William R. Jenson

Twenty‐year outcome for individuals with autism and average or near‐average cognitive abilities

Previous studies found substantial variability in adult outcome for people with autism whose cognitive functioning was within the near‐average and average ranges. This study examined adult outcome for 41 such individuals (38 men and 3 women) originally identified through an epidemiological survey of autism in Utah. Mean age at the time of their previous cognitive assessment was 7.2 years (SD=4.1, range=3.1–25.9 years) and at follow‐up was 32.5 years (SD=5.7 years, range=22.3–46.4 years). Outcome measures included standardized assessments of diagnostic status, cognitive ability, and adaptive behavior. Additional information collected concerned demographic variables, indicators of independence, social relationships, medical and psychiatric conditions, and social service use. Outcomes for this sample were better than outcomes described in previous work on individuals with similar cognitive functioning. For example, half of the participants were rated as “Very Good” or “Good” on a global outcome measure. As in previous studies, there was considerable variability in measured cognitive ability over time. Over half of the sample had large gains or losses of cognitive ability of greater than 1 standard deviation. Cognitive gain was associated with better outcome, as was better adaptive functioning. While all participants had baseline IQs in the nonimpaired range, there was limited evidence to support the use of other early childhood variables to predict adult outcome.

A Multi-Component intervention designed to reduce disruptive classroom behavior

The intent of this article was to present an on-going line of research that has focused on the design of an effective, easily implemented, economical, and parsimonious treatment for disruptive classroom behavior in both general and special education students. This multi- component treatment has evolved to include mystery motivators, token economy with response cost, and antecedent strategies (i.e., public posting of classroom rules, and teacher movement) delivered within a group contingency format. Based on report data, the treatment in this research was well received by the teachers and students. Further, due to the substantial treatment effect, ease of implementation, and relatively low investment of teacher time, the multi-component intervention became a consistent choice by the teachers for classroom management.

Interventions for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury Managing Behavioral Disturbances

The present article provides information about the behavioral sequelae that are commonly seen in children and adolescents following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ways that educators can begin to address these problems. Because, for the most part, behavioral interventions have not been empirically validated for use with TBI populations, this article focuses on the unique needs of these students and the factors that should be considered in designing intervention strategies. Emphasis is placed on the cognitive sequelae of TBI that can cause further behavioral problems and interfere with interventions (e.g., impaired attention, executive function, reasoning and problem solving, and learning and memory).

Homework and Students with Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders A Practical, Parent-Based Approach

This article provides a limited review of the effects of homework on students with disabilities, the essentials of effective homework programs, and variables that affect home---school partnerships. The emphasis is on students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders who are at risk for academic failure and poor school adjustment. The authors introduce the University of Utah Homework Partners series, which highlights three homework packages: a cooperative learning teams---based approach for classrooms, a package to train parents to be positive academic tutors for their children, and a systematic program to train parents in effective homework practices. The latter package is the major focus of this article because it emphasizes home-school partnerships for students with disabilities. Sanity Savers for Parents: Tips for Tackling Homework is a training program that teaches parents how to assess, design, and troubleshoot an effective in-home homework program for their child. The overall emphasis of this program is on practical interventions that are positive and motivating and include a home-to-school link to maximize the generalization of effects for students with learning and behavior disabilities.

Positive Practice Overcorrection Combined with Additional Procedures to Teach Signed Words to an Autistic Child.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of using positive practice over-correction in combination with other techniques to teach two manual signs (“milk” and “cookie”) to an autistic boy. This boy had a great deal of difficulty informing any type of discrimination and often became confused in learning the most simple simultaneous discrimination. Intervention primarily consisted of positive practice overcorrection in which the subject was physically guided to form a required hand sign 10 times when he responded incorrectly and was positively reinforced when he signed correctly. The study used a changing criterion within a multiple-baseline design across responses. The results indicated that overcorrection plus positive reinforcement was effective in teaching one sign (milk), however, and added contingent exercise (having to stand up and sit down 10 times for an incorrect response) was required to teach the second sign (cookie). Once the two signs were learned to a criterion level, it was a relatively easy task for the subject to respond correctly with the signs in a matching-to-sample task.

