Lyle E. Barton

Effects of Differential Scheduling of Timeout to Reduce Maladaptive Responding

One popular mode of treatment for the reduction of maladaptive responding has been the use of timeout procedures. Historically, these procedures have generally been administered on a continuous schedule. In this study, the effects of using a differential schedule of timeout and allowing one maladaptive response per interval before timeout procedures were implemented were studied. The subjects were three school-aged children who had been identified as mentally retarded. The study used a multiple-baseline design, and demonstrated that a differential schedule of timeout was effective in reducing the target maladaptive behaviors. In addition, by permitting one behavior to occur within an interval which occasioned only a warning, the students were allowed to develop self-control within a structured setting. Suggestions for teacher implementation are provided.

The Effects of Initial Interval Size on the Efficacy of DRO Schedules of Reinforcement

The differential reinforcement of oilier behavior (DRO) is a behavior-reduction procedure that has been popular for several years. In classroom settings, it provides reinforcement when a student does not display inappropriate responding for a particular interval of time. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about how to use DRO effectively in applied settings. Most research has been conducted in laboratory settings: the purpose of the present study was to provide a replication of one of those studies. This study examined the effect of the size of the initial DRO interval on the disruptive behavior of students with moderate disabilities. In the first experiment, a group of six students was observed during baseline in two classes. Two different DRO values were then used, lit one classroom, it was equal to the mean number of 10-second intervals between disruptions during baseline, lit the other classroom, it was twice the mean number during baseline. In the final phase, behavior in both classrooms was put under the same DRO program, lit the second experiment, the disruptive behavior of three students was studied in a different design in which both methods of determining the initial DRO value, were compared. The results of both experiments showed that an initial DRO value equal to the mean number of intervals between responses in baseline was much more effective than a value twice that size in reducing disruptions.

An Effective and Benign Treatment of Rumination

This study reports a simple and effective program for the reduction or elimination of ruminative behavior in school-aged students with multiple handicaps. Four students were treated using a combination of peanut butter, reduced fluid consumption at meals, and fading. In each of the cases, the ruminative behavior was significantly reduced or eliminated. The program is discussed in light of its effects on the student, the staff, and its relation to other treatments for rumination.

Educational Partnerships: Gifted Program Advocacy In Action

As advocates for gifted programs, professionals in gifted child education and special education must work closely with school reform efforts to ensure that appropriate representation and service to gifted pupils are embedded within the reform framework. They should examine the development of partnerships and assess the strengths and weaknesses of collaboratives. They also should conduct research to strengthen the development of such efforts. This article discusses the critical elements of educational partnerships and presents an example of a partnership project designed to enhance educational opportunities for gifted children in an urban school setting.

DEVELOPMENTAL SPELLING STRATEGIES OF HEARING‐IMPAIRED CHILDREN

Little is known about the development of spelling ability in students with hearing impairments. Thus the spelling development of hearing‐impaired students who primarily used oral/aural modes of communication was examined. Specifically, the present study was designed to (a) determine the strategies the children used to invent spellings, (b) identify the childrens stages in spelling development, and (c) compare the strategies and stages of spelling development in children with and without hearing impairments. Results indicate that the strategies used by children with hearing impairments to invent spellings were developmentally and phonologically similar to those used by hearing children.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Extended Year Program.

This study evaluates the effects of extended year programming for individuals with severe handicapping conditions. Over a 2-year period, summer educational programs were provided for a portion of the available population in a large Canadian city. Data were gathered before the beginning of the educational program, at the end, and at times within the subsequent academic school year. These data suggest that students enrolled in summer programming gain an equivalent or greater amount of skills per amount of time as that gained during the regular school year. In addition, these skills are additive to those gained during the regular academic year.

Single Subject Research Designs in Occupational Therapy Literature

This paper examines two years (1982–1983) of publications appearing in four occupational therapy journals in order to determine the type and proportion of articles which are descriptive, survey, correlational, case studies (including single subject design), quasi-experimental, or practical. In addition, a detailed analysis of articles using single subject methodology in occupational therapy is reported. The appropriateness of several single subject research designs in occupational therapy is discussed.

Observational Technology: An Update

Learning about the world through detailed observation of its components and their interaction with one another is the basis for the scientific process. Hutt and Hutt (1970) reported that the use of direct observational techniques to measure behavior has been in use in the scientific arena at least since the time of Darwin (1872). These data are collected by observers, recorders, and interpreters of human behavior (e.g., animal behaviorists, sociologists, and psychologists). Two disciplines (i.e., the study of man and animals) and their various scientific fields (e.g., ethology, sociology, anthropology, and psychology) have developed a diverse array of measurement procedures primarily to record behavior so that it may be interpreted and understood.

TDD Conversations: A Context for Language Sampling and Analysis

This study examined the patterns of communicative functions used within TDD conversational exchanges. The authors present a strategy through which the TDD conversational behavior can be effectively and efficiently observed, recorded and analyzed. Results are discussed in light of implications related to the study of conversational exchanges and the use of TDDs.

A Comparison of Teacher Time Spent with Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied Students

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