Norris G. Haring

Systematic Screening of Pupils in the Elementary Age Range At Risk for Behavior Disorders: Development and Trial Testing of a Multiple Gating Model

This paper describes a multiple gating screening procedure for the identification of elementary-aged pupils who are at risk for serious behavior disorders. This procedure, entitled Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), consists of three interrelated assessment stages with teacher judgment as the primary information source in screening Stages 1 and 2 and direct behavioral observations as the primary source in Stage 3. The SSBD is designed to improve the quality of referrals to multidisciplinary teams and to provide each pupil in regular classroom settings with an equal chance to be identified for both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The paper reviews some of the myriad problems associated with the definition, classification, assessment, and referral of pupils with behavior disorders. A rationale for the SSBD is presented; its operation is described and initial research conducted in its development and trial testing is presented and discussed. A year-long, formal test of the SSBD within an elementary school is also described. Results of this study indicated that the SSBD correctly classified 89.47% of pupils who had been identified as externalizers, internalizers, or normals by their respective teachers in screening Stage 1. The psychometric characteristics of the instruments in SSBD Stages 1, 2, and 3 are judged acceptable by the authors for their intended assessment purposes. Practical implications and uses of the SSBD are discussed, as is future planned research.

Early identification of children with learning disabilities.

Forty-eight kindergarten classes including over 1,200 children were screened for potential learning disorders. Kindergarten teachers used objective observations of the childrens performance on gross muscle coordination, verbal fluency, speech development, auditory memory, auditory discrimination, visual memory, visual discrimination, visual motor performance, directionality, and laterality. Final selection of 106 children included in the study was done by psychological and psycholinguistic individual and group tests. Two analyses of the data were made: a correlation analysis and a principle components analysis. Test profiles indicated that the teachers’ observations were useful in the selection of children with developmental retardation. Differences in rate and accuracy of performance were masked when performance scores were treated as a group. The identifiable commonality among the thirty-one variables was general language, which accounted for 20.1 percent of the variance of the scores.

Placement in Regular Programs: Procedures and Results

Forty-eight elementary age students classified as mentally retarded and living in an economically depressed area were randomly selected, divided into matched experimental and control groups, and placed in 4 classrooms of 12 students each. The objective was to initiate an experimental, individualized, instruction program that would facilitate the return of special education students to regular classes. After a years intervention, 13 students from the experimental group were placed in regular classes. A one year followup study was done to determine the academic and social adaptation of the 13 students. Results showed that a high percentage of the subjects could acquire basic skills at a rate to allow regular class placement. Once placed, these students maintained their academic and behavioral adjustments.

Improved Learning Conditions in the Establishment of Reading Skills with Disabled Readers.

Learning conditions were individually programed in a group setting to provide sequential arrangement of reading material and systematic presentation of reinforcing events to optimize each childs performance. Arrangements of reinforcing events were designed first to accelerate performance rate, then to maintain the high rate. When learning conditions were individually appropriate, each child averaged between 100 and 200 more correct responses every day and spent very few minutes avoiding reading. The students not only made more correct responses daily and worked longer, but also progressed in instructional reading levels from one and one-half to 4 years over 5 months of instruction.

Behavioral Modification in a Junior High Learning Disabilities Classroom

This study was conducted in the University of Washington Experimental Education Unit; subjects were 8 junior high age students admitted to the unit on the basis of having serious learning and behavior disorders. Individual programs were arranged for each child in the classroom. Activities known to be highly interesting to the students were established as reinforcement contingencies, used to reinforce academic activities. Functionally significant academic gains were recorded over a teaching period of approximately 100 days.

Modification and Maintenance of Behavior through Systematic Application of Consequences

This paper discusses behavior principles and techniques of behavior modification which may have implications for utilization in classrooms for exceptional children. Procedures for selection and application of consequences which accelerate or increase the frequency of appropriate behavior, and those which decelerate or decrease the frequency of inappropriate behavior are described. Disadvantages and dangers inherent in random, haphazard application of these principles are cited.

Some Current Directions in Education of the Severely/Multiply Handicapped

The current phase in our national education program for handicapped people began in November, 1975, with passage by Congress and signature by President Ford of the National Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94–142). Before this legislation was passed, no specific agency assumed responsibility for the education of severely handicapped children and youth. In a few instances, school districts carried out experimental programs. Other programs were conducted by special facilities operated by county and local Association for Retarded Citizens programs. For the most part, “education” fell to large, understaffed, ill-equipped state institutions for retarded children, where most of the children and young adults were maintained. As a result of the often very primitive assessment, diagnosis, and classification systems available, many severely and multiply handicapped children–who are functionally retarded–were diagnosed as mentally retarded and placed in these institutions. So the primary milestone in the impetus for educating the severely/multiply handicapped was a legislative one, sponsored by a relatively small group of professionals. Milestones in the educational process for this population are coming thick and fast. As a rapidly growing cadre of highly competent professionals gains experience with these children in 6-hour-per-day classes, new and creative developments in their educational strategies become legion.

Evaluating Programs for Preparing Teachers of Emotionally Disturbed Children.

The premises from general education that have important implications for direct evaluation of professional trainees, teachers, and training programs in special education are presented in this article. They include the following: (a) the focus of professional training programs should be on the teaching process; (b) specific training objectives and evaluation procedures are 2 requisites for any training program; (c) direct evaluation of the teaching process is feasible; and (d) specific statements of criteria are prerequisites to research in teacher education.

Teaching New Skills to the Severely Handicapped

This paper focuses on teaching strategies specifically designed to facilitate the acquisition of new skills by severely and profoundly handicapped learners in instructional programs. Strategies are discussed in terms of their functional relationship to independent performance in nonschool environments, and emphasis is placed on the avoidance of synthetic teaching and consequating procedures and events.

Introduction to Decision Rule Systems

Decision rule systems may be used to assist special educators who must make timely, numerous, and complicated decisions. This paper defines decision rule systems and discusses their critical features and the advantages and disadvantages of their use in order to assist special educators in understanding decision rule systems. Further, the paper examines practical considerations and steps in selecting decision rule systems for use in classroom decision making.