The authors review and discuss the applied behavior analysis procedures that have been found to be effective in controlling severe forms of maladaptive behavior and outline several considerations that may influence the success with which severe forms of maladaptive behavior are controlled in a classroom setting. (SBH)

Discussion of the functional relationship between self-injurious behavior (SIB) and self-restraint in people with severe disabilities considers SIB and self-restraint as members of the same functional response class, SIB and self-restraint as functionally independent responses, access to self-restraint as positive reinforcement of SIB, termination…

A fading procedure was successfully used to maintain high levels of compliance obtained with presenting high-probability requests immediately antecedent to low-probability requests in both a 5-year-old boy with developmental disabilities and a 15-year-old girl with developmental disabilities (for whom rephrasing of "don't" requests to…

This study, with an 11-year-old male with severe mental retardation, investigated the effectiveness of selectively implementing punishment for only the most severe topographies of aggression and property destruction, whereas less extreme behaviors were ignored. Results indicated that severe behaviors were reduced to near-zero levels only when both…

The author found it very satisfying to reread "Toward a technology of 'nonaversive' behavioral support," written in 1990 by Rob Horner and seven of his colleagues. Their predictions of the critical themes for advancing positive behavior support (PBS) ring true. Fifteen years have passed since the publication of this article, and much has happened…

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…

Teachers participated in a course on behavioral approaches in the classroom. Training was conducted in phases: Information, Instructions to Practice, Guided Practice, Coding Practice, and Performance Feedback. Significant increases in positive teacher behaviors and decreases in negative teacher behaviors were observed but were not maintained.…

Following inconclusive functional analyses of problem behaviors in 3 children (ages 3-4) with severe disabilities, interventions based on environmental enrichment were implemented. For all subjects, environmental enrichment decreased aberrant behavior if preferred stimuli were used. Explicit reinforcement of appropriate play behavior was required…

This paper explores the reasonableness of expecting conventional experimental methodologies and research reports on behavioral interventions for persons with developmental disabilities to both support the validity of promising practices and guide the efforts of practitioners to implement those practices. New directions for research and practice…

This paper reviews functional analysis' historical development as an important pretreatment assessment and analysis strategy for academic and social behavior problems. It examines seminal and influential studies to document historical and contemporary progression, functional analysis' contributions, and future directions. Conclusions focus on…

This paper discusses the practice of social validity assessment in applied behavior analysis, proposes elements that should be included in state-of-the art assessment procedures, offers a taxonomy of consumers to guide the construction and circulation of assessments, and suggests strategies to improve social validity assessment. (JDD)

This review of behavioral research on teaching individuals with profound multiple handicaps found that behavior change has resulted from contingency management interventions, but the behavior changes cannot be described as beneficially affecting the individuals' quality of life. Explanations for this are offered, and suggestions for future…

This paper discusses factors related to negative psychological and physiological reactions (i.e., violent deaths, psychiatric commitments, self-mutilations, attempted suicides, disciplinary infractions, etc.) to life in institutional environments such as prisons, schools, off-shore oil rigs, and homes for the aged. Factors discussed are: (1)…