Fifty-two parents of adopted children with histories of abuse or neglect were interviewed. Parents of children with histories of physical and sexual abuse reported lower family functioning than parents of children with histories of neglect. Also, parents who adopted sibling groups reported fewer child externalizing behavior problems but lower…

A study examined the behavior of 8 Israeli children (ages 2-4) with developmental disabilities and maladaptive behavior who were exposed to direct lighting with unshielded standard fluorescent lamps vs. indirect diffuse full spectrum fluorescent lamps. The duration of adaptive behaviors was significantly higher under the indirect lighting.…

Examines the misbehavior of students within primary classrooms in Turkey and England. Focuses on data collected from primary school teachers (n=20), through the use of in-depth interviews and observation. Finds there are differences in student behavior between the two countries. Includes references. (CMK)

A study compared 143 girls (ages 6-14) with Rett syndrome with 85 girls with severe mental retardation on the Developmental Behavior Checklist. Girls with Rett syndrome presented more "autistic relating" and fewer antisocial behaviors. When compared to children with autism, they did not present with classic autistic behavioral features.…

A study examined the effectiveness of properly constructed social stories that had been introduced into the natural environment to target the disruptive behavior of three children (ages 7-15) with autism. A decrease in disruptive behavior was evidenced when the intervention was implemented for all participants. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Data on sleep behavior were gathered on 100 children (ages 2-11) with pervasive developmental disorders. Slightly more than half of parents reported a sleep problem in their child. All of the children exhibited longer sleep onset times and greater fragmentation of sleep than that reported for age-matched community norms. (Contains references.)…

In this study, treatment focused on parenting practices for a 4 1/2-year-old girl with a visual impairment caused by Leber's congenital amaurosis and problems initiating and maintaining sleep. The sleep problem was effectively treated with a behavioral intervention consisting of parental support and the use of a graduated extinction procedure.…

Studied 82 maltreating and normative families to determine whether reported maltreated children and their siblings differ in terms of maltreatment and/or developmental anomalies. Findings indicated reported abused children and their siblings were similar in stressful life experiences, quality of home environment, reported behavior problems, and…

Analyses of data obtained from 779 New Zealand children showed that family adversity and preschool-age intelligence quotient predicted problem behavior during the first year at school, but reading scores accounted for a larger proportion of the variance in later behavior problem scores than did school-age intelligence quotients. (Author/JDD)

Specific strategies are suggested to teachers attempting to establish relationships with autistic children. Strategies include understand what motivates the student; focus on the student's strengths; approach the student in nonthreatening ways; promote the student's sense of self-worth; and be aware that the student may attempt to relate through…

This article addresses the use of behavioral interviews in school consultation programs to identify problems that may require student referral to special education. It examines elements that make up the interview, presents ways to bolster the technical adequacy of the behavioral interview, and calls for interview skills training. (JDD)

The article critiques interpretations purporting to distinguish between serious emotional disturbance (SED) and social maladjustment (which is excluded from the federal SED definition). An interpretation of social maladjustment based on social deviance is proposed to more clearly determine eligibility for services under provisions for the…

The consensus statement of a panel of experts on treatment of destructive and self-injurious behaviors in persons with developmental disabilities addresses such areas as approaches used to manage these behaviors; evidence for the effectiveness of various approaches; the risks and benefits of the various approaches; recommendations; and needed…

Studies assessing treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons were reviewed. Procedures used in the 382 studies, published from 1967-1987, were analyzed in terms of problem behaviors, side effects, and treatment methods. Also examined were number of studies reported yearly, maintenance and generalization of effects,…

Questioned 91 graduate students in education to see whether teachers considered salient characteristics such as student age and problem behavior when selecting interventions for managing students' behavior. Results suggest that both regular and special education teachers take student characteristics into consideration when making such intervention…