We reviewed communication intervention studies involving people with Rett syndrome. Systematic searches of five electronic databases, selected journals, and reference lists identified nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies were evaluated in terms of: (a) participant characteristics, (b) target skills, (c) procedures, (d) main…

The present study evaluates the effect of a classroom-based behavioral intervention package to improve Japanese elementary school children's sitting posture in regular classrooms (N = 68). This study uses a multiple-baseline design across two classrooms with a modified repeated reversal within each class. The article defines appropriate sitting…

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of combining milieu therapy and functional communication training (FCT) to replace aberrant behavior with functional communicative skills in 3 male preschool or elementary aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Study activities were conducted in the natural…

In a controlled multiple case design study, the development of a therapeutic relationship and its role in affect regulation were studied in 6 children with visual disabilities, severe intellectual disabilities, severe challenging behavior, and prolonged social deprivation. In the 1st phase, children had sessions with an experimental therapist…

The current study presents case reports of six children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who received intensive applied behavior analysis within the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS[R]) system and successfully integrated into mainstream education. The participants' interventions followed curricular…

Stimulant drugs (methylphenidate and amphetamine) have been used successfully for decades to improve the behavioral impairments of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A voluminous literature supports the benefits of stimulants for improving classroom manageability…

Bridging the gap between lab and clinic has become a rallying cry for a generation of treatment researchers, and identifying and overcoming barriers to successful dissemination of best-practice treatment has become a major public mental health priority. In this review, the authors argue that a key limit to accomplishing this goal may be found back…

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for all anxiety disorders involves exposure to feared situations and feared emotions. Dropout from therapy is a continued problem for final treatment effectiveness. A meta-emotional model of fear of negative emotions (and anxious sensations and thoughts) is advanced that can be used as a transdiagnostic treatment…

Pica is a potentially life-threatening behavior displayed by many individuals with developmental disabilities. In the present study, stimulus control procedures were examined during the treatment of pica exhibited by a 12-year-old boy with autism. First, the inhibitory effect of a treatment package was tested. Next, neutral stimuli (i.e.,…

The validity of selecting treatment contingencies on the basis of the results obtained through functional analysis is well documented. However, a number of second-generation questions have emerged: For example, what are the parameters required to achieve desired treatment outcomes? More specifically, what is the degree of treatment integrity…

A report to have responded slowly was reinforced after a fixed-ratio schedule, whereas a report to have responded rapidly was reinforced after a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule. All 5 undergraduates reported they had responded slowly when the last interresponse time during the preceding schedule had been short, and had responded…

This study investigated the effectiveness of response cost and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) in reducing the disruptive behaviors of 25 children in a preschool classroom. Using an alternating treatments design, disruptive behavior was reduced when the participants earned tokens for the absence of disruptive behavior (DRO) or…

The purpose of this study was to compare two methods designed to produce tic reduction in 4 children with Tourette's syndrome. Specifically, a verbal instruction not to engage in tics was compared to a verbal instruction plus differential reinforcement of zero-rate behavior (DRO). Results showed that the DRO-enhanced procedure yielded greater…

This investigation provides a preliminary examination of the difference between programmed and obtained reinforcement rates and its potential influence during treatment of aggression in a natural setting. Following a functional analysis that suggested that the aggression of a boy with autism was negatively reinforced, intervention was implemented…

Prolonged speech and its variants are widely used in the behavioral treatment of stuttering. Unlike these approaches, which depend on clinician-prescribed speech pattern changes, two behavioral treatment regimens, one for children and another for adults, recently developed at the Australian Stuttering Research Center, promote self-monitoring of…