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Research has suggested that individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior may have enhanced expressions of pain, which contradicts previous assertions of blunted pain sensitivity in this population. The purpose of this study was to measure expressions of pain among young children being evaluated for autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. The frequency of pain-related behaviors was assessed during everyday routines using the Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist (NCCPC-R) for 51 children. Significant group differences between children with and without self-injury were found for the NCCPC-R total scores. The frequency and severity of self-injury, aggression, and stereotypy were also highly correlated with the total scores on the NCCPC-R. These results continue to support that individuals with self-injury may have enhanced expressions of pain.

A plethora of literature suggests that collaborative partnerships among families, educators, and outside service providers are necessary and beneficial to address behavior problems, but there continues to be a lack of coordination among these stakeholders. The current study used conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) to facilitate the development and implementation of collaborative intervention plans. Parents, teachers, and an outside mental health provider worked together to create and support behavioral intervention plans that were implemented at home and school. The results of this multiple baseline study indicate that collaborative interventions developed through the CBC process were effective in improving behavior at home and school. More specifically, visual analysis of the data, along with calculated effect sizes, showed an increase in the percentage of time that all 3 participants complied with expectations during problematic routines at home and school. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Before the 1990s, research on the early identification and prevention of severe behavior disorders (SBDs), such as aggression, self-injury, and stereotyped behavior, among young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), was mostly done with children 3 years or older. More recent work suggests that signs of SBDs may occur as early as 6 months in some infants. The present study combined a cross-sectional and longitudinal approach to examine SBDs in 180 young children aged 4-48 months recruited through mass screening, then receiving an interdisciplinary evaluation and six-month follow-ups for one year. Twelve potential risk factors related to SBDs were examined. Eight of these risk factors, including age, gender, diagnosis, intellectual and communication levels, visual impairment, parent education, family income, were differentially related to scores for Aggression, SIB, and Stereotyped Behavior subscales on the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI-01) at initial interdisciplinary evaluation. BPI-01 scores decreased over the year for 57% of the children and increased for 43%. The amount of decrease on each BPI-01 subscale varied with age, gender, and diagnosis.

Severe behavior problems among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a major barrier to integration in the community. Recent research suggests that these behaviors often begin very early in life and might be prevented by early identification and intervention (Rojahn, Schroeder, & Hoch, 2008). The current article presents a method of mass screening for early signs of severe behavior problems among infants and toddlers in Peru. A Parental Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ), which asks 15 questions, each related to a risk factor for severe behavior problems, based on past research on IDD, was used by veteran parents to interview 341 new parents who had been solicited by TV, radio, and public service announcements across the country. Of these, 262 were recruited and enrolled in a longitudinal study in which they will be followed for 12 months to see if at-risk children actually will develop severe behavior problems. An extensive initial interdisciplinary evaluation was given to each child. Consumer satisfaction questionnaires were given to the parents as to their attitude toward the screening method. Data from the vaccines contributedEvaluations of the sample suggest a very high hit rate (96%) by the screening instrument (PCQ). Consumer satisfaction was 98%, suggesting that the method was tolerated well by parents. The PCQ is a brief and efficient method to screen infants and toddlers at risk for severe behavior problems. The data also suggest that parents suspect these problems at a very early age. Early intervention thus seems a feasible strategy to intervene before these problems become deeply ingrained as children develop. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

A functional assessment interview was conducted with care providers of 100 children (ages 2-5) with autism regarding reinforcement contingencies contributing to maintenance of disruptive behavior. Gaining access to perseverative activities and escaping demands while engaged in these activities frequently contributed to disruptive behavior in the children with autism. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The efficacy of the atypical antipsychotic risperidone was evaluated in the treatment of aberrant behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury) in 20 individuals with developmental disabilities. The study, a double-blind crossover design, identified 50 percent of participants as responders. Naturalistic observations of five participants showed that risperidone was effective in reducing aberrant behavior in four individuals. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

A treatment package consisting of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), token fines, and prompted relaxation was used to reduce the agitated-disruptive behavior of a young adult with autism and mental retardation living in a community group home. DRO procedures were partially implemented by a peer with Down syndrome. Baseline rates of target behaviors determined effective DRO intervals. (DB)

Agitated-disruptive behavior from three mentally retarded adults in community group homes was reduced using procedures that included a self-recorded differential reinforcement of other behavior point fines for agitated-disruptive behavior, social skills training, and relaxation training. (Author/CL)