A script fading procedure was effectively used to teach 4 children (ages 9 and 12) with autism to initiate interactions with peers. Increased initiations (to within normal levels) generalized to a different setting, and for three of the children were maintained at two-month follow-up. (Author/DB)

Reflects rational-emotive therapy (RET) in 1955 and discusses some of its recent constructivist and humanist theories and practice. Distinguishes between general RET, called synonymous with general cognitive-behavioral therapy, from preferential RET, called unique kind of cognitive therapy that partially overlaps with general cognitive-behavioral…

Sees cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as applicable to all eating disorders but most intensively studied in treatment of bulimia nervosa. Briefly reviews most commonly used cognitive treatments for eating disorders, provides critical evaluation of their effectiveness, and speculates about their mechanisms of action. Notes that CBT has not been…

Surveyed nationally certified school psychologists (n=178) to investigate patterns of practice. Findings included trends for certified school psychologists to employ briefer interventions, to favor the more behavior theory-oriented approaches, and to report family problems as most frequent type of problem encountered in their counseling.…

Analysis of the reinforcement and extinction components of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) of three women with developmental disabilities and self-injurious behavior (SIB) found that DRO was only effective in combination with the relevant extinction component (withholding of attention for SIB). (Author/DB)

Assessment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in three individuals with developmental disabilities revealed that the behavior was an escape response maintained by negative reinforcement. Treatment consisted of extinction plus instructional fading and resulted in immediate and large reductions in SIB behaviors. Maintenance occurred as instruction…

This study compared types of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), namely, reward DRO (reward for omission of problem behavior), escape DRO (termination of instruction contingent on omission of problem behavior), and combined DRO. The combined DRO approach was most effective in reducing behavior problems of three adolescents with…

The history of the terms "punishment" and "aversive" is traced, and the influence of inconsistent usage and negative association associated with these terms is analyzed. A conceptual framework is presented to guide the choice of an alternative terminology for behavior reduction. (Author/JDD)

Elementary school teacher describes his experience with Matt, an emotionally disturbed fourth grader. After Matt acknowledged that he felt nobody liked him, the teacher made a point of paying more attention to him, integrating him into the class, and emphasizing his strengths. Eventually, Matt improved, cooperated, and made friends. (SM)

Investigated 85 female adolescent inpatients in treatment for problems of differentiation and emancipation. Used treatment variation which suggested that girls were suffering from variety of posttraumatic stress disorder. When ritualistic behavioral repetitions were addressed by cognitive behavioral approaches, behaviors decreased. Findings…

Investigated impact of differential use of five cognitive-behavioral strategies on adjustment to bereavement. Findings from 164 widows, studied 5 to 11 months following the loss of their husbands, supported hypothesis that use of these strategies would significantly predict postmorbid adjustment over and above that predicted by demographic factors…

A study of an adolescent with severe mental retardation, who demonstrated self-injurious behavior (SIB) when given attention, evaluated the extent to which providing attention only to appropriate communication would reduce SIB. The client's SIB was reduced significantly only when the therapist left the room when he engaged in SIB. (CR)

A study of a 15-year-old girl with autism who engaged in self-injury and aggression, found that gradually increasing the delay to reinforcement (access or escape), mand training, and extinction were effective for decreasing self-injury. Only when the gradual delay procedure was eliminated, however, was there a reduction in aggression. (Author/CR)

Noncontingent escape (NCE) was used to reduce disruptive behavior in three children (age 4) with autism during regularly scheduled speech therapy sessions. Results showed rapid decreases in disruptive behavior and accompanying increases in compliance across children. Findings suggest that speech therapists can effectively implement NCE. (Author/CR)

Reviews studies involving noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) for the treatment of challenging behavior such as aggression, self-injury, and extreme tantrums in persons with developmental disabilities. A clinical guide for implementation is delineated. Among the advantages of NCR is ease of implementation. NCR appears particularly relevant for…