Craig Alternative Middle/High School in Milwaukee is an academic/therapeutic multicategorical program for 85 high risk students who, because of their atypical behaviors, have not been successful in a less restrictive educational environment. The staff, consisting of teachers, paraprofessionals, psychologists, social workers, probation officers and…

Recent research on the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a disorder of metabolism, in terms of etiology and characteristics, biomedical treatment options, behavior modifications, daily management concerns, and educational intervention. Specific attention is given to alternatives for dealing with self-injurious behavior in those individuals affected by the…

In this study, both the semantic and systematic desensitization methods were found to be significantly more effective than the implosive therapy and the control treatments in the modification of phobic behavior among the college student population. (Author)

Contingency management programs for modifying aggression in children are strong methods of short-term behavior change in treatment settings but are less than successful when transferred to other settings. Future research should compare cognitive with noncognitive behavioral programs and test the effectiveness of cognitive and noncognitive…

Compared to 44 nontrained child aides, 19 trained aides had significantly higher postprogram scale scores on opinions and beliefs about acting out children, changes in feeling about working with them, and actual observed changes in their playroom behaviors. (Author)

Foster children's most common problems are falling behind academically, failing to do homework, disrupting class, failing courses, being picked on, cheating and lying, fearing school, and engaging in truancy. Teachers and other school staff members can help by developing reasonable expectations, becoming advocates, involving foster families, and…

This study documented the occurrence of stereotypical behaviors in young children with various handicapping conditions by rating such behaviors in 351 young children with handicaps by caregivers in early intervention programs. Most of the children exhibited at least one stereotypical behavior, and some stereotypical behaviors were differentially…

Author responds to comments (EC 232 033-037) on his paper (EC 232 032) concerning use of aversive therapy or punishment with mentally retarded persons. Paper notes ideological connotations often implied in the term "punishment" and the lack of response to the distinction made in his paper between this and the functional relations…

Treatment of behavioral problems of 3 girls (ages 31-37 months) with Rett's disorder is discussed. Behavioral treatment using operant conditioning principles did little to alter the course of the disorder for these individuals. The one consistent improvement for the girls was a decrease in tantrums. (SW)

Shares some personal reflections about the causes of adolescent resistance to changing behavior and the principles of response, based in part on what students have said to teachers about why they do what they do. Discussed are both responses to avoid and alternative responses. (JPS)

A purposeful and positive approach to discipline benefits all members of the camp community. Staff should take a proactive approach to discipline by considering the basic needs of campers and keeping campers appropriately busy. Inappropriate behavior should be handled by discussing the behavior privately with the camper. (KS)

Girls with externalizing problems are especially vulnerable to depression in adolescence due to onset of puberty, increased social pressure, and the gender paradox of comorbidity. Families, educators, and practitioners can help address depression, a common underlying symptom of emotional problems in girls, through awareness, identification, and…

Campers will be active and will test their limits; behavior problems are inevitable. If the reason for the behavior can be identified, it can be dealt with much more easily. Discusses seven roots of behavior problems, and what to do when campers violate the rules. A sidebar presents 21 strategies for dealing with challenging behavior. (TD)

Examines the efficacy of an intervention designed to improve classroom behavior of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The intervention trained third-grade students to use self-management and peer-monitoring strategies embedded within a group contingency to decrease inappropriate verbalizations during class times.…

This paper first reviews four classes of habit disorders in children: motor and vocal tics, nervous habits, stuttering, and Tourette's disorder. It then describes the habit reversal procedure and reviews the literature on its use and variations to treat each of the four classes of habit disorders. Emphasis is on simplified versions of the original…