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Generalized reduction of problem behavior of young children with autism: building trans-situational interventions.

The effects of functional communication training on the generalized reduction of problem behavior with three 4- to 5-year-old children with autism and problem behavior were evaluated. Participants were assessed in primary teaching settings and in three secondary, generalization settings. Through baseline analysis, lower effort interventions in the secondary settings were documented as ineffective when implemented alone. Higher effort interventions incorporating functional communication training were documented within a multiple baseline design to reduce problem behavior in the primary setting, but not in secondary settings until the lower effort interventions were re-introduced. Results demonstrate the need for trans-situational interventions based on a common functional assessment hypothesis across settings and including intensive interventions that enhance the effects of lower intensity interventions.

Autistic Disorder↗

A study of cognitive development and behavior problems in mentally retarded children.

Cognitive development in seventy-one mentally retarded children (19 autistic, 52 non-autistic; aged 7-19 years) from a school for handicapped children was studied, using Ohta's scale for evaluating cognitive development level based on language comprehension (Ohta's stage), and other developmental scales. Behavior problems were also examined. The present study reports on the utility of Ohta's stage in non-autistic children, and the relationship between cognitive development level and behavior problems in mentally retarded children. In non-autistic children, there were temporal correlations between Ohta's stage and other development scales (a standard developmental test, speech development, symbolic play development, imitation development), suggesting that in non-autistic children as well, Ohta's stage may serve well as a scale for cognitive development, and reflect symbolic representational functioning. In non-autistic children, most behavior problems in feeding, elimination and sleeping, hyperkinesis, hypokinesis, stereotyped behaviors, self-injurious behavior and licking were closely associated with cognitive development level, and were more often noted in children of lower cognitive development level rather than only in the severely mentally retarded children. Some behavior problems may often occur in the sensorimotor period and hardly occur in the symbolic representational period.

Adolescent↗

A molecular to molar analysis of communicative and problem behaviors.

Few studies have examined the relationship between communicative and problem behaviors that are already present in a behavioral repertoire. In this study, a detailed microanalysis of the antecedents and consequences of aggressive and communicative behavior of a 7-year-old boy was conducted. By using both descriptive and experimental methodologies, the data suggested that problem and communicative behavior were maintained on thin concurrent schedules of social negative reinforcement. A molar analysis of the descriptive data showed that the relative amount of time allocated to each behavior was a function of the relative amount of reinforcement that each behavior accrued. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of conducting descriptive analyses and for enhancing the efficacy of interventions for problem behavior.

Child↗

Utility of the Behavior Problem Checklist with preschool children.

Determined the utility of the Behavior Problem Checklist with preschool children, a sample of 101 male and 103 female children initially rated on this scale. Ss ranged in age from 42 to 72 months and currently were enrolled in Maine Headstart programs. Sixty-six of these children also were assessed on a preschool rating system developed to assess hyperactivity and withdrawal. Results revealed that the conduct disorder and socialized delinquency dimensions correlated most highly with the hyperactivity scales, while the personality disorder and immaturity dimensions correlated most highly with the withdrawal dimensions. The BPC was found to be sensitive in differentiating clinical from nonclinical groups. These findings suggest that the Behavior Problem Checklist, although not specifically designed to assess preschool age children, may be effective with this population.

Child↗

Dental problem behaviors in children of parents with severe dental fear.

Dental problem behaviors and dental health were investigated retrospectively in 99 children, whose parents had been treated at the Dental Fear Clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden, due to severe dental fear and avoidance of dental treatment. A high frequency of missed or cancelled appointments and high DMFT and defs scores were found. Problem behaviors occurred in 45% of the children and a relationship between dental fear in parents and children was revealed.

Adolescent↗

Pregnant smokers who quit, pregnant smokers who don't: does history of problem behavior make a difference?

