A case study of an elementary school child with emotional and behavioral problems illustrates a process of descriptive assessment, functional assessment, and assessment-based intervention. The descriptive information generated hypotheses about variables maintaining the problem behavior which were then tested in the classroom environment.…

This article discusses three major purposes of observation in functional behavioral assessment: to describe and help analyze the classroom events leading to challenging behaviors, to develop and evaluate the accuracy of hypotheses about these triggers, and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for challenging behavior developed from the…

This article profiles Unified Discipline, a schoolwide systemic model of discipline that incorporates factors associated with best practices in teaching behavior and improving discipline. The four components of the program are described and include unified attitudes, expectations, correction, and team roles. Implications for practice are…

This article reviews three studies involving adolescent girls residing in a correctional facility. Major findings support why educators need to consider the role of communication in relation to violence. Implications, recommendations, and conclusions are offered for speech-language pathologists and other educators involved in planning programs for…

This article describes a holistically oriented therapeutic intervention (Quiet Place) developed to promote a sense of peace and relaxation for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Evaluation of the first cohort of British children (n=22) to complete the program indicates the intervention had a positive effect overall on emotional…

A classroom-wide intervention on direction following, sharing, and problem solving was embedded in a story and song format for 53 Head Start children. Results indicate significant improvements for participants on adaptive behaviors, social interaction, and attentional measures. Children at risk for behavior disorders either significantly improved…

Provides teachers with basic information needed to prevent and manage aggressive children and youth, specifically, information on stages of crises (frustration stage, defensiveness stage, aggression stage, and self-control stage), effective strategies for each stage, and prevention strategies designed specifically for public school classrooms.…

A study explored the interactional effects of parental marital disruption and physical abuse on risk for adolescent psychopathology in 99 community-based adolescents who had been physically abused and 99 controls. Interactional effects of marital disruption and abuse were found for risk for lifetime Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.…

Synthesis of 16 observation studies of reading instruction for students with learning disabilities and/or emotional/behavioral disorders concluded that: (1) substantial time was allocated to reading instruction, especially in special education settings; (2) the quality of reading instruction was low; and (3) independent seatwork and worksheets…

In this discussion of quantitative research synthesis, past criticisms of meta-analysis are reviewed along with the ways they have been addressed. Objections to single-subject synthesis methods are discussed, along with the advantages of using the percentage-of- nonoverlapping-data metric. The article concludes by questioning the veracity of…

This study evaluated self-control and impulsivity in two nine-year- old males with severe developmental disabilities and behavior disorders. Functional analyses suggested that aggression was reinforced by food access. A differential reinforcement procedure to reinforce appropriate mands was implemented. Although aggression occurred when it…

This article discusses key aspects of school-based efforts to identify school context variables that can either ameliorate or exacerbate the risk for violence and aggression. A review of risk factors for aggression is followed by discussion of intervention in early childhood, intervention throughout middle childhood and adolescence, teaching…

A function-based behavioral treatment package was developed for an 18-year-old male with mild mental retardation in a specialized inpatient unit for treatment of severe destructive behaviors associated with school refusal behavior. Treatment goals were achieved relatively quickly and follow-up data indicated treatment effects were durable.…

A winner of the Council for Exceptional Children Research Award reflects on the enabling effect of a supportive context for research, lessons learned relating to career successes and failures, and the value of applied research. The need develop a program of long-term research is discussed. (Contains references.) (CR)

A model for treatment foster care is described, and data are presented on disruption rates. The likelihood of placement disruption for 90 participants (ages 2-16) was two times higher during the first 6 months than the second 6 months. Twenty-three experienced placement disruption, with older girls at the greatest risk. (Contains references.)…