The topic of procrastination (putting off for tomorrow what one should do today) is introduced as a well-known phenomenon that has been the subject of widespread general interest, modest professional activity, and remarkably little research interest. In this paper, explicit criteria are formulated to define the phenomenon. The various etiological…

A case study of a behavior disordered 11-year-old illustrates the need for school counseling personnel to consider not only the child's psychoeducational and mental health needs but also relationship patterns within and between family and school. A series of strategies are offered to show how dysfunctional patterns can be broken. (Author/DB)

Assesses the suitability of existing measures of emotional and behavioral disorders among children for use in general populations. Focuses on the definition of emotional and behavioral disorder, measurement approaches, and guidelines for choosing which disorders to study. Seven measurement instruments are evaluated using the folowing criteria:…

Originally developed to treat antisocial behavior, multisystemic therapy (MST) has emerged as a leading evidence-based treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children and adolescents. This manual presents the MST approach to working with this challenging population. Delineated are ways to develop and implement collaborative interventions…

Discusses how parents and teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities can build and maintain effective parent-teacher communication by "passing notes." The value of written communication is stressed and the daily notebook communication procedure, based on daily inserts from both the teacher and parent, is highlighted. (CR)

Discussed are some advances in the treatment of autism. The cooperation between clinicians and parents is highlighted. The success of one school program is described. (CW)

Two experiments, one involving two elementary-aged girls with autism and one involving three boys with serious behavior disorders, found that the use of contingent access to free time and play materials increased the rate of correct math problems completed and decreased the error rates. (Author/JDD)

Comparison of results of using the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist to identify mild or highly deviant behavior in 95 children (grades 3 through 6) by two regular education teachers of each child indicated little agreement between teachers. (Author/DB)

Six behavior rating scales used with children with problematic behaviors were reviewed for psychometric soundness of reliability and validity. They are: Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale; Behavior Evaluation Scale; Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form; Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale; Revised Behavior Problem Checklist;…

Poetry writing is recommended in working with adolescent students both with and without emotional/behavioral disorders. Poetry writing is seen as having value in preventing emotional problems and in reaching depressed adolescents with language deficits. Examples are given from poems written by seventh graders. (DB)

This discussion addresses the use of self-management as a behavior change technology for adolescents with behavior disorders. The supporting literature is reviewed; reasons for considering self-management strategies are presented; and specific guidelines are provided for planning self-management interventions based on a self-management planning…

The study examining the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral training program with 30 behaviorally disordered adolescents found participating students exhibited fewer aggressive behaviors and demonstrated greater self-control than nonparticipating students. The addition of an incentive for implementing the training strategies did not appear to…

The effects of social interaction skill interventions on the social behavior of four preschool children with behavioral handicaps were evaluated. Findings indicated unique effects for social skills training and contingency management intervention. Results are discussed in relation to the role of reciprocal interaction and behavioral trapping for…

The second in seven sets of guidelines based on the consensus of experts in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation (MR) focuses on informed consent. Guidelines cover underlying concepts, usual components, informed consent as a process, information to include, what to provide, when to obtain informed consent, and…

The sixth in seven sets of guidelines based on expert consensus in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation (MR) focuses on managing inadequate response to initial medication treatment. Guidelines cover recommended steps before changing the medication regimen and selecting the next medication or adjunctive…