language delay in day care contexts. Findings indicated that language input addressed to these children was directive and not finely tuned to their expressive language levels. Also, these children interacted…