Behavior Disordered Children's Social Skills:

Four behaviorally disordered boys from an elementary school special education classroom received social skills training. They were selected on the basis of high negative nominations on the Class Pay sociometric measure. Training was designed to increase the rate at which the boys emitted prosocial behaviors toward their peers. Verbal instructions, modeling, role-play, and feedback were used to coach positive social behaviors in eight individual sessions with each boy. In a multiple baseline design across subjects, each of the target children showed an increase in positive behavior concurrent with training. A decrease in the occurrence of positive behavior followed termination of training, however, resulting in a final level of positive behavior intermediate between baseline and training levels. The expected increases in positive responses by peers did not occur, and the measure of sociometric status was not consistently sensitive to the observed behavioral change. Unique problems of social skills training in the special education classroom are discussed.     

Family therapy training methods: minimal contact with an agency

This paper describes the development, implementation and monitoring of a family therapy training programme with several special features. Training was given to staff of a large agency at a site distant from the trainers. Because input from trainers was limited, peer-group self-directed teaching approaches were used. Formal evaluation demonstrated that the programme was successful. This report describes the concepts, methods and techniques which were employed in this programme and which can be easily used in other settings.     

Behavioral variability as a function of noncontingent adult attention,peer availability,and situational demands in three hyperactive boys

Recommendations about placements for children in need of special education are routinely made and carried out without empirical validation for the efficacy of particular approaches nor the appropriateness of an approach for a particular child. A study was designed to examine a methodological model which focuses on empirically deriving recommendations for the most appropriate teaching situation for any given child requiring special education. Prosocial, problem, and task-related behaviors in three hyperactive boys were assessed in eight prearranged situations: (1) group play with one adult supervising; (2) group play with three adults; (3) group teaching with one adult; (4) group teaching with three adults; (5) individual play with low density noncontingent adult attention; (6) individual play with high density noncontingent adult attention; (7) individual teaching with low density noncontingent adult attention; and (8) individual teaching with high density noncontingent adult attention. Behaviors assessed included adult, peer, and target child attention given and received; compliance; aggression; disruption; task involvement; and percent tasks correctly completed of tasks attempted. Data revealed that the most disruptions and least efficient task performance occurred in the group teaching situation with one adult. The most efficient task performance and fewest disruptions in a teaching situation occurred in the individual teaching setting with high density noncontingent adult attention. In addition. overall mean rates of disruptive behavior were higher in group situations than in individual situations. The data strongly validate the need for carefully selecting educational environments for problem children, and that the behavior of such children is, at least, partially influenced by environmental factors.     

The effects of a ‘pretend play-based training’ designed to promote the development of emotion comprehension,emotion regulation,and prosocial behaviour in 5- to 6-year-old Swiss children

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a pretend play-based training designed to promote the development of socio-emotional competences. 79 children aged 5 to 6 years were evaluated before and after a pretend play-based training. The experimental group (39 children) received this programme on emotion comprehension, negative emotion regulation, and prosocial behaviour one hour a week for eleven weeks during class hours, while the control group (40 children) received no specific intervention. The programme was implemented by 5 teachers. The results show improvements in the ability to understand emotions in children who benefited from the training. These findings are discussed in the broader context of using this form of play as a privileged pedagogical tool to allow children to develop these competences.     

Delivering phonological and phonics training within whole‐class teaching

Background Early, intensive phonological awareness and phonics training is widely held to be beneficial for children with poor phonological awareness. However, most studies have delivered this training separately from children's normal whole‐class reading lessons. Aims We examined whether integrating this training into whole class, mixed‐ability reading lessons could impact on children with poor phonological awareness, whilst also benefiting normally developing readers. Sample Teachers delivered the training within a broad reading programme to whole classes of children from Reception to the end of Year 1 (N = 251). A comparison group of children received standard teaching methods (N = 213). Method Children's literacy was assessed at the beginning of Reception, and then at the end of each year until 1 year post‐intervention. Results The strategy significantly impacted on reading performance for normally developing readers and those with poor phonological awareness, vastly reducing the incidence of reading difficulties from 20% in comparison schools to 5% in intervention schools. Conclusions Phonological and phonics training is highly effective for children with poor phonological awareness, even when incorporated into whole‐class teaching.     

