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).

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.

Food selectivity and problem behavior in children with developmental disabilities. Analysis and intervention.

Excessive food selectivity typifies some children with developmental disabilities. We conducted functional analyses to determine the controlling variables for problem behavior that accompanied food selectivity and analyzed the role of establishing operations in ameliorating food selectivity. Specifically, we studied the differential effects on intervention efficacy of an individual's having or not having access to preferred food items prior to an intervention that involved the presence versus absence of a positive reinforcement contingency applied to food consumption.