Functional analyses of problem behaviors were performed with three individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. Results indicated that the problem behaviors were maintained either when the behavior resulted in escape from difficult tasks or when the behavior resulted in access to preferred items. Training in functionally equivalent…

Maintains that the traditional approach to behavior problems in secondary schools has been reactive and largely negative. Reviews research on behavior intervention methods and preventative practices. Finds that reports on whole-school innovations are positive and considers practical implications for educational psychologists. (CFR)

The behavior management recommendations outlined in England and Wales' Elton Report are applied to schools for children with emotional/behavioral difficulties, especially Inglesea School. Inglesea School uses the principles of assertive discipline, which communicates specific behavioral expectations to students and rewards children for choosing to…

Examined the relationships among parents' stress, parents' work overload, and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescents in dual-earner families reported on parent-adolescent relations and their own problem behavior. Their parents provided reports of work overload, levels of stress, and parent-adolescent relations. Findings indicated…

This paper reviews studies that have used instructional variables as nonaversive interventions for problem behaviors of individuals with severe disabilities. These include student choice of task, task variation, pace of instruction, interspersal of high probability tasks, partial versus whole task training, decreasing task difficulty, and a…

Explains why play is an important tool for understanding and diagnosing children's problems, outlining signals for concern in children's play. Focuses on three areas of play where deviations can be observed: thematic content, style of play, and social interactions in play. Suggests strategies for dealing with these deviations, examining the role…

Examined student perceptions regarding the acceptability of teachers' adapting academic work and differentiating rules and rewards to meet the diverse needs of students with learning or behavior problems. Found that most students favored academic and behavioral adaptations when needed; however, most students in several grades opposed some students…

Direct observation and sequential analytic techniques were used to analyze rates, antecedents, and predictive sequences of aggressive behavior for 28 elementary school-aged children with emotional/behavioral disorders. Results indicated that low rates of positive social interactions characterized the daily classroom ecology of students displaying…

This article offers educators of classes which include students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with a hierarchical intervention plan that includes unstructured, moderately structured, and highly structured monitoring and instructional intervention strategies including token economy, response cost, multiteacher behavioral contracts,…

Telephone interviews were conducted with 39 college-educated mothers of 3-year-old children to examine the conditions surrounding the occurrence of physical punishment. Responses suggest that certain types of misbehavior, notably aggression, were more likely to elicit spanking than other misbehavior. In addition, parents' positive attitudes toward…

Evaluated the educational, psychological, and medical literature that addressed emotional difficulties and behavioral problems in students. Determined that the lack of consensus on the terms used to describe the problem prevented accurate assessment of its prevalence. Concludes that low-cost, gate-keeping mechanisms are needed to facilitate early…

Inclusive classrooms are responsible for delivering appropriate education to culturally diverse and behaviorally at-risk students. The Intervention with Dissimilar Learners Model (IDL) addresses diverse student needs. Research shows that this four-level intervention system is effective. The paper explains the use of the IDL to increase positive…

The Parent Perception Inventory (PPI), used to measure children's perceptions of parental behavior, was administered to children in 12 physically abusive families, 15 child problem behavior families, and 16 nondistressed families. All families were single parent, mother-headed, and impoverished. Data from the present sample were compared with data…

Significantly more negative functioning was observed during marital and parent-child interactions for parents of mentally retarded school-aged children than for parents of typically developing children. For both groups, marital quality, the parenting partnership, and child behavior accounted for up to 53 percent of the variance in parenting…

This study examined response to treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin) across 6 measures of cognitive, academic, and social functioning in 71 boys (ages 7-11) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Response ranged from 18 percent to 71 percent across the six measures, suggesting that classifying a child as a responder to methylphenidate…