Describes the evolution of Harper Alternative School, which serves disruptive, volatile, and seriously emotionally disturbed students who could not be managed within regular schools in Houston, TX. Through a process of constant change and refinement to meet students' needs, the school has developed a model that is successful in serving even the…

Resolution of serious behavior problems requires individual functional assessment of the events that predict and maintain the challenging behavior and identification of contextual factors that are relevant to effective behavioral support. Functional assessment can involve review of school records, interviews, rating scales, direct observation, and…

The Student-Assisted Functional Assessment Interview identifies antecedent events, ecological variables, and consequences that can be modified to improve a student's classroom behavior. The assessment tool solicits information directly from students about their preferences and their appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Interview results can…

Assessed helplessness behaviors in five- to seven-year-old children of mothers with and without depression. Found that, although mothers with depression set a more negative affective tone than mothers without depression during mother-child puzzle tasks, there were few significant differences between the two groups of mothers and children. (MDM)

Analyzes studies published in the 1980s that used psychosocial interventions for preschoolers exhibiting behavioral and emotional difficulties. Finds that social modeling and teaching parents behavioral principles show promise as effective interventions. Suggests that parental involvement is important in successful interventions and that school…

The results of this study support and expand upon previous research indicating that adolescent drug and alcohol use is greatly affected by family factors: adolescents who abstain from drug and alcohol use and abuse come from families who are qualitatively different from the families of adolescents who use and abuse substances. (Author/LKS)

Based on results of work from British schools, this article identifies ten effective ways of responding to challenging behaviors of pupils with severe learning disabilities, including helping the pupil to establish positive relations with one adult, focusing on teaching language and communication, allowing the pupil to opt out of activities, and…

The factor validity of the new Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) was determined with 1,040 adults, ages 18-89, who were mentally retarded and living in group homes. The original ABC factor structure appeared valid for scoring the ABC-C with this population. Variables studied included age, gender, level of mental retardation,…

This article discusses using a group contingency as a technique to increase appropriate behavior and decrease inappropriate behavior of students with learning disabilities who are either in regular classrooms or special classes. The advantages and disadvantages of three types of group contingencies (dependent group contingency, independent group…

Recounts a teacher's poignant attempt to reach a troubled student who shows only cynical disdain for classroom activities and meets friendly overtures with a cold, unemotional stare. Concludes that teachers cannot reach all students and sometimes have to let some go. (TB)

A forced-choice procedure was used with two children, ages three and seven, with profound mental retardation to identify reinforcers. Preferred stimuli were selected using approach responding and latency between stimulus presentation and the first occurrence of aberrant behavior (hand mouthing). Results indicated that latency may be useful in…

Mexican mothers (n=105) responded to a questionnaire measuring their beliefs concerning the "corrective effects of punishment." A six-item scale measuring such beliefs was developed, its reliability assessed, and its validity tested using a factor analytic structural equations model. Mothers reported as abusing their children produced…

Describes a cognitive intervention package for increasing self-control and decreasing primary nocturnal enuresis in young children. The package consists of five gradual steps directed toward changing maladaptive habits, helping the child to understand the enuresis process, increase bladder control, develop self-control, and eliminate enuresis.…

Individuals (n=55) with mild to moderate mental retardation rated the acceptability of differential reinforcement and time-out. Community-based subjects and institutionalized subjects differed in their ratings depending on the severity of the problem. (DB)

Used data from a longitudinal study of 16-year-old girls to test predictions about psychosocial factors in the onset of menarche. Found that family conflict and father's absence in childhood predicted an earlier age of menarche, and these factors in combination with weight showed some evidence of an additive influence on menarche. (Author/GLR)