Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This .study is .almed at exploring teacher attitudes towards learners presenting with behavior problems and the subsequent strategies they use to manage such problems. Teachers under consideration are from the Limpopo Province, South Africa. In order to better understand the impact of such attitudes and strategies, theoretical underpinnings from the literature as well as the effect of training are also considered. Data gathered from this study was analysed by means of SPSS using descriptive statistics. High levels of behavioural problems appear to be present in the respondents' classrooms, with most teachers attempting to deal with these issues in a contextual manner. Furthermore, those respondents who have received training would appear to be doing so more than those teachers who have not received training. Results of this study also highlight areas on which future research could focus. These include teacher emotions and the effect training has on these emotions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ten doelom onderwysers se houdings te ondersoek teenoor leerders met gedragsprobleme en die strategieë wat hulle gebruik om sulke probleme te hanteer. Die onderwysers is woonagtig in die Limpopo Provinsie, Suid Afrika. Deur gebruik te maak van beskrywende statistiek, is die data wat ingesamel is deur middel van die SPSSprogram verwerk. Dit blyk dat die voorkoms van gedragsprobleme hoog is en dat onderwysers dit op uiteenlopende maniere binne konteks hanteer. Die studie het verder getoon dat die respondente wat opleiding ontvang het die probleme meer effektief hanteer as daardie respondente wat nie opleiding ontvang het nie. Die studie beklemtoon die belang van die houdings van onderwysers in die hantering van gedragsprobleme in die klaskamer en maak ook aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing in hierdie verband.

This study investigated whether behavior disordered children would decrease aggressive behavior if their social interest were developed. Three hypotheses that were tested predicted that there would be a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group on adjusted mean scores on aggressive behavior on post test scores. The measuring instruments used were the Child Behavior Checklist Parent Report Form, the Child Behavior Checklist Teacher Report Form, and the Child Behavior Checklist Director Observation Form. It was also predicted that there would be a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group on post test adjusted mean scores as measured on the Social Interest Scale. An analysis of covariance was employed to test the data. Behavior disordered students in the experimental group participated in three activities designed to develop their social interest. They participated in peer tutoring, socialization with nursing home residents, and group discussions. Data were collected from parents, teachers, and observers of behavior disordered students in an elementary school in Northwest Louisiana during the summer term of 1987. Teachers did report a statistically significant difference between the experimental and the control groups in the decrease of aggressive behavior. These results are in accord with predictions generated by Adlerian theory and with naturalistic data. Parents and observers did not report a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the decrease of aggressive behavior. Significant differences were not found between the experimental and control groups in the development of social interest. Since the teachers did report statistically significant results in this study, it is recommended that these same activities to develop social interest be repeated, that counseling sessions be designed to be more therapeutic, and that additional modeling and role playing be included. It is further recommended that an instrument be developed to measure social interest in children, and that parents and teachers of the children be provided with education and training in Adlerian theory and its application to their interactions with children.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-271). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-116). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

The current study was designed to further evaluate the usefulness of anecdotal assessments. The goal of this study was to evaluate the overall agreement between multiple respondents on the primary function of aberrant behavior using the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) and the Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST) and, if agreement was obtained, to assess the effectiveness of treatment based on the outcome of the assessments. Results showed that anecdotal assessments were able to identify the general type of contingency maintaining two participants' problem behavior. However, for one participant the assessments did not correctly identify the specific form of reinforcement (attention or tangible items) that maintained the aberrant behavior.

