The current project tested a diagnostic approach to selecting interventions to increase patron selection of reusable dinnerware in a cafeteria. An assessment survey, completed by a sample of 43 patrons, suggested that the primary causes of wasteful behavior were (a) environmental arrangement of dinnerware options and (b) competing motivational…

In a recent placebo-controlled comparison, behavioral activation was superior to cognitive therapy in the treatment of moderate to severely depressed adults. Moreover, a subset of patients exhibited a pattern of extreme nonresponse to cognitive therapy on self-reports of depression not evident on the clinician ratings. These patients were severely…

Transitioning between activities can pose difficulties when working with students with autism. Individuals with autism may resist transitions by exhibiting a host of problem behaviors such as aggression and tantrums. Although scant, there is available research that provides sound recommendations for assessing and intervening for problem behaviors…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) renewed the commitment to provide positive behavioral support (PBS) for students that engage in persistent problem behavior. Behavior intervention plans (also known as PBS plans) serve as legal documents that help guide the implementation of intervention strategies to encourage…

Bullying can happen to any child, especially one who is perceived as "different" or who isn't prepared to respond effectively. Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable to bullying; in fact, sometimes children are bullied specifically because of their disability. Upon discovering that their child is being bullied, parents often feel…

The effect of a Snoezelen room on the disruptive and prosocial behavior of three male, autistic inpatients was examined. In an ABAB reversal design, specific disruptive and prosocial behaviors were recorded for each client throughout the four 28-day periods of the study. Results indicated that the three clients had different responses to the room,…

Functional analyses were conducted for the problem behavior of 3 older adults in a long-term care setting. Two of the problem behaviors were maintained by attention, and a third was maintained by escape from demands. Function-based interventions were implemented that resulted in decreases in problem behavior in each case. Implications for the use…

Longitudinal studies have found associations between parenting and the development of conduct problems, and have found that resistant to control temperament moderates these associations. Intervention studies have found associations between intervention-induced changes in parenting and subsequent reductions in children's conduct problems. However,…

Children with genetic syndromes frequently have feeding problems and swallowing dysfunction as a result of the complex interactions between anatomical, medical, physiological, and behavioral factors. Feeding problems associated with genetic disorders may also cause feeding to be unpleasant, negative, or even painful because of choking, coughing,…

The open-ended, informal, and socially negotiated nature of role-playing games creates a distinct learning challenge for newcomers to the hobby. The explicit rules of the game provide only an incomplete framework for structuring the actions of players, and the expectations and mores of a given group will add other, unspoken rules that discourage…

This article presents the processes and outcomes of a year of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support in a North Texas elementary school serving kindergarten through grade 3 students. Included is a description of a school treatment package that incorporated components such as facilitation of the teaming process, a lottery-type system of intermittent…

This case study illustrates a behavioral treatment of "Peter," a 4-year-old male with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder. Multiple evidence-based treatment procedures were implemented, affording the opportunity to explore issues common to the clinical application of empirically supported…

Using a cross-lagged panel design, we investigated the impact of positive family processes on change in autism symptoms and behaviors. A sample of 149 co-residing mothers and their adolescent or adult child with autism was drawn from a large, longitudinal study. Maternal warmth and praise were measured using coded speech samples in which mothers…

This study examined the fractional graph area (FGA), the proportion of page space used to display statistical graphics, in 11 behavioral journals and places behavior analysis on a continuum with other natural, mathematical, and social science disciplines. The composite FGA of all 11 journals puts behavior analysis within the range of the social…

Thirteen studies were reviewed that were conducted using activity schedules with persons with autism to improve social interaction skills and decrease problem behaviors. Results across studies indicate that activity schedules enhanced social interactions and on-task and transition behaviors. Also, investigators in some studies used activity…