This article urges a more scientific approach to evaluation of effective practices in the field of emotional or behavioral disorders. It suggests that the rigor of analytical narrative synthesis and meta-analyses are more useful than qualitative approaches. The evaluative power of these two approaches is illustrated by examples related to…

The concluding article to this special issue asks what science and its empirical rigors mean to those who work with children and youths with emotional or behavioral disorders. It considers how scientific evidence is being put to the test in the current context of schools and what failure to rely on empirical data might cost in the long run.…

Both No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act require educators to use research-validated practices in classrooms. And yet education, special education, and the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) continue to show large gaps in the consistent use of best practices. The authors propose that the…

Multinomial stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to establish the most robust set of risk factors that would best predict low basic reading skills (i.e., a standard score less than 85 on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised Basic Reading Skills cluster) of kindergarten and first-grade children at risk for emotional and behavioral…

Although many psychopharmacologic treatments and behavioral or cognitive behavioral interventions have been established as evidence-based practices, they have seldom been directly compared to one another as to outcome in children with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). In this paper, we present findings from 6 recent randomized clinical…

The article reviews advantages and disadvantages associated with use of manual restraint to manage aggressive behavior in behavior disordered students. Noted is the common use of manual restraint without empirical validation or full consideration of ethical and legal implications. Guidelines for using manual restraint are offered. (Author/DB)

A 15-lesson social problem-solving training program was developed and implemented with 25 severely disturbed children (ages 7-12). Trained children generated significantly more alternative solutions at posttesting than did matched control youngsters. Gains in the overall number of solutions generated were not accompanied by improvement in the…

Results of a survey of 730 teachers of the behaviorally disordered indicated that 70 percent used timeout procedures as a behavior management strategy, that teachers of younger children used the technique more frequently, and that physical and verbal aggression were the behaviors most frequently resulting in timeout. (Author/DB)

The academic performance of 1,480 behaviorally disordered and learning disabled children (grades 1-3) was compared. Results indicated that differences in academic performance between behaviorally disordered and learning disabled students were trivial. The two groups did not differ in factor structure of achievement test performance, nor in…

Behaviorally disordered (N=727) and nonhandicapped (N=1116) students of three age levels were assessed for adjustment problems, using a teacher-completed checklist. Results showed that on most checklist items significantly more behaviorally disordered students experienced problems than nonhandicapped students. Among the behaviorally disordered Ss,…

A previous study demonstrated a 12-week universal intervention in three Head Start classrooms significantly improved outcomes on 5 of 10 measures of mental health. In this replication, regular Head Start teachers conducted the universal intervention. Outcomes for 98 children were significant on only two of eight outcome measures. (Contains…

A survey of 144 educators examined their preference for positive versus negative interventions based on the amount of information provided about students with behavior problems. Although there was an overall preference for positive interventions, having an explanation of misbehavior did lead to the choice of more positive interventions. (Author/CR)

The position paper of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders critically reviews objections to special education service for children with conduct disorders and concludes with a series of recommendations for improving the assessment and identification of all children with behavioral disorders. (DB)

A self-recording procedure to help three third grade behaviorally disordered students walk directly from regular to special education classes was evaluated. Students chose from an array of reinforcers for use when they had reached the classroom within a specified time. The intervention was effective in increasing the number of days students walked…

This article examines life space interviewing (LSI) from a behavioral perspective. Professionals' ability to successfully use LSI and the role of feelings in behavior are examined. Reinforcement strategies and environmental conditions are examined. LSI is recommended as a proactive rather than reactive strategy. Suggestions for improving LSI…