Adolescents with conduct disorder frequently engage in aggressive and disruptive behaviors. Often these behaviors are controlled or managed through behavioral or other psychosocial interventions. However, such interventions do not always ensure lasting changes in an adolescent's response repertoire so that he or she does not engage in aggression…

In a previous issue of "The Behavior Analyst," the authors discussed the ambiguities that surround the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement. Seven distinguished behavior analysts commented on their article. The authors believe that this dialogue represented a constructive step toward clarification of an important concept within…

Teaching students to self-monitor their attention or on-task behavior has a robust history of success in school and has been an effective strategy for students of all ages, including those with and without disabilities. However, this strategy has not made use of advances in technology in order to collect and record performance data. In this study,…

This study examined the impact of a classroom-based, 10-week, cognitive-behavioral, anger management program plus booster sessions on middle school students with emotional disorders attending a therapeutic day school. Forty-five students were in the study; 20 received the program. The program group completed significantly more anger logs compared…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a relatively common childhood behavior disorder that typically is treated with psychotropic medication (e.g., methylphenidate), behavioral strategies, or their combination. This article provides an overview of the school-related difficulties associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.…

Students with emotional and behavior disorders represent one of the most challenging groups for whom to provide effective educational services. For many years, level systems have been used by teachers to provide an overall structure within which to deliver educational services. In recent years, a number of researchers and practitioners have…

Excessive use of six obscene words by two adolescents in a resource classroom was reduced using social reinforcement of low rates of behavior and a response cost procedure. Both procedures were effective in reducing swearing in both students and produced short-term maintenance of effects. (Author/CL)

The academic and social demands of school and classroom environments place unique demands on students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Assistive technologies provide a resource that largely remains untapped in the management of behaviors. This article outlines four tips teachers may use as they select from an array of assistive…

The goal of educators is to prepare students to live independent, productive lives. This objective is accomplished by helping students acquire the requisite skills to function independently. Most youths develop an aptitude to make wise behavioral choices by observing the individuals with whom they interact. Unfortunately, students with emotional…

In intervention research, treatment fidelity is defined as the strategies that monitor and enhance the accuracy and consistency of an intervention to ensure it is implemented as planned and that each component is delivered in a comparable manner to all study participants over time. Reviews of the literature in special education and other…

To investigate dropout from parenting programs for disruptive behavior disorders, we followed 18 clients prospectively from the beginning of a manualized treatment program to three month follow-up. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we then compared those who dropped out of the program with those who completed it. We found that in…

Best practice in preventing severe problem behavior in schools involves implementing a continuum of effective behavior support. This continuum includes primary prevention strategies implemented with all students, secondary prevention strategies for students at-risk, and tertiary interventions for students who engage in the most severe problem…

In many schools, supports for children with a dual diagnosis of mental retardation and behavioral disorders are inadequate or nonexistent. Often these students are placed with teachers who, although appropriately trained and licensed, are not familiar with support strategies for meeting the behavioral and emotional needs of these students at an…

Researchers report mental health disparities that indicate that children and families with the highest need for services often are less likely to use them. Only a few investigators have focused on service delivery models to address underuse of services. This study examines the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)/University of California,…

Wilderness Therapy Programs have recently become a formal alternative treatment for adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (Hinkle, 1999; Russell & Hendee, 1999; Russell, Hendee, & Phillips-Miller, 2000; Russell, 2003a, 2003b). Adolescent populations are unique in that traditional forms of psychotherapy, including "talk-therapies,"…