Biomedical subjects

Edward G Carr

Publications and source records attributed to Edward G Carr.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Physical illness, pain, and problem behavior in minimally verbal people with developmental disabilities.

There is growing interest in the role that physical illness and pain might play in exacerbating problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Assessment of these factors, however, is often difficult since many individuals have minimal verbal communication skills. In response to this difficulty, we developed a sequential method of assessment involving retrospective and prospective measurement strategies. We found that the frequency and intensity of problem behavior was greater on "sick" days than on "well" days. Further, the higher the level of pain, the greater was the frequency and intensity of problem behavior. We discuss the concept of pain as a setting event for problem behavior and the intervention strategies that follow from this conceptualization.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Multiple effects of joint attention intervention for children with autism.

Joint attention refers to an early developing set of behaviors that plays a critical role in both social and language development and is specifically impaired in children with autism. In a series of three studies, preschool teachers demonstrated the effectiveness of discrete trial instruction and pivotal response training strategies to teach joint attention to 5 children with autism (Study 1). Parents of 2 of the 5 children also taught joint attention at home and in the community (Study 2). Several additional dependent measures demonstrated collateral improvements in expressive language and social-communicative characteristics that were socially validated by parent raters (Study 3). Results are discussed with respect to the importance of addressing different forms of joint attention, the necessity to extend intervention to naturalistic contexts and joint attention partners, the pivotal nature of joint attention, and whether intervention adequately addresses both the form and social function of joint attention.

Attention↗

PubMed2006

Classroom intervention for illness-related problem behavior in children with developmental disabilities.

There is growing evidence of an association between physical illness and problem behavior in children with developmental disabilities. Such behavior can compromise school performance. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate, using a group design, the effectiveness of medical intervention alone (N = 11) versus behavioral plus medical intervention (N = 10) for illness-related problem behavior in a school setting. Following intervention, the behavioral plus medical intervention group showed lower levels of problem behavior and completed more academic tasks than did the medical intervention alone group. The results are discussed with respect to the concept of illness and pain as a setting event for problem behavior. The need for research to develop algorithms that allow one to select the best combination of medical and behavioral interventions for specific illnesses and contexts is noted.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed2003

Using mood ratings and mood induction in assessment and intervention for severe problem behavior.

The literature on problem behavior documents the need for developing methods for assessing the impact of broad contextual variables. It has been suggested that the impact of some of these variables can be captured in mood ratings. We examined this possibility by observing whether there was a correlation between mood ratings and subsequent display of problem behavior. Further, we developed an intervention based on mood induction for altering these ratings and observed whether these alterations were correlated with changes in the likelihood of problem behavior. Our data demonstrated that bad mood ratings were highly predictive of problem behavior. Further, when we implemented our induction procedure to improve mood ratings, we subsequently observed dramatic decreases in problem behavior.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Menstrual discomfort as a biological setting event for severe problem behavior: assessment and intervention.

Assessment and intervention approaches for problem behavior need to be extended to deal with biological setting events. To meet assessment needs, we developed a strategy involving four components: interview, archival record review, direct observation, and functional analysis. Data indicated that problem behaviors (aggression, self-injury, and tantrums) were linked to both a biological setting event (menstrual discomfort) and certain discriminative stimuli (task demands). To meet intervention needs, we developed a multicomponent strategy that addressed both the biological context (menstrual discomfort) and the psychosocial context (task demands). Intervention reduced problem behaviors to near-zero levels, maintained for 15 to 22 months across 3 participants. We discuss the extension of our approach to other biological setting events as well as multiple motivational variables.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Problem behavior interventions for young children with autism: a research synthesis.

This paper provides a summary of research on behavioral interventions for children with autism 8 years of age or younger published between 1996 and 2000. The analysis is divided into four sections: (1) emerging themes in the technology of behavior support, (2) a review of existing research syntheses focusing on behavioral interventions, (3) a new literature review of current pertinent research, and (4) an evaluative discussion of the synthesis results and the field's future needs to develop effective behavioral interventions for young children with autism. The authors offer recommendations for strengthening the existing research base and advancing behavioral technology to meet the needs of the defined target population.

Autistic Disorder↗