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Investigated the efficacy of positive behavior support (PBS) prevention/early intervention strategies on the rate of problem behavior displayed by elementary schools students during recess. Specifically, this study examined the effects of directly teaching playground-related behaviors and the use of a group contingency to reinforce mastery in an elementary school. (Author)

The first purpose of this article is to present research on specific child (e.g., temperament), family (e.g., family adversity), and transactional characteristics that have been documented to contribute to the manifestation of externalizing disorders in children. The second purpose is to present screening and intervention strategies school psychologists could use with these children. (Author)

Explores the disconnect between applied behavioral research and classroom-managed applied behavioral research. Results suggest that an intervention developed from the theory of behavioral momentum can be implemented within the context of a classroom and affect positive change in academic compliance among children identified for learning/behavioral support. (Author)

This article describes specific components of a multifaceted approach to functional behavior assessment in the context of the widely accepted behavioral excess/deficit model for students with externalizing behavior disorders. Specific strategies to address academic skill and performance deficits as well as social skills deficiencies are also presented for students with externalizing behavior disorders. (Author)

Paradoxical strategies appear to provide a change in the dynamics of the teacher-child relationship and are thus a more systemic way of viewing problem behavior than time-out procedures. Three case studies are presented in which the paradoxical strategies have varying degrees of success. (Author/ABB)

Noncompliant behavior of a severely multihandicapped six-year-old boy was modified through systematic manipulations of an instructional antecedent. Increasing the density of instructional commands and reinforcing discrete compliant responses was found to be the most effective treatment package for controlling behavior. (Author/ABB)

The effects of self-determination vs teacher-determination of time-out duration on disruptive behavior were investigated in a group of 15 students in a special classroom who had learning disabilities and/or behavior problems. The effects of various time-out conditions did not differ. (Author)

The purpose of the study was to establish developmental norms for maternal-rated problem behaviors within a disadvantaged group of preschool children. The data are discussed in terms of their utility in assisting the school psychologist to select appropriate intervention strategies for the preschool child. (Author)

A group of 135 children with adjustment problems, referred to a semiresidential educational setting, were evaluated using the Children's Nowicki-Strickland Scale of Internal-External Control. Pretest scores were factor-analyzed, revealing two correlated factors: general feelings of helplessness in interpersonal relationships, and general feelings of lack of control over events or problems. (Author)

The Portland Problem Behavior Checklist (PPBC) is defined for aiding school personnel in identifying problem behaviors of students. Test reliability and validity data are reported. The PPBC offers a quick format useful for clinical referrals, assessment, and initial evaluation. (Author)

The Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale was administered to behaviorally disordered children referred to a child study center for antisocial, aggressive, and criminal behavior. Compared to the aggregate mean for published scores of normal children, the subject group's scores were significantly lower and more variable. (Author)

Describes a procedure for program evaluation of a special education day school. The procedure enables a program evaluator to: (1) identify priority evaluation information needs of a school staff, (2) involve those persons in evaluation design and implementation, and (3) determine the utility of the evaluation for program decision-making purposes. (Author)

A treatment regimen demands extensive diagnostic work-ups. In most situations where a specific diagnostic finding does not occur, the appropriate treatment will be multitreatment. Drug treatment will continue to predominate, with research emphasis directed toward attempts to predict which children will respond positively to methylphenidate. (Author)

Rated personality and conduct problem behaviors by considering their significance in referring an elementary grade child for school psychological services. Results showed regular class teachers, special class teachers of the emotionally disturbed and school psychologists agreed on importance of behaviors. Conduct problems were prioritized by the professional groups for referral. (Author)

Compared well-adjusted, elementary students with their maladjusted peers on measures of self-esteem, insight, and sociometric status. Found children referred to the mental health program had significantly lower self-esteem, peer acceptance, and insight than the comparison group, even though these variables were modestly intercorrelated. (Author/JAC)

Leading research argues the distinct importance of earliest detection of childhood behavior problems and the value of discovering subsequent change patterns as children transition through the early education years. This study examined the relative contributions of earliest assessments of children's problem behaviors as compared to the changes in those behaviors over time for the prediction of important later outcomes. Focusing on the representative national sample from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3,827), classroom behavior problems were assessed across 4 years spanning prekindergarten through first grade. Individual child indices were derived in multilevel growth modeling to reflect initial assessments and subsequent change patterns. These indices were thereafter applied in multilevel logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses to predict later academic and social difficulties. Both children's initial assessments and their transitional changes proved to be good predictors of most outcomes, where the accuracy for initial assessments and transitional changes was effectively equivocal. The evidence clarifies that initial assessment of behavior problems is sufficient to predict later outcomes; additional assessments did not augment forecasting accuracy nor did the combination of both initial assessment and information about subsequent change improve accuracy. Implications are discussed for assessment theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive behavior interventions and supports are increasingly utilized in school systems throughout the nation, particularly the school-wide multi-tiered support framework. Given such trends, and the basis of these practices in psychological principles and research, it is important to identify how school psychologists are trained to contribute to such efforts, their involvement in intervention activities, and their perceptions of this approach. We surveyed a national sample of 557 school psychologists regarding their training, involvement, and perceptions of positive behavior supports. The results indicate that although most respondents had a variety of training experiences in multiple behavior-related areas, one quarter did not report receiving any training related to school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS). Although 35% of school psychologists reported employment in schools implementing SWPBIS, these schools varied in the SWPBIS elements in place. Implications for school psychology training and practice are addressed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention or reduction of early aggressive and disruptive behavior has important educational and mental health implications. Disruptive behavior problems contribute to loss of instruction time in the classroom, frustration for children and families, and considerable societal burden associated with antisocial acts, including delinquency and harm to others, making them a significant public health burden. Research indicates that both school and family factors contribute to behavior problems in children. Based on this knowledge, we describe the integration of two evidence-based interventions, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS; intervention targeting the school environment) and The Family Check-Up (FCU; intervention targeting the family context). Both interventions use a three-tier public health approach to providing supports to children. This article proposes combining PBIS with the FCU in an effort to improve and alter existing service delivery systems to prevent behavior problems in young children across both the school and family contexts. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of young children who demonstrate chronic problem behaviors placing them at high risk for the future development of emotional and behavioral disorders is increasing. These children's problem behaviors often exist prior to entering school and become apparent as they interact with their parents at home. In fact, researchers have suggested that children who demonstrate chronic problem behaviors and their parents often end up developing well-established negative interaction patterns that can evolve into coercive relationships and persist upon entry into school. This article describes an ecological classroom-based approach, which emphasizes changing teacher--student interaction patterns as a means for preventing and possibly ameliorating coercive interaction patterns demonstrated by young children and their teachers. First, a brief overview of current service delivery models and intervention programs addressing young children's behavioral excesses is presented. Next, a description of the ecological classroom-based intervention model for addressing the behavioral needs of these children is described. This section includes the theoretical frameworks on which the model is based and an overview of model components. Additionally, the application of the model to a school-wide systems approach is explored. Finally, future research directions are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]