Assessment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in three individuals with developmental disabilities revealed that the behavior was an escape response maintained by negative reinforcement. Treatment consisted of extinction plus instructional fading and resulted in immediate and large reductions in SIB behaviors. Maintenance occurred as instruction…

Reviews studies involving noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) for the treatment of challenging behavior such as aggression, self-injury, and extreme tantrums in persons with developmental disabilities. A clinical guide for implementation is delineated. Among the advantages of NCR is ease of implementation. NCR appears particularly relevant for…

Summarizes the 1997 amendments to IDEA in hopes that a solid understanding of the law will clarify the current rights of children and help inform advocacy efforts toward future amendments. Some of the changes include clarification of these terms: child with a disability; developmental delay; related services; supplementary aids; transition…

This study compared executive functions in children with autism (N=40), Tourette syndrome (N=30), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (N=24), or controls (N=29). Groups differed in patterns of performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, a measure of flexibility, the Tower of Hanoi, a measure of planning capacity, and the Stroop, a test of…

Evaluates the concept of "establishing operation" (EO) in the functional analysis of problem behavior in people with developmental disabilities. Suggestions for detecting "conditioned establishing operations" are offered. Also discusses the development of treatment strategies that seek to modify EOs, extinguish EOs, and modify…

This discussion of positive behavior support for people with disabilities identifies four themes: (1) behavior support should reduce problem behavior and affect how a person lives; (2) functional assessment is the foundation for understanding patterns of problem behavior; (3) behavior support should be comprehensive in structure and scope; and (4)…

A study examined the relation between communication development and aberrant behavior in 13 preschool children with developmental disabilities. There was a strong inverse relation between communication ability and severity of aberrant behavior. Deficits in receptive language were more strongly associated with severe aberrant behavior, particularly…

Ninety-two adults with developmental disabilities were interviewed about their church attendance. Fifty-two percent reported they had attended church in the last seven days. Of these attendees, 73 percent attended a Christian church, 94 percent know the name of their church, and 48 percent attended church with a family member. (Contains…

Discusses how to improve organizational performance by involving customers in partnerships. Relates experiences at the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico, serving people with developmental disabilities, which helped realize their mission, helped staff cross from theory to application, and increased relevancy and…

A reaction to Sowell's book raises issues about behaviorally based diagnoses, stressing that developmental disorders are behaviorally defined dimensions along a continuum with no crisp partition between normalcy and disorders. It sees developmental disorders as usually the expression of extremely complex, multigenic influences on brain…

Interviews with 12 students with developmental disabilities, parents, and educators regarding the transition planning process found most students optimistic about the future, although parents and teachers thought transition planning was incomplete. Strategies to promote student involvement in transition planning were recommended. (JOW)

Discussion of family involvement in functional assessment (FA) with individuals who have autism or related disabilities first provides a rationale for family involvement, then reviews the literature and offers guidelines including: recognize, respect, and accommodate families' individuality; create a context for family centered participation; take…

Tests the developmental lag hypothesis, which assumes that a surface pattern of reading difficulties should be attributed to a general developmental delay. Compares a sample of very low birth weight children with a group of same-age, normal readers. Provides further evidence that a surface pattern of reading difficulty should be attributed to a…

Five elementary students with developmental disabilities were taught health and safety facts using either classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) or traditional teaching methods. Comparison indicated that both CWPT procedures and traditional teacher-led procedures produced similar outcomes. Discussion focuses on advantages of using CWPT to acquire basic…

Tangible and pictorial paired-stimulus (PPS) preference assessments were compared for 6 individuals with developmental disabilities. During tangible and PPS assessments, two edible items or photographs were presented on each trial, respectively, and approach responses were recorded. Both assessments yielded similar preference hierarchies for 3…