Anxiety-based school refusal occurs in 2% of school-age children. The reasons why they refuse to go school range from mental illness and learning problems to general defiance and a desire for attention. Early identification and multi-faceted assessment and interventions are critical to addressing the problem. This book offers concise, practical…

This article identifies questions and strategies to help teachers become more self-aware regarding their interactions with students with behavioral and emotional disorders. Strategies address: (1) identifying and defusing emotional triggers; (2) shifting focus; (3) reducing burnout and nurturing teacher mental health; (4) assessing ability to use…

This article discusses social skills training for students with emotional or behavioral disorders who have difficulty building social relationships. It addresses problems with current social skills instruction program, the lack of generalization data, and strategies to program systematically for generalization and maintenance of trained skills.…

A conceptual scheme developed by the National Needs Analysis Project in Behavior Disorders is presented for guiding program description and evaluation in the behavioral disorders field. The scheme identifies essential program components such as philosophy, community involvement, and exit procedures. Underlying assumptions, the development process,…

The article examines definitions of behavioral disorders and summarizes recent literature. Issues raised relate to prevalence data, increasing classroom disruption, stability of behavioral disorders into adolescence and adulthood, and the increase in teacher stress attributable to children with behavior disorders. Management approaches including…

Two sample lessons are presented to help elementary-school children with behavior disorders understand friendship relationships. Hypothetical student relations are diagrammed, and class discussions deal with the reasons for students' popularity and unpopularity and the acceptability or unacceptability of the reasons. (JDD)

A six-point program of diagnostic inquiry and treatment strategy for individuals with behavior disorders in addition to severe or profound mental retardation is presented, which allows alternate etiological hypotheses to be tested in a clinical setting. This format is intended to unify psychopharmacy practice in mental retardation and in general…

Evaluation of a personalized system of instruction (PSI) on the spelling performance of 10 behaviorally disordered elementary students found improved spelling accuracy, further improvement when same-day retakes were allowed, improved student attitudes, and student preference of the PSI spelling program over traditional approaches. (Author/DB)

The paper reports on application of a case-by-case reintegration approach to helping 10 behaviorally disordered elementary students transition into less restrictive environments. The strategy combined transenvironmental programing, student-directed interventions, and collaborative consultation. Effectiveness was suggested by the number of students…

The individualized education programs (IEPs) of 107 junior high students with behavioral disorders were reviewed. An average of 2.4 behavior problems and 4 goals were noted per student, with a low correlation between problems and goals. (Author/DB)

This article examines the body of case law which has developed over the appropriate use of various timeout procedures (e.g., exclusion, seclusion/isolation) of students with behavior disorders. Seven guidelines for the legally correct application of timeout procedures are offered. (DB)

This article offers teachers basic information needed to prevent and manage aggression in children and youth. Information is provided regarding stages of crises, effective strategies for each stage, and prevention strategies designed specifically for public school classrooms. Policies and procedures to address the needs of aggressive students are…

Foster children (age 0-14, n=190) referred for mental health evaluations were compared to a subsample of 10 children identified as hyperphagic. These children displayed hyperactivity and poor impulse control, interpersonal skills, and communication skills. Mothers exhibited a high incidence of drug/alcohol abuse. Hyperphagia should alert…

Timeout use was found to be low to moderate for the majority of 88 severely behaviorally disordered students in an elementary school self-contained program. Little evidence was found of a relationship between timeout use and academic achievement. In contrast, measures of school absence, in particular truancy, were correlated with poor academic…

A medication efficacy graph was developed, revised, and applied in a case study to effectively monitor progress of a client with profound mental retardation and maladaptive behaviors. The graph enables clinicians to measure and display not just incidents of maladaptive behaviors but weighted maladaptive behaviors, adaptive behaviors, potency of…