Diane E. D. Deitz

Social Behavior of Students Who Are Seriously Emotionally Disturbed: A Quantitative Analysis of Intervention Studies

The social behavior of students who are seriously emotionally disturbed sets them apart from their normative classroom peers. This article provides a quantitative analysis of intervention studies dealing with the social behavior of seriously emotionally disturbed students. Social behavior was broadly defined as including social skills deficits, behavior under inadequate stimulus control, and inappropriate behavior in the classroom. Of the 28 studies located, 11 dealt with some aspect of social skills and 17 with inappropriate classroom behavior. Each study was analyzed with respect to (a) the age, gender, and classification of the subjects; (b) the setting, referral source, and therapist; (c) the dependent and independent variables; (d) type of evaluation design used; (e) reliability of the dependent and independent variable; (f) social validation; (g) programmed generalization, maintenance, and follow-up; (h) measurement of collateral behaviors; (i) functional analysis of the target behavior; and (j) efficacy rating of the results on a 3-point scale. The results are presented and discussed in terms of current status and implications for future research.

Using an Ecobehavioral Analysis to Determine a Taxonomy for Stereotyped Responding

A taxonomy is a scientific procedure in which items are classified according to relationships among them. Of course, the most common taxonomy is that based on the work of the botanist Linnaeus, who established the procedure of binomial nomenclature. In this system, items (plants, animals) are classified both vertically and horizontally. In botany, for example, items are usually classified vertically across nine categories, beginning with the broadest one. As the categories continue in descending other, they become more and more specific. Items are also classified horizontally across a number of subcategories, each of which is associated with specific criteria. For example, in the plant kingdom, the second of the nine vertical categories contains 10 subcategories.

A Comparison of the Verbal Social Behavior of Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders and Regular Class Peers

Improved social functioning of adolescents with behavioral disorders (BD) is of critical importance for the successful integration of these students in school, domestic, vocationaL and community settings. hure comparisons were addressed in the study: overall veal responding of BD adolescents was compared to verbal responding of their regularclass peers, verbal responding of the same BD adolescents was compared across their self-contained and nainsteamed settings, and responding of the BD adolescents when in mainstreamed settings was compared to responding of regular class peers. Portable microcomputers were used to collect data across 10 categories of verbal responding for 14 BD adolescents and 14 regular class peers. Results supported several general conclusions: (a) Adolescents with behavioral disorders engaged in more negative verbal responding than their regular class peers; (b) BD adolescents exhibited less inappropriate verbal behavior when in the mainstream than when self-contained; and (c) when in the mainstream, the verbal behavior of BD students was similar to that of their regular class peers. Implications of the general and specific differences that emerged from the comparisons were presented and discussed.

A comparison of peer verbal responding directed toward adolescents with behavioral disorders and nonhandicapped peers

One of the primary intents of inclusion is the maximization of interaction between persons with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to analyze the verbal responding that peers directed toward adolescents with behavioral disorders and, to this effect, several comparisons were made: verbal responding of peers directed toward adolescents with behavioral disorders was compared to verbal responding of peers directed toward regular class adolescents; verbal responding of peers directed toward the same adolescents with behavioral disorders was compared across their self-contained and integrated settings; and verbal responding of peers directed toward adolescents with behavioral disorders in integrated settings was compared to verbal responding of peers directed toward regular class adolescents. Data, collected in real time using portable microcomputers, focused on positive, negative, and neutral social responding and positive, negative, and neutral academic responding. All verbal responding of peers directed toward 14 adolescents with behavioral disorders and 14 regular class peers was recorded. Data were analyzed by group and setting, as well as by social or academic content. Results of the study support inclusion, with high levels of peer responding directed toward adolescents with behavioral disorders in integrated classrooms. Almost all peer responding was positive or neutral in content. Results were discussed as they related to placement of students, social skills training, and previous research.

Considerations for Evaluating Single-Subject Research.

Single-subject research has provided an important technological base for the education and management of various handicapping conditions. To improve and extend the quality of services to the handicapped, practitioners in special education need to understand and interpret such research. Several considerations for evaluating single-subject research include the social validation of treatment goals and effects, the clarity and completeness of treatment descriptions, the generality of treatment results, and component analyses of treatment packages. The importance and evaluation of each of these considerations is discussed.