Simple discriminations are involved in many functional skills; additionally, they are components of conditional discriminations (identity and arbitrary matching-to-sample), which are involved in a wide array of other important performances. Many individuals with severe disabilities have difficulty acquiring simple discriminations with standard…

Functional behavior assessment (FBA) is an integral component of a positive behavior support approach to preventing problem behavior across all students in the school. As primary prevention, FBA is a collaborative school-wide practice to predict common problems and to develop school-wide interventions. As secondary prevention, FBA involves simple…

This paper focuses on applying proven industrial relations approaches and sound management practice to address a range of diversity issues in higher education. Issues addressed include the need to set a clear and consistent direction, the importance of effective policy setting and enforcement, the value of positive reinforcement, and the…

Educators commonly consider praise an example of positive reinforcement. They are correct, but they may also be incorrect because the effect upon students of educators administering praise is influenced by the students themselves. Two situations, at least, exist where praise may not bring about its intended effect. Praise may be inappropriate when…

The Trainable Workshop is a vocational training program for secondary level trainable mentally handicapped students in a rural public school setting. The key component to the program is the development of students' sense of worthiness through accomplishment. The supervisor's role is to manipulate the workshop environment to reinforce and develop…

The paper describes services in the Memphis (Tennessee) City Schools serving autistic and emotionally disturbed students. Two separate programs are identified and described: a day program for emotionally disturbed students 6-14 years old, and a residential program for autistic students 4-21 years old. The day program is designed to help students…

This paper briefly describes a parent education program in a private pediatric office, including some of the concerns parents have brought to the program and their perception of the advice received. Some of the main problems include negative behaviors, toileting, developmental delays, school problems, sleeping difficulties, personality problems,…

This behavior modification program, for use by parents with their children, shows parents how to use tokens to provide contingent reinforcement for increasing desirable behaviors. Withdrawal of tokens is used as punishment to extinguish behaviors deemed undesirable. The program includes an introduction for the professional, but is intended…

Describes how behavior management and a classroom guidance program were combined and implemented to help a fourth grade teacher gain control of her students in an inner-city school. (Author)

A behavior management program which uses play money to motivate students and reinforce appropriate behavior helps elementary school students (including disabled students) develop responsibility for their behavior. All students in the class participate and are allowed to buy items from the class store with money earned. (CB)

Describes two reinforcement techniques designed to ensure transfer of learning from management training courses to the workplace: (1) participant journal writing to capture management insights occurring during training and (2) support groups providing encouragement, feedback, and accountability. Results of an evaluation of the techniques'…

Techniques for training a severely retarded blind client to exit his living unit during a fire drill used a combination of negative and positive reinforcement. Following a shaping procedure, the client learned to leave his living unit from any internal point through generalization training and subsequent test probes. (Author/CL)

Suggests several positive reinforcement methods that teachers may employ with inner-city students to improve student responsibility, organization, and motivation. These methods include offering incentives for grade improvement, tangible and nontangible reinforcers, token systems, and social reinforcement. (GC)

Businesses are finding that positive reinforcement is a useful tool in management and supervision. However, there are few reports of the systematic use of positive reinforcement by educational administrators and supervisors. (Author/MLF)

An elementary physical education teacher describes a successful behavior improvement program implemented at his school. Students earned points (tokens) for good behavior and physical education achievement. They lost points for inappropriate behavior. Donated prizes were awarded based on accumulated points. (IAH)