A controlled trial of mindfulness training in schools: The importance of practice for an impact on well-being

We report the results of a short programme of mindfulness training administered to adolescent boys in a classroom setting. Intervention and control groups (N = 155) were compared on measures of mindfulness, resilience and psychological well-being. Although the overall differences between the two groups failed to reach significance, we found that within the mindfulness group, there was a significant positive association between the amount of individual practice outside the classroom and improvement in psychological well-being and mindfulness. We also found that the improvement in well-being was related to personality variables (agreeableness and emotional stability). Most students reported enjoying and benefiting from the mindfulness training, and 74% said they would like to continue with it in the future. The results of this preliminary study are encouraging. Further work is needed to refine the training programme and undertake a definitive randomised controlled trial, using both subjective and objective outcome measures, with long-term follow-up.     

Modification of an impulsive cognitive tempo in emotionally disturbed boys

In order to determine the relative effectiveness of verbal self-instructions and training to delay before responding in modifying an impulsive cognitive style, 15 impulsive emotionally disturbed boys were assigned to one of three groups. The cognitive-training group was given practice in verbal self-instructions, the delay-training group received practice in delaying before responding, and the control group received no training. Posttreatment scores on the Matching Familiar Figures Test showed a significant increase in latencies for both the cognitive and delay-training groups. However, only the cognitive-training group, which had recieved practice in verbal self-instructions, made fewer errors following training. Implications for future research and potential treatment strategies for verbal self-instructions are discussed.     

Comparison of delayed prompting and fading for teaching preschoolers easily confused letters & numbers

Two teaching strategies, delayed-prompting (Touchette, 1971) and fading (Egeland, 1975), were compared for teaching the most easily confused letters and numbers to preschoolers. One group of children received training using delayed prompting with a fixed delay, a second group with a fading procedure; third served as the control group that received no training. A derived progress score on the training stimuli was calculated by subtracting errors on a pretest from errors on the post-test Analysis of these results indicated a significant difference between the delayed-prompting group and the control group only. The delayed-prompting group showed greater progress. During training, subjects in the fading group met criterion on an average of 4.33 stimuli and the subjects in the delayed-prompting group met criterion on an average of 3.23 stimuli. However, on a criterion test and a posttest given 1 week later, the fading group made significantly more errors than the delayed-prompting group.     

AN ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

The multiple and long-term effects of functional communication training relative to a common reductive procedure (time-out from positive reinforcement) were evaluated. Twelve children participated in a functional analysis of their challenging behaviors (Study 1), which implicated adult attention as a maintaining variable. The children were then matched for chronological age, mental age, and language age and assigned to two groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out as a contrast. Both interventions were initially successful (Study 2), but durable results were achieved only with the group that received functional communication training across different stimulus conditions (Study 3). Students whose challenging behaviors were previously reduced with time-out resumed these behaviors in the presence of naive teachers unaware of the children's intervention history. The value of teaching communicative responses to promote maintenance is discussed as it relates to the concept of functional equivalence.     

Improving reading and writing learning in underprivileged pluri‐ethnic settings

Background: Many studies carried out in first language contexts tend to demonstrate the positive effects of activity programmes aimed at (1) developing metaphonological abilities and (2) developing language skills through active story listening on learning to read and to spell by first‐grade students. Aims: This study seeks to extend previous findings by (a) including children, the majority of whom have French as a second language, who attend plurilingual schools and have not been included in previous studies, and (b) providing training based on three essential principles shared by the two kinds of programmes: integrating activities into realistic literacy practice contexts; encouraging active student participation through tasks which very often require problem solving; and tackling, one after the other, different kinds of operations or strategies. Sample: Three groups of students were created out a pool of 202 children enrolled in nine first‐grade classes in three underprivileged pluri‐ethnic schools. The control group was composed of 46 students who received typical, first‐grade methods for teaching reading and spelling. Experimental group 1 (DMPA), 91 students, received a training programme aimed at metaphonological abilities development. Experimental group 2 (DLS), 65 students, received a training intended to develop language skills through active story listening and production. Method: The students from the three groups were evaluated at the beginning (metaphonological task I, pre‐reading task) and at the end (metaphonological task II, word recognition task, text comprehension task, word spelling task) of their first year in elementary school. Results: The programme for the development of metaphonological abilities enabled DMPA group students to obtain significantly higher scores than the control group on metaphonological task II and word recognition task. The DMPA group children also did significantly better than the control and the DLS groups on the word spelling task. However, the DLS group, who benefited from language skills development activities, also progressed in that they obtained significantly better results than the control group in the word recognition task. Moreover, at the end of grade one, there was no difference in the scores obtained by the groups on a comprehension questionnaire administered after the reading of the narrative text. Conclusion: The word reading skills of first‐grade children in underprivileged pluriethnic settings can be improved through activities aimed at metaphonological abilities development or language skills development by means of active story listening and production. On the other hand, in order to develop word spelling abilities, the development of metaphonological abilities was more effective. Lastly, further research should seek to improve understanding of the absence of effects of either learning programme on narrative text comprehension.     

