This bulletin, the first technical assistance bulletin produced by the Special Education Effective Practices Section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is intended to share research-based promising practices with educators including family members, teachers, building administrators, and paraprofessionals. It…

Teenagers are presented with increasing degrees of freedom and exposure to risk in the current fast-paced electronic age. Teenagers challenge parents to help them find ways to overcome the risks around them. This book speaks to the parent child relationship and provides parents with insights on how to protect their children from the dangers around…

This paper outlines a case study based upon the functional assessment of a pre-school child's aggressive and disruptive behaviors, revealing difficulties with transitions from one activity to another at school. Antecedent conditions and functional communication were addressed in the behavior plan using a schedule board based on the Picture…

Until recently, little attention has been given to the addictive potential of the Internet. If left unchecked or unnoticed, this addiction can silently run rampant in schools, universities, offices, libraries, and homes. This book teaches how to guard against Internet overuse. It describes how, by drawing from the same criteria used to diagnosis…

Tourette's syndrome, which includes the compulsive vocalization of obscene words, has been attributed to both organic and psychological factors. Although no conclusions about the etiology of the behavior could be drawn, the operant nature of the symptoms was demonstrated in the present case study in the manipulation of responses by varying…

In terms of the criterion measure, the social reinforcement group differed significantly from the teacher expectation and the control group. Differences in mean response gains between Premack and social reinforcement groups approached significance with the greatest changes in client behavior favoring the social reinforcement group. (Author)

Describes a behavioral skills training model aimed at decreasing feelings of powerlessness often experienced by women. Feedback questionnaires suggest the training is effective in helping women attain their goals and use more direct forms of power. Cognitive change was a motivating factor. (JAC)

Presents an overview of behavior modification, and discusses ethical misgivings pertaining directly to the use of behavior modification in institutional drug treatment programs. Raises questions about the danger of social control,and informed consent. Concludes with a reexamination of aversive therapy and a plea for professionalism. (JAC)

Characteristics of a behavioral approach to remediating academic deficits of learning disabled (LD) children are reviewed. The behavioral approach encompasses individualization and mastery learning, direct teaching, and an emphasis on measurement. (SEW)

Reports on a study which attempted to determine whether an academic contingency system that successfully modified academic performance and on-task behavior of selected target children would also lead to vicarious academic or behavioral effects in non-target children. Results show that it did not. (CMG)

The paper examines the effect of two types of prompts in eliciting a zero- or low-probability behavior in three Chicano gang members. A general prompt was ineffective, but subject-specific prompts elicited the target behavior (chain of responses terminating in the publication of writing and art work in a community newsletter). (NQA)

Reviewed experimental evidence for the efficacy of videotape and verbal feedback in behavioral couple therapy. Concluded that research does not permit definitive conclusions concerning either procedure. Evidence indicates that it is difficult to ascertain just how the communication behaviors of happy and distressed couples differ. (Author/JAC)

This paper reports an attempt by teachers and psychologists to cooperatively develop a training program for nursery teachers which presents a general problem-solving strategy simple and flexible enough for the trainee to adapt to social interactions with children, other teachers, parents, and the community. (SJL)

Describes the "structured spontaneity" approach to family therapy training at the Boston Family Institute as it exists after ten years, considering the context of training as well as the flavor of the program. Reward for trainers is a kind of competent and creative independent thinking, focused on unjamming a deadlocked system.…