Random sampling showed that educable mentally retarded (EMR) students were no more likely to be suspended than nonretarded students. Comparison of suspended EMR and nonretarded (median age 13 years) students indicated that nonretarded students were more likely to be suspended for drug and alcohol-related offenses and other disruptive behavior.…

The article presents a discussion of nutritional aspects of behavioral disorders and two charts of substances as related to the research literature, physical symptoms, and specific questions on a checklist of clinical symptoms indicative of behavior disorders. (DB)

Three behavior rating scales were filled out by teachers for the entire first grades of three public schools, totalling 225 children. Factor analyses on this nonclinical sample yielded different factors from those found previously on clinical samples. (Author)

Postulated three correlations to explain school misbehavior: (1) a positive relationship between stimulus-seeking and school misbehavior; (2) a negative relationship between perceived school environment and school misbehavior; (3) an interaction between stimulus-seeking and perceived school environment on school misbehavior. (Author/DB)

The article describes a direct observation system designed to help teachers identify children with behavior problems. The system involves recording the frequency of four key target behaviors (noise, out-of-place, physical contact/destruction, and off task) emitted by the referred student and by a normative peer sample. (DLS)

Two studies of aggressive and unaggressive emotionally disturbed boys (total N=72) in residential treatment examined whether the more aggressive children exhibit either an attributional bias to infer hostility regardless of the nature of the social stimuli that they appraised or an actual ability to detect true instances of hostility. (Author/CL)

A psychologist describes a counseling situation in which the divorced parents of an 11-year-old, behavior problem child disagreed about his future school placement. (CL)

Argues that the concept of difficult temperament does not yet have enough empirical basis to justify its use for practical purposes. Suggests that the concept possesses enough construct validity to justify further research, particularly when temperamental differences are seen as a parent's perception rather than solely as a child's characteristic.…

The article is designed to help parents and teachers understand the causes of common behaviors of gifted children that become "problems" to adults and to suggest some effective strategies for dealing with such behaviors. (SBH)

Describes a New Jersey, principal-initiated program to change the undesirable behavior of disruptive, underachieving youngsters. Although the anticipated 80 percent success rate was not realized, results showed the positive growth recorded in most areas was impressive. (Author/LD)

The author states that the numbers of youths who previously have been served within the traditional child welfare systems, but now are refused services based upon the labels given to them, are on the rise. (Author/CL)

It is argued that a behavioral model for treatment of children with behavior problems emphasizes precise, detailed definition of problem areas, and the careful monitoring of behavior before, during and after treatment. (MS)

Discusses the process of conducting a functional assessment of a problem behavior. Reviews current research on functional assessment methods, such as direct observation and indirect assessment, and covers applications of functional assessment. Applies functional assessment to binge eating and the antecedents and consequences of binge eating…

Educators often presume that all children prenatally exposed to crack or cocaine will be out of control in classrooms and doomed to failure. This article debunks five popular myths concerning such children. Educators should forgo the notion that these children exhibit similar behaviors. They should consider the variables affecting behavior and…

This study investigated the sleep of 28 young blind and 22 sighted children (ages 4 to 36 months) whose parents completed the Sleep Habits Questionnaire. It found that the blind children had significantly more sleep problems related to bedtime and behaviors during the night than did the sighted children. (Author/DB)