Comparison of Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Techniques With Adolescent Boys

This study examined the effectiveness of two cognitive-behavioral interventions to help adolescent boys cope with stress and other forms of negative emotional arousal. One group of youths, those receiving cognitive restructuring, learned how to identify and monitor stress-promoting cognitions, restructure these cognitions into more adaptive thoughts, and practice and apply these acquired skills. Another group of youths received anxiety management training, and they were taught to recognize cues that signal the onset of anxiety and to react to these cues using various relaxation skills to reduce the anxiety. The youths who received training were compared with a waiting list control group on measures of anxiety, anger, self-esteem, depression, and reports of anxious self-statements. Both groups that received the intervention showed significant reductions in levels of state and trait anxiety, state anger, anger expression, and depression. These treatment gains were maintained at an 11-week follow-up.     

Effects of a post-hospitalization group health education programme for patients with coronary heart disease

Abstract

Effects of a post-hospitolization group health education programme for patients with coronary heart disease. A health education programme was offered to groups of coronary heart patients and their partners after discharge from hospital. A randomized pre-test post-test control group design was used to evaluate the effects of this experimental intervention. The health education programme was offered to 109 coronary heart patients in groups of between five and eight patients together with their partners in addition to standard medical care and physical training. A control group of 108 patients received only standard medical care and physical training.

The intervention consisted of eight weekly two-hour group health education sessions and one follow-up session. All sessions focused on the promotion of healthy habits and the reduction of adverse psychosocial consequences of the incident.

In the short term (about four months after the incident) the health education programme showed statistically significant intervention effects on knowledge about coronary heart diseases, smoking cessation, healthy eating habits and the number of consultations with the family physician, but no effects on emotional distress. In the long term (one year after the incident) there was only a significant intervention effect on smoking cessation.

These results suggest that the effects of the programme are modest, especially in terms of maintenance of behavioural change. As a consequence, it is suggested that the programme should not be offered to all coronary patients during cardiac rehabilitation, but only to those who can be expected to profit most from it.     

Bridging music and speech rhythm: Rhythmic priming and audio–motor training affect speech perception

Following findings that musical rhythmic priming enhances subsequent speech perception, we investigated whether rhythmic priming for spoken sentences can enhance phonological processing – the building blocks of speech – and whether audio–motor training enhances this effect. Participants heard a metrical prime followed by a sentence (with a matching/mismatching prosodic structure), for which they performed a phoneme detection task. Behavioural (RT) data was collected from two groups: one who received audio–motor training, and one who did not. We hypothesised that 1) phonological processing would be enhanced in matching conditions, and 2) audio–motor training with the musical rhythms would enhance this effect. Indeed, providing a matching rhythmic prime context resulted in faster phoneme detection, thus revealing a cross-domain effect of musical rhythm on phonological processing. In addition, our results indicate that rhythmic audio–motor training enhances this priming effect. These results have important implications for rhythm-based speech therapies, and suggest that metrical rhythm in music and speech may rely on shared temporal processing brain resources.     

The educational impact of team‐skills training: Preparing students to work in groups

Background. Despite a vast literature on collaborative learning (CL), there is little research on preparing students to work collaboratively. Aims. This two‐phase evaluation investigated whether team‐skills training could enhance the performance of collaborative groups through the introduction of a team development programme to a group‐based undergraduate key‐skills unit. Sample. Phase 1 compared two consecutive cohorts of second‐year students, Cohort 1 (N = 94) who received no preparation, and Cohort 2 (N = 113) who received team‐skills training. Phase 2 added Cohort 3 (N = 88), who also received team‐skills training, to extend the analysis. Method. In Phase 1, students in both Cohorts 1 and 2 worked on a series of curriculum based key‐skill tasks across two semesters. Students worked in one group in Semester 1 and were then formed into new groups for Semester 2. Effects of the training were measured by student group marks and key‐skill ratings. Results. Marks and key‐skill ratings were significantly higher for the trained cohort in Semester 1 (p <.01). However, in Semester 2 performance reduced for the trained cohort in comparison to Semester 1. To explore this further, Phase 2 of the study evaluated Cohort 3, where after training, collaborative groups remained intact throughout the academic year. Results for Cohort 3 showed no attenuation of performance effects in Semester 2. Conclusions. Phase 1 results support the use of team‐skills training to enhance CL group performance. The findings for Phase 2 suggest that these benefits may be lost if training groups are disrupted.     

