This report defines school refusal behavior as the refusal to attend school or difficulties going to school or remaining in school for the entire day, and sees school refusal as a significant problem that may occur in 8% of all school-aged children. It discusses difficulties of previous classification and assessment strategies for students who…

In this study a 4-component procedure designed to decrease a 4-year-old child's noncompliance behaviors was experimentally analyzed as to the effectiveness of the separate components of the package. Once experimental control had been demonstrated and the subject's noncompliance behaviors had been decreased to an acceptable level, separate analyses…

Crises intervention and prevention techniques developed by the Echo Glen Children's Center school in Washington are listed here, along with a description of climate improvement and problem-solving methods developed by the school's staff. The students in this special residential school are emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted delinquent…

This paper emphasizes the importance of classroom discipline and offers suggestions that may be helpful to teachers facing behavior problems. Proceeding on the assumption that pupils who disrupt the classroom must be taught discipline, the author discusses ways of modifying the classroom environment and suggests ways to direct and encourage pupils…

Since self-concept is an excellent predictor of academic success, the author argues that improvement of student self-image should be a primary goal of educators. He maintains that the successful student has a relatively high opinion of himself, while the underachiever who evinces various behavior problems suffers from a low self-opinion. The…

Drawing upon data collected during an investigation into the exclusion (suspension or expulsion) from school of primary age children due to behavioral problems, this paper provides an overview of findings from empirical research, but also considers the possibilities for prevention of primary school exclusion by using education service-based…

This paper reviews three studies which illustrate the use of two different techniques of behavior modification to control aggression in preschool children in classroom situations. The first technique demonstrated the use of "time-out" as a mild punishment procedure. The teacher changed events following aggression by briefly removing the child from…

A teacher describes her efforts to deal with an 11-year-old severely emotionally impaired girl in a classroom with other acting out, aggressive students. The girl's behavior problems included breaking, tearing, spitting, swearing, running, and sexual aggression. A positive reinforcedment system was found to be primarily responsible for success in…

A study involving 20 emotionally disturbed boys (9- to 11-years-old) was conducted to determine the effects of tactile and verbal reinforcement on attention to task and accuracy. Ss were given arithmetic problems to work during 16 20-minute sessions under four conditions: tactile reinforcement (intermittent touch pressure applied to Ss shoulders…

To examine the feasibility and effects of implementing relaxation training with a heterogeneous group of secondary school students in the classroom setting, and to determine the validity and reliability of using wrist temperature as a biofeedback method, 532 seventh grade students, divided into experimental and control groups, participated in a…

Two methods of scheduling reinforcement, differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) and differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL), were investigated in two experiments that demonstrated each procedure's effectiveness in reducing misbehavior when used by teachers in school settings. A third experiment was undertaken to…

This study collected information regarding the direct and indirect management techniques employed by elementary teachers to control inappropriate student behavior and its relationship to discipline referral rates. The study also examined whether effective management techniques affected student on-task rates. A group of 270 elementary school…

The philosophy and key concepts, goals and objectives, components of effective classroom management, behavior modification techniques, and a positive approach to classroom management are discussed in this paper. Principles and procedures of classroom management are discussed and ways in which they may be adapted to existing classroom practices are…

This paper cites ethical provisions and professional standards that affect the selection of behavioral interventions that will benefit exceptional individuals without undermining their dignity. A three-category system that classifies behavioral interventions on the basis of their intrusiveness or restrictiveness is presented. Interventions are…

Compared was the effectiveness of punishment and positive reinforcement on the nonattending behaviors and academic achievement of 18 elementary grade children in two special classes for children with social or adjustment problems. During the positive reinforcement condition each student earned a slash mark whenever he was observed attending to…