First Step to Success is a manualized early intervention program with documented success in reducing the problem behavior of young children. Walker and colleagues (2005) are now engaged in analyses of variables that will increase the proportion of children for whom First Step is effective. A possible enhancement to the First Step to Success…

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of percentile schedules as a method of quantifying the shaping procedure in an educational setting. We compared duration of task engagement during baseline measurements for 4 students to duration of task engagement during a percentile schedule. As a secondary purpose, we examined the influence on…

York Behaviour Management Services, one of 33 programs funded by the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Community and Social Services, is designed to help deinstitutionalized handicapped persons adapt to the demands of community life. An introduction (presented by D. Griffiths) on the background of behavior modification reviews reasons for some negative…

When children experience serious problems with peer relationships there is increasing evidence that these children are at risk for a variety of adjustment problems later in life. This study utilized a variety of interventions to decrease negative behaviors in an active 4-year-old in a preschool setting referred by his teacher for noncompliant,…

This course is designed to help direct caregivers of people with severe disabilities to understand and participate in a positive approach to behavior management. Notes on implementation and content of each section are provided, as are sheets for overhead projection, worksheets, and handouts. The course is organized in 15 sections lasting a total…

A variety of psychotherapeutic methodologies has proliferated as a consequence of rapid growth in the need for mental health services. The effectiveness of many of these methods is questionable. Although each psychotherapeutic technique advances claims for its continued use based on clinical effectiveness, few offer adequate scientific evidence to…

This paper demonstrates how the proper use of the relaxation process may: (1) make the counseling experience more fruitful and pleasant; (2) facilitate the maximum functioning of the client; (3) reduce physical and emotional tensions; (4) create a physical condition more conducive to attacking other problems; (5) clear the mind for clear and…

Repeated measures of the frequency of paper towel litter, unflushed toilets, dirty sinks, and running water faucets were used to evaluate effectiveness of contingent teacher praise for appropriate bathroom use by preschool children. Contingent praise for appropriate bathroom behaviors resulted in markedly decreased frequencies of four target…

Highlights findings from three research studies. These studies focused on: (1) a comparison of various types of preschool day care; (2) infants as young as 14 months old who performed deferred imitation; and (3) a behavior modification technique called "guided mastery." (DH)

Six third-grade subjects who were selected by peers' sociometric ratings, teacher rating, and observation of six social skills, received social skills training, and individual and group intervention. Ss' behavior were shaped in skill areas to approximate average peer rate, with resulting increase in sociometric ranking and teacher rating.…

The thesis of this model is that the delinquent and predelinquent adolescent often either makes unfortunate life decisions or fails to make them at all, because: 1) he lacks specific data about himself and his settings, and 2) because he lacks critical decision-making skills. (Author)

Creating a classroom of attentive learners takes more than swift discipline. "Difficult Behavior" can help inspire positive behavioral change and healthy, productive development. Following Acknowledgments, About the Author and Introduction, the book is divided into five sections. Part I, The Role of Discipline, includes: (1) Discipline in…

This report summarizes the procedures and results from a 3-year research project that investigated the reciprocal sequence of interaction behaviors between teachers and students around disruptive behaviors in general education classrooms. The study was conducted in six elementary and two middle schools serving relatively large numbers of students…

The effectiveness of behavioral consultation with secondary-age students is evaluated. A differential reinforcement of low rates procedure is applied within the context of an independent group contingency to decrease negative verbal interactions of adolescents in a resource room setting. (PN)

In this study, 11 males with autism and mental retardation were administered risperidone. Substantial clinical improvement was noted almost immediately; patients with aggression, self-injury, explosivity, and poor sleep hygiene were most improved. The modal dose for optimal response was 0.5 mg bid. Weight gain was a significant side effect.…