A Classroom-Based Intervention to Reduce Disruptive Behaviors

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effectiveness of an intervention comprising posted classroom rules, token economy, response cost, and mystery motivators in reducing disruptive classroom behavior. Participants were three male second grade students identified as having oppositional defiant disorder. To serve as an additional control, a class composite was formed using five male classmates whose behavior was judged appropriate. The study employed a multiple baseline across subjects design. Results showed an immediate and pronounced decrease in disruptive behaviors for all three students. Furthermore, their rates of disruptive behaviors were consistently below that of the class composite control. This decrease in inappropriate classroom behavior continued during follow-up. The teacher reported that the intervention was relatively easy to implement, and together with its effectiveness in reducing disruptive behaviors, functioned to reinforce her willingness to incorporate the intervention into daily instructional practice.

The development of testing as applied to school psychology

Abstract There are of course many influences on the development of testing relative to the practice of school psychology. However, there are some critical instances, both within and without the specialty of school psychology, that have altered the way we think about individual differences in cognitive and social functioning and consequently how and why we attempt to measure those differences. This article presents some issues that are believed to be historically important to the development of testing, in particular intelligence testing, and consequently to the practice of school psychology. In addition, some continuing problems with assessment are discussed, and finally some suggestions regarding the future of assessment of childrens abilities are presented.

Reducing Child Tantrums through Self-instructional Parent Training Materials

Parents used self-instructional booklets to decrease their childrens (aged 3-8) tantrums. In each of the ten families, a multiple-baseline design across three problems, tantrums and two others, was used. Parent data indicate a mean improvement of 14 percent of the maximum possible from baseline means, with six of ten children showing improvement based on mean performance for baseline and treatment. If improvement is measured from the last part of treatment only, all subjects but one show improvement. All parent final consumer ratings were positive. All interobserver reliabilities exceeded 80 percent agreement weighted for occurrence and nonoccurrence. Two sets of correlations between parent recall data and observer data produced median correlations of .69 and .48. Percentage agreement between observer and parent interval data produced a coefficient of 87 percent. Results suggested that parents, using self-instructional materials alone, could reduce childrens tantrums.

School psychology journals: Relationships with related journals and external and internal quality indices

Abstract The study investigated publications in the Journal of School Psychology, Psychology in the Schools, and School Psychology Review to determine the characteristics of the journals and editorial board influence on publications. With regard to these journals, the following conclusions appear justified: (1) The traditional psychometric role of school psychologists is still the primary area of publication in school psychology journals; (2)editorial board members, though few compared with the total number of contributors, are likely to have a greater influence on the publication of articles that they authored or coauthored than other authors have; (3) being an editorial board member of a given school psychology journal may have an effect on the later publication of ones articles in the journal, and publishing articles in a given school psychology journal may affect the matter of ones later editorial board appointment to the journal; (4) the dimensions that underlie citation frequencies in the school psychology journal network are “educational versus noneducational services” and “direct versus indirect impacts to the client”; and (5) the average statistical power of analyses used in the school psychology journals sampled (for the year 1985) is unacceptably low.

Brief report: Validation of the autism reinforcer checklist for children

Identification of reinforcers by reinforcement checklists for use in behavioral interventions has been a starting point for a number of behavior management programs (Cautela, 1968, 1970; Cautela & Brion-Meisels, 1979; Cautela & Kastenbaum, 1967; Cautela & Wisocki, 1971; Dewhurst & Cautela, 1980). For children and adults, these identified reinforcers have been used in a variety of interventions with a variety of conditions in desensitization programs (Wolpe, 1973), in the assessment of depression (Cautela & Wisocki, 1971), in behavior management of junior high school students (Sheperd, 1981), and in the treatment of enuresis (Cautela, 1970), to name a few. The developers of reinforcement checklists, however, have failed to establish systematically the more traditional psychometric characteristics of their checklists. Test-retest reliability has rarely been reported. Additionally, the concurrent validity of a reinforcer checklist has frequently not been reported, particularly for use with special handicapped populations. Exceptions to the nonreport ing of psychometric properties of reinforcer checklists include a reinforcer checklist for normal children (Cautela & Brion-Meisels,