More than half of women who smoke in the USA continue to do so while pregnant. While socioeconomic and demographic factors that distinguish pregnancy quitters from persistent smokers have been identified, less is known about behavioral factors that are associated with persistent smoking. Because smoking during pregnancy is not only an individual, but also a maternal behavior, it may have different behavioral correlates than women's smoking has in general. We propose a conceptual framework in which smoking during pregnancy is viewed as a maternal problem behavior. We explore this conceptualization by examining whether persistent smoking during pregnancy is associated with a pattern of psychosocial risk- and health-compromising behaviors in multiple domains, with pilot data from a small clinic-based sample. Data are presented for 96 predominantly Caucasian, working-class pregnant women recruited from prenatal clinics in the USA. Smoking during pregnancy was measured repeatedly by self-report and biochemical assay. Participants were non-smokers (37%), pregnancy quitters (17%), and persistent smokers (46%). These groups were compared in terms of their history of problem behavior in three domains: interpersonal difficulties, problems in adaptive functioning and problematic health behaviors. With few exceptions, smokers were more likely to have problematic relationships, poorer adaptive functioning and to engage in problematic health behaviors, than both pregnancy quitters and non-smokers. This pattern of problem behavior may interfere with the effectiveness of standard public health prenatal cessation interventions for a sub-group of women. Examining pregnancy smoking as part of a broader matrix of problem behavior may help to identify pregnant women most at risk for persistent smoking and inform the development of targeted interventions.

Chicago↗

The effects of political violence on Palestinian children's behavior problems: a risk accumulation model.

Interviews with 150 Palestinian mothers and their children living amidst the Intifada in the West Bank were conducted to assess exposure to political violence and family negativity as risk factors associated with behavioral problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. The number of risks present in the child's life was significantly correlated with the number of behavioral problems the child exhibited (R = .53, p < .001). The analysis further examined the role of gender, age, and community context in moderating the impact of high levels of accumulated risk on children's behavioral problems. Under conditions of high accumulated risk, boys evidenced more problems than girls, and younger children exhibited more problems than older children. Community context (as indicated by a high or low level of political violence) was a significant factor for girls but not for boys.

Adolescent↗

The role of parents in the detection of developmental and behavioral problems.

OBJECTIVE: The success of early identification of children with developmental and behavioral problems is influenced by the manner in which pediatricians elicit, recognize, and select clinical information and derive appropriate impressions. Parents are ready sources of clinical information, and they can be asked to provide two broad types of data: appraisals, including concerns, estimations, and predictions; and descriptions, including recall and report. The purpose of this article is to help pediatricians make optimal use of clinical information from parents to increase the accuracy of clinical judgment in detecting children with developmental and behavioral problems. DESIGN: Review of 78 research articles and tests relying on parent information from pediatric, psychological, and education literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There are several formats for eliciting parental information that are superior in terms of accuracy and ease of evocation. Specifically, parents' concerns and good-quality standardized parent report measures such as the Child Development Inventories capitalize best on parents' observations and insights into their children. In combination, these two types of parental information offer an effective method for the early detection of behavioral and developmental problems in primary-care settings.

Child↗

A genetic study of maternal and paternal ratings of problem behaviors in 3-year-old twins.

Genetic and environmental influences on problem behaviors were studied in 3-year-old twins. Fathers' and mothers' ratings of problem behaviors in twins-236 monozygotic (MZ) girls, 210 MZ boys, 238 dizygotic (DZ) girls, 265 DZ boys, and 409 DZ opposite sex pairs- were obtained with the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 2-3 (T.M. Achenbach, 1992). Twin correlations and results from a model fitting approach showed that genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental influences accounted on average for about 64%, 9%, and 27% of the variance. Although shared environmental influences were small for most scales, they were important for Total Problems and somewhat larger for Externalizing than for Internalizing behaviors. Significant sex differences in genetic and environmental influences and evidence for sibling contrast effects were found for the Overactive scale.

Child Behavior Disorders↗

Adopted children's behavior problems: a review of five explanatory models.

Although the majority of adopted children are well-adjusted, adopted children evidence proportionately more behavior problems when compared to nonadopted children in both clinic and nonclinic populations. An extensive literature examining behavioral, diagnostic, and demographic characteristics of adopted children has provided several plausible explanations for the high rate of behavior problems among adopted children. In this review, the existing literature is organized into five explanatory models: (a) genetic or "biosocial" factors, (b) pathogenesis of the adoption process, (c) long-term effects of impaired preadoption childrearing, (d) referral bias in adoptive parents, and (e) impaired adoptive parent-adoptee relations. We conclude that evidence for each model is mixed at best. Especially noteworthy is the mixed results for genetic or biosocial studies and the relative absence of studies focused on identifying factors associated with disruptions in the adoptive parent-adoptee relationship. We propose that a psychosocial model to explain the high rate of behavior problems among adopted children is highly plausible and further suggest that it may be time for a new awareness and appreciation for the normative aspects of adoption. An overview of parenting and family characteristics associated with risk factors for antisocial behavior is provided as a guide for future research.

