Examined the extent to which maternal smoking before and after pregnancy was associated with disruptive behaviors in childhood. When confounding factors were removed, found that maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with a small but statistically detectable increase in problem behaviors. Smoking after pregnancy was not associated with…

An ethnographic study of adolescent boys in residential treatment explored their experiences with transition from placement to placement. Findings indicated displays of antisocial acting-out behaviors, especially at transition. Results suggest reevaluation of residential treatment within the continuum of care, as successive foster care placements…

Discusses a community contracting plan at a residential high rise on campus. Conducted by the resident assistants of each floor, residents participated in two-hour meetings. Tentative decisions concerning, noise, visitation, cleanliness, and alcohol use were made, and each individual submitted a grade point average (GPA) goal for the semester.…

Treatment of behavioral problems of 3 girls (ages 31-37 months) with Rett's disorder is discussed. Behavioral treatment using operant conditioning principles did little to alter the course of the disorder for these individuals. The one consistent improvement for the girls was a decrease in tantrums. (SW)

Shares some personal reflections about the causes of adolescent resistance to changing behavior and the principles of response, based in part on what students have said to teachers about why they do what they do. Discussed are both responses to avoid and alternative responses. (JPS)

Assessed the relationship between sleep problems and temperament in 63 toddlers who had night-waking problems and 35 nonreferred toddlers. On the Toddler Temperament Questionnaire, night wakers showed lower sensory thresholds and less adaptivity than did controls. On the Parental Stress Index, night wakers were rated as more distractible, less…

Belke and Spetch's (1994) work with pigeons on choice between reliable and unreliable reinforcement is discussed. Hypothetical applied examples address variables that influence preference for unreliable reinforcement, including signaling and its context, conditioned reinforcement, and duration of reinforcement schedules. Implications regarding…

This response to a paper by Guess and Carr (EC 602 212) on stereotypy and self-injury in the disabled evaluates their interpretation of the literature, use of conceptual terms, and treatment of behavior analysis principles. They are critiqued for using descriptive analogies and intervening variables to support their theory. (DB)

This paper describes a dentist-implemented intervention in which brief escape from dental treatment (contingent on brief periods of cooperative behavior) was provided to manage disruptive child behavior during restorative dental treatment with four children, aged three to seven years. The procedure required no more time than traditional management…

Determined four types of preschoolers' social interaction. Examined the relationship of incidents of social interaction of these types to subsequent incidents of conflictual interaction and to the results of the conflictual interaction. Found that preschoolers' dyadic and triadic social interactions preceded conflictual interactions less often…

In a group of children alleged to be victims of sexual abuse, the behavioral disturbances of those who testified in court and those who did not were compared. Assessments conducted seven months after the testifying children's testimony indicated that testifiers had a greater degree of disturbance than children who did not testify. (BC)

Examined maternal ratings of family functioning and children's depression, anxiety, and problem behaviors among 53 families. Women (n=26) with alcohol-dependent partners reported significantly more marital and family disruption and higher levels of child problem behaviors. Both fathers' alcohol dependence and family risk factor index accounted for…

Describes evaluation of Daisybank, children's home to prepare adolescents to live in permanent placements. Notes that, although failing at this task, Daisybank appeared to succeed in helping majority of residents make substantial progress in accepting their deprived and disrupted lives. Suggests that home be judged by these criteria. Notes…

This study examined the relationship between intelligence and delinquency in 157 youth convicted of serious crimes. Few of the delinquents obtained high scores on intelligence testing; most were of below average intelligence. Highly intelligent delinquents shared a history of troubled family backgrounds, school behavior problems, substance abuse,…

This paper identifies and evaluates emerging developments in the behavioral pharmacotherapy of people with developmental disabilities, including such medications as the opiate antagonists, fenfluramine, beta adrenergic blockers, buspirone, antipsychotics, amantadine hydrochloride, and antilibidinal drugs. The need for more well-designed drug…