The second of two reports on the TOPS Program (Teaching Outreach Prevention School), a group work approach for emotionally disturbed elementary students, describes TOPS' parent training and support groups. Reasons for parent groups are discussed, particularly for parents of children with emotional handicaps. Techniques for motivating parents are…

In order to investigate the relationship between problems in behavioral control and children's capacity to utilize mediational strategies for self control, the responses of a group of disruptive (N=20) and nondisruptive (N=20) kindergarten children were compared in their approach to delay of gratification tasks. Subjects were compared on three…

The rationale for referring to 'hypnocounseling' rather than to 'hypnotherapy' lies in the rejection of the medical model for dealing with behavioral problems. Hypnocounseling is a modality of mental health counseling, a body of knowledge which can be applied to the framework of any personality theory by a trained mental health counselor of any…

Three areas of research have supported the conceptual relevance of Reduced Environmental Stimulation (RES) techniques in the management of psychological dependencies. First, preliminary studies through the late l960's indicated that relatively short periods of RES had a facilitative effect on the type of subject who might be most vulnerable to…

Teachers can improve classroom discipline in a number of ways. An objective grading system that is based on academic performance alone will assure students that they are being fairly graded, whether or not they are liked by the teacher. Discipline and self respect are related and hinge upon the perception in students that they are learning…

This paper reports on approaches shown to be successful in preventing and dealing with disruptive behavior in the classroom. The studies on preventing classroom disruptions state that the best prevention is effective instruction, achieved through lending increased importance to teacher preparation programs that emphasize teaching content,…

The report documents a problem solving approach to the adoption of procedures for dealing with serious behavior problems of severely emotionally disturbed and autistic students in California public schools. Summarized are a review of the literature, an analysis of general techniques of student control, and a list of advantages and disadvantages of…

The effects of reinforcement conditions on the test scores of 15 middle income and 15 low income children labeled learning disabled and behaviorally disordered were assessed. A repeated measures design was used, with each subject tested under conditions of no reinforcement, immediate tangible reinforcement, and immediate social reinforcement.…

Examples of three behaviorally disordered students are used to describe the level system (in which the student moves from level 1, with much external control, to level 6, which is self management) at the Greene County Learning Center (Xenia, OH). The six guidelines for the center are outlined and the components of the level system are listed as…

Described is a project to investigate the effectiveness of self monitoring on the behavior of 8 emotionally disturbed and two educable mentally retarded elementary students. It is explained that baseline information on target behavior was collected, coded, and analyzed with the help of CATTS (computer assisted training system). Findings are…

The author reviews literature supporting the importance of cooperative parent-teacher relationships for exceptional children and describes a graduate level course offered at Rhode Island College on behavior management for parents and teachers of exceptional children and youth with behavior problems. Both advantages and problems with offering a…

A checklist developed in the Hawaii State Department of Health was completed by teachers and aides to screen for behavioral problems of children in preschools. The 31 items were categorized conceptually into four areas: (1) Speech-hearing-language; (2) Academic-intellectual; (3) Physical-motor; and (4) Social-emotional. If two or more items were…

Five papers from a 1979 conference designed to bring practitioners' results of current research and development in special education are presented. The first paper describes the importance of the prepared environment for mainstreaming handicapped children and reviews four areas of consideration: orientation, adaptation, boundaries, and design of…

THE SPECIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE SLOW LEARNER ARE EMPHASIZED IN THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE. FOR THIS TYPE OF STUDENT MORE FOCUS MUST BE PLACED ON PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT AND ADEQUACY IN BASIC SKILLS THAN ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THEREFORE THE OBJECTIVES OF A "BASIC WORK PROGRAM" FOR SLOW LEARNERS SHOULD STRESS THE…

Presented at the 1980 annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, the paper discusses two areas in which school psychologists can make significant contributions to facilitate the mainstreaming of mentally retarded children: staff training and supportive and counseling services to parents. Two intervention strategies that…