Adolescent↗

Behavioral problems and social competence in children with epilepsy.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate relationships between seizure type in general, degree of interictal limbic system dysfunction in particular, and social competence and behavioral pathology in children with temporal lobe (n=21), primary generalized (n=21), and focal nontemporal epilepsies (n=14). The three groups were closely matched on several variables and compared on the mean Aggression, Total Social Competence, and Total Behavior Problems scale scores derived from a standardized behavioral rating instrument (The Child Behavior Profile). On the Aggression scale , the focal nontemporal group scored significantly lower than the temporal lobe group but did not differ significantly from patients with primary generalized epilepsy. On the Total Behavior Problems and Total Social Competence scales, the three seizure groups did not differ significantly from one another. The results are discussed in terms of the psychologic risk for specific behavioral problems associated with epilepsies varying in their probability of interictal disruption of limbic system functioning.

Achievement↗

Behavior problems and mental health contacts in adopted, foster, and nonadopted children.

The implications of adoption for the emotional and behavioral adjustment of children have been an issue in child welfare for many years. Past research has suggested that adopted children are over-represented in mental health settings. In addition, some studies have suggested that adopted and nonadopted children differ on measures of social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. The current study used data from a large, representative sample in the United States to examine whether adopted children are more likely to have had mental health contacts or emotional or behavioral problems than nonadopted children. Age of placement in the adoptive home was examined as a variable contributing to the adjustment of adopted children. Results suggest that adopted and foster children are more likely to have mental health contacts than nonadopted children. Results are mixed regarding whether adopted and foster children have more behavior problems than nonadopted children. However, significant differences between adopted, foster, and nonadopted children disappeared when a small group of influential cases were removed. This suggests that the differences seen between the groups reflect a small number of cases and are not representative of the groups of adoptees and foster children as a whole. The vast majority of adopted children showed patterns of behavior problems similar to those of nonadopted children. These results are discussed in relation to the past literature and areas for future research.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The longitudinal effects of early behavior problems in the dementia caregiving career.

Using multiregional, 3-year data from early career dementia caregivers, this study determines how behavior problems that occur early in the caregiving career influence time to nursing home placement and change in burden and depression over time. A Cox proportional hazards model indicated that caregivers who managed frequent behavior problems earlier are more likely to institutionalize. After controlling for important time-varying covariates in a series of growth-curve models, caregivers who were faced with severe, early behavior problems reported greater increases in burden and depression over the 3-year study period. The findings suggest the need to consider experiences early in the dementia caregiving career when accounting for key longitudinal outcomes and also emphasize the importance of attrition when attempting to model the health implications of informal long-term care over time.

Aged↗

Maternal depression, child frontal asymmetry, and child affective behavior as factors in child behavior problems.

BACKGROUND: Despite findings that parent depression increases children's risk for internalizing and externalizing problems, little is known about other factors that combine with parent depression to contribute to behavior problems. METHODS: As part of a longitudinal, interdisciplinary study on childhood-onset depression (COD), we examined the association of mother history of COD, child frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry, and affective behavior with children's concurrent behavior problems. RESULTS: Children in the COD group had higher anxious/depressed and aggressive problems than did children in the control group, but this was qualified by a COD-by-asymmetry interaction effect. For COD but not control children, left frontal asymmetry was associated with both anxious/depressed and aggressive child problems. Children with left frontal asymmetry and low affect regulation behavior had higher anxious/depressed problems than did those with high affect regulation behavior. Boys with left frontal asymmetry had higher aggressive problems than did those with right frontal asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: In children of mothers with COD, physiological and behavioral indices of affect regulation may constitute risks for behavior problems.

Adult↗

Child maltreatment and the early onset of problem behaviors: can a program of nurse home visitation break the link?