Time management: An experimental investigation

Four groups of preservice teachers participating in student teaching seminars were randomly assigned to one of three conditions to test the effectiveness of brief training in time-management techniques. A control group received no training. Experimental Group 2 received basic training in time management, whereas Experimental Group 1 received the same training and, in addition, implemented two specific time- management procedures (written planning and self-monitoring) under the supervision of the experimenters. Significant differences among the groups were observed in the expected direction on measures of promptness in completing tasks during student teaching and on self-ratings of proficiency in time management.     

The effects of a graduated stimulus change on the acquisition of a simple discrimination in severely retarded boys

Methods were compared for teaching severely retarded boys to discriminate the position of a 0.75-in. black square and to press the response key closest to it. Seven boys were given trial-and-error training; one learned the task. The six boys who did not learn were presented with a program of graduated stimulus changes. All but one acquired the performance, and he was under appropriate control during the program. When he reached the criterion stimuli, he reverted to a position-based response learned during trial-and-error training. Six similar subjects were presented with graduated stimulus training alone. All six learned the criterion discrimination with few or no errors. Both groups were tested for retention of the criterion performance 35 days after training was completed. Two boys who had near-perfect criterion discrimination performances showed no signs of retention after 35 days. These boys had a history of trial-and-error training.     

A preliminary evaluation of two behavioral skills training procedures for teaching abduction-prevention skills to schoolchildren

Although child abduction is a low-rate event, it presents a serious threat to the safety of children. The victims of child abduction face the threat of physical and emotional injury, sexual abuse, and death. Previous research has shown that behavioral skills training (BST) is effective in teaching children abduction-prevention skills, although not all children learn the skills. This study compared BST only to BST with an added in situ training component to teach abduction-prevention skills in a small-group format to schoolchildren. Results showed that both programs were effective in teaching abduction-prevention skills. In addition, the scores for the group that received in situ training were significantly higher than scores for the group that received BST alone at the 3-month follow-up assessment.     

COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF LOGO AMONG BLACK AND WHITE ZIMBABWEAN GIRLS AND BOYS

The cognitive effects of LOGO were examined among 11–12-year-old black and white Zimbabwean girls and boys. Fifty-two experimental group children were exposed to a BBC LOGO programme with a screen turtle. Forty-one control group children received no exposure to computers at school. Pre-tests on four WISC-R subscales were held in January, 1987 and post-tests on the same four WISC-R subscales were held in November/December, 1987. The data were analyzed with multivariate analysis of covariance, using pre-test scores as the covariate. The results suggested that children in the experimental group did better on the WISC-R Arithmetic scale and that black girls exposed to LOGO showed particular gains in spatial reasoning, as measured by the WISC-R Block Design scale. It is concluded that LOGO appears to facilitate cognitive growth. Methodological limitations of the present study are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented.     

The effects of methylphenidate on various types of activity level and attention in hyperkinetic children

The effects of methylphenidate on a number of objective measures of activity level and attention were assessed on three repeated occasions in four types of settings: free play, movie viewing, testing, and restricted play periods. Subjects were 36 boys between 5 and 12 years of age and of average intelligence. Of these, 18 were diagnosed as hyperkinetic and participated in a double-blind drug-placebo crossover design. The remaining 18 boys, matched in age and IQ with the hyperkinetic children, served as a control group and received no drugs. Results indicated that compared to placebo, methylphenidate significantly reduced wrist, ankle, locomotor, and seat movement activity in the hyperkinetic children regardless of the type of setting in which the measures were taken. Relatively fewer significant drug effects were noted on the measures of concentration or attention. While concentration to reaction time, maze performance, and a movie viewing task improved during drug treatment, the length of attention to toys in free play was not significantly improved. Parental ratings of activity level were also improved by the drug. The hyperkinetic children were also observed to increase their level of task-irrelevant activity over time while control children remained relatively stable in activity over repeated assessment. Despite the positive drug effects, clinical observations suggested that methyl-phenidate may have reduced the interest of some children in their environment.     

Treating boys with low school achievement and behavior problems: comparison of two kinds of intervention

Children with low school achievement frequently have behavior problems and interpersonal difficulties that pose a risk for psychosocial maladjustment. 39 boys were assessed and randomly assigned to one of two group treatment conditions: (a) interpersonal cognitive problem-solving for whom training was provided through oral and written language activities that met children's social and academic needs and (b) a language workshop, during which only academic difficulties were treated. Parents of children in both groups received group attention. Posttreatment assessments indicated that boys in both conditions showed significant improvements on school achievement and behavior problems, as they were measured by behavior scales reported by mothers and by an academic achievement test. Children in the problem-solving group improved significantly more than the other group on most measures. These results suggest that work with interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills combined with reading and writing activities is a useful means to produce improvements in child behavior and school achievement.