Presents results of study of effectiveness of family systems approaches to resolve school behavior problems used at school attendance and review board (SARB), referred to as mini-SARB because team meeting takes place at school level. Includes background and demographic data and description of mini-SARB process (beliefs/assumptions, team roles,…

A survey of 158 educators found that respondents tended to consider interventions that use physical pain or discomfort or social humiliation to be very aversive and tended to favor restricting the use of these interventions. Respondents viewed many other decelerative interventions as relatively mild aversives that they should be able to use.…

Found that 64% of 50 children aged 7-12 years with sickle cell disease had parent-reported behavior problem. Internalizing types of behavior problems and diagnoses were most frequent. Maternal anxiety accounted for 16-33% of variance in mother-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, respectively, and child pain-coping…

The article briefly describes the Tourette Syndrome Association, an association which works to advance public understanding, treatment, and the correct diagnosis of this neurological impairment, which can involve "bizarre" behavioral symptoms as well as learning, attention, and impulse control problems. (DB)

Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding was used to reduce the disruptive behaviors of a blind 12-year-old boy with a learning disability. The subject earned reinforcers by not exceeding the established criterion of disruptive behaviors. An overall 88 percent reduction in target behaviors was observed across a 26-day period.…

Examined differences in correlation between marital adjustment and child conduct problems in 1,107 dual-parent families. Correlation between parents' reports of marital adjustment and child conduct problems was significantly stronger in families of clinic-referred children compared with families of nonclinic children and in families of lower…

Three experiments assessed the efficacy of various reinforcers to increase correct task responding in a total of 10 autistic children, aged 6-9. Of the reinforcers used (stereotypy, delayed echolalia, perseverative behavior, and food), task performance was highest with opportunities to engage in aberrant behaviors, and lowest with edible…

The diets of three individuals with profound mental retardation and histories of coprophagia (ingestion of feces) were supplemented with a nutritionally complete elemental diet called Vivonex, resulting in decreases in the frequency of coprophagia in all three cases. (DB)

Notes that sexual abuse of children is common and serious problem and that wide range of behavioral abnormalities have been linked to sexual and physical abuse. Notes that many symptoms also are seen in children with other disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Tourette syndrome. Presents case report of seven-year-old…

Describes elementary principal's herculean efforts to obtain higher level of service for problematic second grader. Thanks to mainstreaming requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, moving this student to a "more restrictive environment" took almost nine months, hundreds of hours of work, and thousands of dollars to achieve.…

Studied the prediction of intended sexual behavior among African-American college students from self-reported past behavior, demographic attributes, and sociobehavioral variables. Results from 1,593 students provide support for gender, sexual practices, and past sexual behavior in the last 12 months as viable predictors of intended sexual…

Examined playground use of six- to 12-year-olds with behavior problems. Found that play structures encouraged solitary motor activity and that social play concentrated in areas without equipment. Children with better social skills played in more playground areas than aggressive or withdrawn children. Negative moods were related to playing in…

Identifying types of student aggression is essential to providing early and effective interventions; a model is presented for subtyping childhood aggression. Reactive and proactive aggression are discussed with examples of teacher observations and counselor interviews. Behavioral indicators of subtypes are presented. Intervening with each type is…

This case study describes an adult woman whose psychiatric condition causes behavior problems. It follows her and her teacher's progress as her behavior is molded toward that of a productive rather than disruptive learner. (JOW)

Discusses utility of individual ability measures for diagnostic and treatment decisions with children and youth who are referred in educational settings due to learning and/or behavior problems. Concludes that utility of current individual measures of ability in school psychology is low for diagnostic and treatment decisions. (Author/JDM)