This study investigated the relationship between child maltreatment and the early onset of problem behaviors in the Elmira Nurse Home Visitation Program. Participants were predominantly low-income and unmarried mothers and their first-born children who were randomized either to receive over 2 years of home-visitation services by nurses or to be placed in a comparison group. Data were drawn from a follow-up study that took place when the children were 15 years of age. Results demonstrated that, in the comparison group. child maltreatment was associated with significant increases in the number of early onset problem behaviors reported by the youth. For the youth in the nurse-visited group there was no relationship between maltreatment and early onset problem behaviors. We suggest that this finding was due to the effects of the intervention in reducing the number as well as the developmental timing of the maltreatment incidents. Results suggest that prenatal and infancy home visiting by nurses can moderate the risk of child maltreatment as a predictor of conduct problems and antisocial behavior among children and youth born into at-risk families.

Adolescent↗

Intergenerational health disparities: socioeconomic status, women's health conditions, and child behavior problems.

OBJECTIVE: Relatively little is known about the intergenerational mechanisms that lead to social disparities in child health. We examined whether the association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and child behavior problems is mediated by maternal health conditions and behavior. METHODS: Prospective cohort data (1979-1998) on 2,677 children and their mothers were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. SES, the Child Behavior Problems Index (BPI), and maternal smoking, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use before, during, and after pregnancy were examined. RESULTS: Lower income and lower maternal education were associated with increased child BPI scores. Adjustment for maternal smoking, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use attenuated the associations between SES and child BPI by 26% to 49%. These maternal health conditions often occurred together, persisted over time, and were associated with the mother's own childhood SES and pre-pregnancy health. CONCLUSIONS: Social disparities in women's health conditions may help shape the likelihood of behavior problems in the subsequent generation. Improved public health programs and services for disadvantaged women across the lifecourse may not only address their own urgent health needs, but reduce social disparities in the health and well-being of their children.

Adolescent↗

Father-infant interaction patterns as precursors of children's later externalizing behavior problems: a longitudinal study over 11 years.

AIM: This study examined the extent to which fathers' and infants' interaction behavior were related to children's externalizing behavior problems at age 8 and 11 years. METHODS: In a prospective longitudinal study of children at risk for later psychopathology, 72 fathers and their 3-month-old children were videotaped and evaluated during a standardized playing and nursing situation. Externalizing behavior problems at age 8 and 11 years were assessed using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: In the high externalizing group, fathers were found to be less responsive and less sensitive (the latter only with respect to girls) during early interaction than fathers of the low externalizing group, while children were more positive with their fathers. Furthermore, low scores on the interaction pattern of "sensitive fathering/negative infant" and high scores on the "nonresponsive fathering or active infant" pattern were associated with more externalizing problems. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that father and infant interaction behaviors during early infancy may predict later problem behaviors at school age, although the mechanisms underlying this relationship have yet to be identified.

Adult↗

Using Reiki to decrease memory and behavior problems in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: This empirical study explored the efficacy of using Reiki treatment to improve memory and behavior deficiencies in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease. Reiki is an ancient hands-on healing technique reputedly developed in Tibet 2500 years ago. DESIGN: This study was a quasi-experimental study comparing pre- and post-test scores of the Annotated Mini-Mental State Examination (AMMSE) and Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC) after four weekly treatments of Reiki to a control group. SETTINGS/LOCATION: The participants were treated at a facility provided by the Pleasant Point Health Center on the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation. SUBJECTS: The sample included 24 participants scoring between 20 and 24 on the AMMSE. Demographic characteristics of the sample included an age range from 60 to 80, with 67% female, 46% American Indian, and the remainder white. INTERVENTIONS: Twelve participants were exposed to 4 weeks of weekly treatments of Reiki from two Reiki Master-level practitioners; 12 participants served as controls and received no treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES: The two groups were compared on pre- and post-treatment scores on the AMMSE and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC). RESULTS: Results indicated statistically significant increases in mental functioning (as demonstrated by improved scores of the AMMSE) and memory and behavior problems (as measured by the RMBPC) after Reiki treatment. This research adds to a very sparse database from empirical studies on Reiki results. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that Reiki treatments show promise for improving certain behavior and memory problems in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers can administer Reiki at little or no cost, resulting in significant societal value by potentially reducing the needs for medication and hospitalization.

Aged↗