Recent studies report the cumulative prevalence of behavioral disorders among school-age children to be second only to anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, by the time behavior has been identified as needing special education services, patterns of disruptive and externalizing behavior have often become unremitting. If at-risk behavior can be reliably…

This study reports new evidence for the dimensionality and validity of the Learning Behaviors Scale in samples of Head Start children. A sample of 900 former Head Start children enrolled in public kindergarten and first-grade classrooms was studied using modern techniques to analyze item responses represented as ordered categories. Findings from…

Compared the performance of learning disabled and normal-achieving third- and fourth-grade children on Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test to determine group differences along the impulsivity-reflection dimension. Overall results suggest that learning disabled children are not more impulsive but rather use poor strategic behavior in processing…

Investigates the differential effect of modeling procedures on slow and fast responders' performance on a haptic-visual matching test. Also studies the differential effect of modeling of impulsive v reflective modes of responding, and of model success v model failure. (Author/SS)

This study investigated whether the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) would differentially affect performance on a test of cognitive style by hyperactive children. Subjects were 55 children, (ages 7 to 15) referred to the Learning Clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada for hyperactivity and/or learning problems. A paired…

Research is reviewed on cognitive interventions which affect children's self-control. Five types of effective manipulations are discussed: self-verbalization; external verbalization; affect manipulation; cognitive transformation; and manipulation of attention. Self-control behaviors include modification of impulsive behaviors; delay of…