An extensive literature on the causes of challenging behaviors has been developed, primarily in the applied behavior analysis literature. One hundred and seventy-three empirical studies were reviewed where functional assessment serves as the primary method of identifying these causes. Most of the studies were able to identify a clear function or…

Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders, especially in children. Unfortunately, a paucity of literature exists regarding the treatment of specific phobia in young children, despite the knowledge that traditional techniques (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) may not be practical. Therefore, the purpose of this article…

Functional assessment has become a major feature of learning-based research. A critical element of the majority of these studies includes not only methods and procedures to identify the cause of the challenging behavior, but to establish replacement treatment methods. By far the most common intervention in the 176 studies we reviewed was…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are considered to be among the most serious of the mental health conditions. Concomitant with many cases of ASD is intellectual disability. Further compounding the disability is the fact that both conditions are known risk factors for self-injurious behavior (SIB). To date, the most effective intervention methods,…

Marked advances in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has occurred in the past few decades, primarily using applied behavior analysis. However, reviews of trends in social skills treatment for children with ASDs have been scant, despite a robust and growing empirical literature on the topic. In this selective review of…

Systematically developing methods of reinforcement for persons with severe and profound mental retardation has only recently received a good deal of attention. This topic is important since professionals in the field often have difficulty identifying sufficient numbers of positive stimuli. Snoezelen equipment as reinforcement for individuals with…

One mildly and two borderline mentally retarded children (10 to 12 years old) were treated for spelling deficits using either overcorrection or overcorrection plus reinforcement. Overcorrection with reinforcement proved to be more effective than overcorrection alone for two of the three children. (Author)

Background: The behavioural function of handmouthing has been assessed across various studies utilising analogue functional analyses. The aim of the current study was to expand upon research on this relatively understudied behaviour by examining the relationship between handmouthing and "Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder" (GERD), and the potential…

In a series of three experiments involving eight mentally retarded adults, the effectiveness of social skills training in a therapy room and self monitoring and reinforcement in a natural setting were compared as methods of promoting generalization to the ward. (Author/SB)

Compares the efficacy of two treatment approaches for functional skill acquisition in individuals with severe and profound mental retardation (N=22) living in a large developmental center. Treatment that included staff training, feedback, and edible reinforcement in addition to prompting, modeling, and physical guidance was more effective than…

This article reviews applications of the applied behavior analysis ideas of B. F. Skinner and others to persons with both mental retardation and emotional disturbance. The review examines implications of behavior analysis for operant conditioning and radical behaviorism, schedules of reinforcement, and emotion and mental illness. (DB)

The Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF), a 25-item rating scale, was developed to identify the function(s) of maladaptive behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. The authors adapted it for use with individuals with serious mental illness who engage in maladaptive behavior and assessed the psychometric characteristics of the…

Studies assessing treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons were reviewed. Procedures used in the 382 studies, published from 1967-1987, were analyzed in terms of problem behaviors, side effects, and treatment methods. Also examined were number of studies reported yearly, maintenance and generalization of effects,…

The study compared the effectiveness of (1) reinforcement of other behavior, (2) verbal reprimands, and (3) movement suppression time-out in eliminating self injury and aggressive behaviors in two severely mentally retarded adult males. Improvements were only apparent when movement suppression was paired with either or both of the other…

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…