The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of a tutoring intervention provided by community tutors to kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties. The 73 students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) tutoring 4 days a week, (b) tutoring 2 days a week, or (c) a control condition that provided…

The purpose of this research was to examine why some students made greater gains in reading achievement than did others who participated in one volunteer tutoring program, Reading Partners. The relationships between gains in reading achievement and the texts students read, the experience of the volunteer with whom they worked, and student entering…

Teaching social skills to students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities has become an accepted practice. Social skills training (SST), however, has often resulted in only modest and sometimes no changes in students' social competence. One of the main reasons is that acknowledged problems have been largely ignored. The…

Methods to enhance compliance is a topic of great interest to practitioners serving children and adults both with and without disabilities. High-probability (high-p) request sequences are one way practitioners can prevent episodes of noncompliant behavior. Based on the theory of behavioral momentum, high-p request sequences consist of delivering a…

Recent trends show noticeable increases in the involvement of girls in the juvenile justice system. A disproportionately high number of these girls have co-occurring mental health diagnoses that are related in part to their victimization through sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Many girls also come from unstable families, whereas others are…

The demographic and educational characteristics of incarcerated youth place them at extreme risk for school failure that begins well before their confinement in correctional facilities and is itself a significant risk factor for delinquent behavior. Because of their lack of literacy skills and evidence that educational attainment is a significant…

Identifying factors that contribute to delinquency and recidivism is critical in predicting the success of incarcerated youth transitioning back to the community. The task of identifying these salient factors becomes increasingly complex when compounded by the disproportionate representation of youth with disabilities in juvenile corrections.…

Academic failure, exclusionary discipline practices, and dropout have been identified as key elements in a "school to prison pipeline." Although a strong body of research exists on the risks for delinquency, few studies have attempted to understand the variables within schools that exacerbate or counteract these risks. We conducted three…

The escalating numbers of people identified with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders has resulted in a corresponding increase in the demand for behavior specialists who can direct and conduct applied behavior analytic interventions. There are, however, severe shortages in professionals who can deliver quality services. In this…

Two issues of each volume of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis were reviewed to identify research reports focusing on individuals with autism. The identified articles were analyzed to describe the ages of individuals with autism, the settings in which the research occurred, the nature of the behaviors targeted for intervention, and the…

Functional analysis methodology is an assessment strategy that identifies sources of reinforcement that maintain problem behavior and prescribes individualized interventions that directly alter the conditions under which behavior occurs. In this article we describe the environmental determinants of problem behavior, methods for conducting…

Curricula for students with autism do not take into account levels of learning such as behavioral fluency. Behavioral fluency addresses accuracy as well as speed of response. We posit that fluency increases the functionality of skills for students with autism and should be systematically programmed into a curriculum. To discuss the application of…

We describe the assessment and treatment of 2 children with autism spectrum disorder whose problem behaviors (self-injury, aggression, and disruption) were multiply controlled. Results of functional analyses indicated that the children's problem behaviors were maintained by both positive reinforcement (attention) and negative reinforcement (escape…

In this article we outline components of the Competent Learner Model (CLM). Based on principles of applied behavior analysis, the model provides empirically based assessment, instruction, and evaluation for students with developmental disabilities, including autism.

Thirty-one middle school students (grades 4-7) were interviewed at length about their perspectives regarding academic and social inclusion of students with disabilities; the barriers they perceive to a compassionate, inclusive learning community; and what they believe helps overcome these barriers. In discussing the inclusion of students with…