A study of four students (ages 7-12) with severe disabilities found that tasks identified by teachers as being lower preference were associated with higher rates of problem behavior than were higher preference tasks. For two students, problem behavior rates were lower when students (not teachers) selected the lower preference activity. (Author/CR)

Investigates the effects of child behavior problems on teachers' (N=3) intervention fidelity across two intervention protocols: escape extinction and functional communication training. Results indicate that a high rate of behavior problems during escape extinction appeared to punish teachers' efforts. A low rate of behavior problems was evident…

Presents abstracts for 10 recent ERIC documents and 13 journal articles on the topic of bullying in school, focusing on the incidence of bullying and strategies to address bullying. Delineates resources available on the World Wide Web. (KB)

Examined maternal acceptance and children's social functioning and school adjustment over four years in a Shanghai sample. Found that children's behavioral problems and peer rejection negatively and uniquely predicted maternal acceptance. Academic achievement positively predicted maternal acceptance. Maternal acceptance and rejection contributed…

The Massachusetts Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling against a speech pathology teacher whose contract was not renewed following a parent's complaint. The teacher had explained 4-letter words to 13 year-olds, bringing them up in class, then discouraged further usage. Judges decided the teacher had acted creatively in response to…

A follow-up study of 26 children (ages 5-13) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and low intelligence found that children identified with both characteristics have significant behavioral and emotional problems while in their early adolescence. A significant minority had problems at school and with the law. (CR)

This article describes components of effective behavior management programs in inclusive classrooms and how one teacher evaluated behavior problems in her classroom and effected dramatic changes. The article suggests proactive methods for enriching classroom climates and promoting a community of learners that includes students with challenging…

Examination of the effects of difficulty level of academic tasks on the behavior of 2 subjects (ages 9 and 12) with severe behavior disorders found that difficult tasks were generally associated with lower percentages of time-on-task and higher percentages of time engaged in disruptive behavior than were easy task conditions. (Author/DB)

Melissa Caudle, principal of a New Orleans high school for behaviorally disordered students, has written a book on crisis-alert systems and confiscated loads of weapons. Her career has been devoted to helping neglected, abused, delinquent, and gang-prone adolescents. The school's program, which stresses personal accountability, conflict…

The predictive validity of a hypothesized model of 5 factors associated with the development of juvenile delinquency was evaluated with 68 children (ages 6-11) who had been referred for delinquent behavior. Analysis of clinical files indicated that aggressiveness and variety of conduct problems accounted for 31% of variance in delinquent behavior.…

This report describes a database, Database Problem Behavior, which provides professionals in the area of problem behaviors and developmental disabilities with accessible information beyond their own disciplines. The current machine-readable database encompasses 885 empirical studies on the functional analysis and behavioral and pharmacological…

Discusses behavioral momentum and the general behavioral relation between the persistence of behavior and the rate of reinforcement obtained in a given situation. Strategies for establishing the generality of behavioral relations are reviewed, followed by a brief summary of evidence for the generality of behavioral momentum. (Author/CR)

Parents of 468 children aged between 12 and 14 participated in a survey of early adolescent behavior. Major undesirable behaviors experienced by parents were fighting with siblings, talking back to adults, moodiness, and school difficulties. Findings are discussed in the context of the challenge of designing and delivering effective early…

This article describes use of the Awareness Enhancement Device with a typically developing 6-year-old child to reduce finger sucking despite the child's lack of motivation. This device delivers a tone contingent on occurrence of the target behavior. Substantial reductions in finger sucking resulted only with the addition of a more intense tone (90…

Presents guidelines for referral and test evaluation of students with suspected learning or behavioral challenges for Montessori schools and staff. Includes an observation checklist in the areas of classroom behavior, classroom performance, and social behavior for teachers to use when a student is experiencing difficulties. Concludes with…