Prior investigations suggest that birth order position may be associated with the risk for developing a pervasive developmental disorder. This retrospective chart review examined the birth order status of 29 psychiatrically-referred patients with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Eighty-six percent of the subjects were first born. The finding was…

This case demonstrates the efficacy of utilizing an intensive, multi-faceted behavioral intervention paradigm. A comprehensive, integrative, school-based service model was applied to address attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptomology, oppositional behaviors, and explosive anger at the secondary level. The case reviews a multi-modal…

Repetitive behavior is a core feature of autism spectrum disorder. We used 8-week data from two federally funded, multi-site, randomized trials with risperidone conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Autism Network to evaluate the sensitivity of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale modified for autism…

Early identification of student behavioral needs allows educators the opportunity to apply appropriate interventions before negative behaviors become more intensive and persistent. A variety of screening tools are available to identify which students are at risk for persistent behavior problems in school. This article provides two examples in…

Academic expectations are often antecedents for various types of inappropriate classroom behavior for students with challenging behavior. Effective interventions for managing these behaviors must involve techniques that combat academic refusal. Addressing the underlying issues of resistance or refusal to perform academically in school using…

The third edition of "How to Reach and Teach Children and Teens with ADD/ADHD" has been completely revised to offer the most updated and comprehensive guidance to everyone engaged in the positive education of children and teens who have been diagnosed with ADHD or show signs and symptoms of the disorder. This valuable resource contains…

Inadequate preparation, combined with challenging work conditions, contribute to the shortage of skilled special educators in the United States (Levenson, 2011). Because teacher quality is linked to student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2001), the discrepancy in access to qualified teachers has remained a serious issue, particularly for students…

Class-wide interventions have strong empirical support for improving behavior in general education classes but are rarely tested in special education classes. The present study examined the effects of the Class-wide Function-related Intervention Team (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention, on the on-task behavior of six elementary…

Trichotillomania is a behavioral problem, and is often referred to as a habit disorder, but it is important to consider the cognitive and emotional components of the behavior. Current treatment recommendations include a traditional behavioral approach (Habit Reversal Training; HRT) combined with an approach that addresses the cognitive and…

Past research regarding mental health literacy has indicated that public knowledge is lamentably poor. This study aimed to examine the effect of demographics, experience and personality, as predictors for understanding conduct disorders. An opportunistic sample of 125 participants with a mean age of 24.29 years completed an online questionnaire in…

Perseveration comprises repetition of actions, verbalization, and interacting with objects in an alternate manner, and exists throughout the lifespan of people with autism spectrum disorder. The article discusses perseveration in autism, autism and its incidence in public schools, description of perseveration in the classroom, significance,…

The number of youth with serious emotional disorders has increased tremendously; unfortunately, meeting the needs of such children has been a challenge. In an effort to deal with the challenging behaviour exhibited by children and youths, expensive out-of-home placements such as juvenile justice centres and clinical and psychiatric…

Psychiatric hospitalization of children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability is common, however, the effectiveness of this intervention is largely unknown. Thirty-eight clinically-referred children 8-19 years old admitted to a specialized inpatient psychiatry unit were assessed by a consistent caregiver on the Aberrant…

C. Michael Nelson began his special education career as a teacher of adolescents with learning and behavior disorders. He has worked as a child psychologist and as a professor with the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Kentucky. He coordinated the graduate Personnel Preparation Program for Teachers…

Twice-exceptional students have high abilities and coexisting learning difficulties. Abilities and difficulties tend to mask each other, and these underidentified students often struggle in school and express their frustrations at home. However, few studies have examined how parents experience the identification of their children's multiple…