Agitated-disruptive behavior from three mentally retarded adults in community group homes was reduced using procedures that included a self-recorded differential reinforcement of other behavior point fines for agitated-disruptive behavior, social skills training, and relaxation training. (Author/CL)

The author describes how political and social whims can have disastrous effects on existing, effective programs for developmentally disabled, institutionalized persons, as illustrated in cutoffs for funding of a behavior modification team which used parent assistants as volunteers. (CL)

The impact of undesirable competing behaviors on maintenance and generalization of desirable behaviors by two 8 year-olds with severe developmental disabilities was examined. Desired behaviors were often replaced by less desirable behaviors which served the same function within maintenance and/or generalization situations. (Author/CL)

A severely retarded psychotic male who found restraint reinforcing was treated by a two-phase program including reinforcement with restraint for increasingly longer periods of noninjury and timeout from restraint and gradual fading of self-restraining (holding objects in his hands). Significant reductions in self-injurious behavior have continued…

Three punishment procedures--contingent applications of water mist, lemon juice, and vinegar--were evaluated as aversive treatment methods for a self-stimulatory behavior exhibited by a severely retarded 11-year-old male. The water mist procedure was as effective as lemon juice or vinegar, presented less physical threat to the client, and was…

Four seven- to ten-year-old boys with autistic behavior were examined with behavioral and observational measures in a peer mediated training, an integrated generalization assessment, and a segregated generalization assessment setting. Results favored the developmentally integrated condition for increases of positive social behaviors. (Author/MC)

A combination of instructions, modeling, praise, and feedback was applied for improving work performances with three mildly retarded adults in a business setting. Generalization occured across stimulus conditions and untrained responses, demonstrating that the retarded can be vocationally trained in a normal work setting without elaborate token…

A retrospective analysis of the progress of eight institutionalized subjects who had been successfully treated in overcorrection procedures 10 years earlier revealed that maladaptive behaviors of the highest functioning individuals showed the longest term and best suppression, and that staff tend to return to the status quo after the expert…

Contingencies operating in the health care industry can have direct effects upon applications of behavioral technology to the hospital treatment of psychiatric patients. Although behavioral technology has made little impact upon the general practice of psychiatry, shifting economic and political contingencies may favor the specificity,…

A mobile interdisciplinary consultation and training team trained residential staff in behavior modification and program development. Involvement of top and middle administration as well as of direct care staff was critical to program success. Training emphasized active and direct methods, emphasized maintenance, and confronted political/social…

The authors suggest ways to establish quality behavioral programs within a hospital for the mentally ill. They emphasize the importance of staff morale, consistency of effort, teamwork, staff training and reinforcement. Procedures said to be responsible for successful maintenance include a flexible credit economy system. (Author/CL)

A program is described in which institutional staff were successfully trained to use behavioral principles with severely retarded aggressive adults. Group training (self-care instruction, token economy, social skills and activity programing) as well as individualized training are described along with such organizational aspects as team structure…

The article reviews the evolution of socio-political attitudes toward developmentally disabled and other handicapped children in Italy and analyzes the current role of behavior modification in rehabilitation efforts in that country. (CL)

Three topics are discussed: (1) history and legal structure of the care system, (2) conflicting approaches pertaining to education and training, and (3) training and research efforts in the field. It is concluded that the implementation of behavior modification in residential facilities for the developmentally disabled is still a difficult process…

The paper reviews research on behavioral staff management strategies in institutions for developmentally disabled persons, considering procedural effectiveness of four approaches: antecedent, contingency management, self-control, and multifaceted interventions. Methodological problems in the research are noted, along with needs for research on…