The relationship between substance use (tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol) and conduct problems and delinquency was investigated for 2,573 boys in grades one, four, and seven in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). Substance use is an indicator of boys who exhibit problem behaviors. Results are related to a developmental conceptualization of these problems.…

This review of 27 studies examining social skills interventions (such as modeling, role playing, goal setting, and verbal self-instruction) and their effects on students with behavior problems found a number of interventions to be successful. The interventions yielded changes in self, teacher, and parent perceptions, though peer perceptions were…

This investigation surveyed 100 parents of people with autism (mean age 19.5 years) concerning toilet training and toileting problems. Results focus on ages at toilet training, toilet training methods, toileting skills, behavior problems related to toileting, and fears related to toileting. (DB)

Two studies examined effects of combinations of setting events on social interactions of seven preschool children with language delays and social interaction deficits. The optimal combination of events for promoting peer interaction included teacher absence from the activity, a limited number and form of materials, and children paired with a…

Large numbers of problem youths are placed in homes and institutions by parents and the social service and juvenile justice systems. Such placement is costly and has adverse effects for the youths. Alternative home-based programs have been developed with high success rates and large cost savings. (BC)

Designed for use with individuals ages 3 months to 44 years, the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) measure adaptive behavior and problem behaviors in such areas as motor skills, social interaction, language, personal self-care, punctuality, destructiveness, and inattention. This paper describes the SIB's administration, scoring,…

A total of 86 girls of 2 to 6 years completed Level 1 spatial and affective perspective-taking tasks. Results showed increasingly accurate performance with age. Task intercorrelations and factor analyses provided support for the coherence of the Level 1 perspective-taking construct. (Author/BB)

This study found that a procedure involving choral responding and self-assessment accompanied by contingent praise may be an effective tool for teaching in-class transition skills to preschoolers with developmental delays. Active engagement sharply increased, with collateral decreases in competing behavior and levels of teacher prompting of target…

Reviews research to derive cross-informant syndrome scales for 1991 profiles of Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher's Report Form, and Youth Self-Report. Summarizes studies of reliability and validity, as well as findings on cross-informant agreement, stability of parent ratings, cross-informant prediction, and comparisons of profile scores for…

Examined influences of friends and friendships on adjustment to junior high school via self-reports, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and school records. Found that sociability and leadership increased if students had high-quality friendships, and behavior problems increased if students had friends with behavioral problems. Separate and…

Describes an evaluation of a home-school support project designed to improve the behavior of young children in danger of school exclusion. Concludes that, although the initiative was valued, effective operation of the initiative was hampered by problems of communication, by its single agency location, and by the short-term nature of its funding.…

Examined relationship between child behavior and peer preference from the person-group similarity and the social-skill models with 2,895 first graders. Found support for both predictive models, with the acceptability aggression and withdrawal varying across classrooms and the effects of inattentive/hyperactive behavior and prosocial behavior…

Describes a 10-step process that educators can use when conducting functional assessments and developing Behavioral Intervention Plans required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 for students with disabilities with behavior problems. A case study is provided to illustrate the process. (Author/CR)

Examined technical and adaptive competence in coping among 97 African-American adolescents with learning disabilities. Findings indicated that short-term, reactive, technical competence was a better predictor of feelings of efficacy, and longer-term, developmental adaptive competence was a better predictor of behavioral problems. Gender subsample…

Examined for 2 years behavior development in 200 Dutch juveniles with serious behavioral difficulties admitted for residential treatment. Found juveniles finishing treatment as planned developed comparably to Dutch adolescents in general population; those leaving prematurely had further developmental difficulties. Noted treatment features…