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of the comorbidity of emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) and speech/language disorders among those students identified as under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act criteria as emotionally disturbed and speech impaired. The literature reviewed included clinical and school settings that examined a cooccurrence of language disorders in the EBD population. Other research reported a lack of routine involvement of speech/language therapists in the assessment of the EBD population. Implications from clinical studies suggested a need for greater attention to language disorders in a multi- and interdisciplinary assessment. This study investigated the prevalence of the dual occurrence of EBD and speech/language disorders in Grades 2 through 6 in Texas schools in light of the known research. Relationships in ethnicity and socioeconomic status were examined using chi-square test of independence. Aggregate data were obtained from the database of the Texas Pupil Information Management System and from survey questionnaire responses provided by speech therapists in selected districts. The literature review focused on the impact of language in the development of appropriate personal interactions and communication skills, especially those relevant to pragmatic language factors and the implications of language competency in successful personal living and career roles and supported the importance of language as an important contributor to a person's life success and the correlation of EBD disabilities and speech/language disorders. Social skills instruction, the relationship of language, especially pragmatics, and social competencies for this population are included. The results revealed a relationship between ethnicity and speech/language disorders among the students identified with EBD. In considering the population of students identified as EBD and language disordered, a significant relationship was found between ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Recommendations include suggestions for future research, assessment procedures, classroom interventions, and data collection methods.

The purpose of this study was to explore parental views on the efficacy of parent-child interaction therapy. Research indicates that early intervention and prevention is essential when treating children with disruptive behaviors. Intervening at an early age prevents the disruptive behaviors from progressing into more complex disorders that can occur in the teenage and adult years. This study utilized a quantitative method to better understand if parents identified as parent-child interaction therapy as effective. This study consisted of 29 parent-child dyads that had completed parent-child interaction therapy and reported their satisfaction with parent-child interaction therapy through the use of parent-stress index scores. Results indicated that parent-child interaction therapy was viewed as successful by parents. However, success of parent-child interaction therapy is only applicable to certain domains that were chosen in this study; limiting the generalizability of overall success of parent-child interaction therapy. Parent-child interaction therapy has shown success in strengthening the parent-child dyad and decreasing disruptive behaviors such as distractibility and hyperactivity. It is recommended that parent-child interaction therapy continue to be utilized by professionals and focus on all the domains rather than selected domains.

Adolescent Alcohol Use (AAU) is widespread and potentially harmful to the health of youth. Substantial research and theoretical development suggest that both violence exposure and internalizing and externalizing problems of adolescents are associated with AAU. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the roles of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents to determine if the two types of symptoms are differential mediators of the link between violence exposure and AAU for females and males. Using Developmental Systems Theory as a framework, three primary hypotheses were examined: 1) Increased violence exposure at home and in the community are associated with increased AAU in both females and in males; 2) Internalizing problems mediate the relationship between home/community violence exposure and AAU for females; and 3) Externalizing problems mediate the relationship between home/community violence exposure and AAU for males. The secondary dataset that was utilized to test the hypotheses is a product of the 1995 National Survey of Adolescents in the United States. It includes a national probability sample of 3,161 adolescents and a probability oversample of 862 adolescents residing in urban areas for a total of 4,023 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. The data were collected by telephone interviews with the adolescents. The findings indicated that, for the most part, witnessing and experiencing physical and sexual violence across home and community contexts were associated with increased levels of AAU for both females and males. Internalizing problems mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and AAU for both females and males. Externalizing problems did not mediate the relationship between violence exposure and AAU for males or females. The findings suggest that internalizing and externalizing problems may play similar roles in females and males. The findings also indicated that home violence exposure accounts for unique variance in AAU beyond community violence exposure, but that community and home violence exposure do not interact to contribute to the highest level of AAU. Both number of different types of sexual victimization and number of different types of physical victimization at home were related to AAU. Implications for social work are discussed. The primary implication for Development Systems Theory is that differential pathways for females and males from environmental stress, in particular violence exposure, to increases in AAU may not be needed. Social work programs aimed at preventing and intervening in AAU should include components that address not only the use itself, but also the level of violence the adolescent has been exposed to, as well as any internalizing problems the adolescent may be experiencing. Future research should continue to examine how risk factors operate to influence AAU.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Special Education)--Vanderbilt University, May 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-111). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3024535.