SHAPING NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR IN STUDENTS WHO ARE MENTALLY DISABLED AND HYPERACTIVE: ARTICLE SUMMARY
This paper summarizes the following article as it relates to shaping negative behavior of ADHD children who are mentally retarded and engage in negative behaviors:
Smith, K.. (1995). Introduction to positive ways of intervening with challenging behavior. Document available: http://ici2.umn.edu/preschoolbehavior/tip_sheets/tips.pdf.
This article by Kathleen Smith (1995) is an intervention tip sheet for teachers and parents who work with ADHD children with emotional and behavioral disorders including various forms of mental disability, e.g., dyslexia, retardation, etc. The article begins with a description of ADHD and notes that this can be accompanied by either scholastic or social misbehavior. It is stated that when a child has some form of learning disability in addition to ADHD, special educational services should be offered in the school setting. The article then goes on to discuss several interventions which work well with ADHD children with emotional/behavioral disorders as well as those who also have some form of mental handicap.
Noting that most interventions are forms of behavior modification, the article provides a definition and brief philosophical orientation to behavior mod. It further notes that the basic aims of behavior modification are to manipulate the antecedents and consequences of behavior and so reduce inappropriate behavior and increase desired behavior. For ADHD children, ADHD children with emotional/behavioral problems causing negative behaviors (e.g., hitting other children, calling them names), and ADHD children with emotional problems and mental deficiencies, Smith (1995) states that ôproactive behavior modification interventionsö (interventions which avoid utilizing aversive consequences) are far more appropriate than other forms of behavior mod.
Having established what the problem i
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