Early attention problems and children's reading achievement: a longitudinal investigation. The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (41/1523)

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether attention problems predict the development of reading difficulties and examine whether screening for attention problems could be of practical value in identifying children at risk for reading underachievement. METHOD: Three hundred eighty-seven children were monitored from kindergarten through fifth grade. Standardized assessments of attention problems and reading achievement were conducted at multiple time points. RESULTS: Attention problems predicted reading achievement even after controlling for prior reading achievement, IQ, and other behavioral difficulties. Inattentive first graders with normal reading scores after kindergarten were at risk for poor reading outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Attention problems play an important role in the development of reading difficulties for some children, and screening for attention problems may help identify children at risk for reading difficulties.  (+info)

Predictors of psychopathology in young adults referred to mental health services in childhood or adolescence. (42/1523)

BACKGROUND: For children referred to mental health services future functioning may be hampered. AIMS: To examine stability and prediction of behavioural and emotional problems from childhood into adulthood. METHOD: A referred sample (n = 789) aged 4-18 years was followed up after a mean of 10.5 years. Scores derived from the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report and Teacher Report Form were related to equivalent scores for young adults from the Young Adult Self-Report and Young Adult Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: Correlations between first contact (T1) and follow-up (T2) scores were 0.12-0.53. Young adult psychopathology was predicted by corresponding T1 problem scores. Social problems and anxious/depressed scores were predictors of general problem behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Problem behaviour of children and adolescents referred to outpatient mental health services is highly predictive of similar problem behaviour at young adulthood. Stability is higher for externalizing than for internalizing behaviour and for intra-informant than for inter-informant information. Stabilities are similar across gender. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the young adult's functioning, information from related adults may prove valuable.  (+info)

Prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in Johor Bahru District school children--comparing three geographical areas. (43/1523)

This is a cross sectional community study in Johor Bahru District. The aim of this study is to estimate the overall prevalence of emotional and behavioural deviance among the school children in three different geographical areas, and to identify their correlates. This paper presents the findings of phase one of a two-stage procedure involving a total of 589 children aged 10-12 years. Using the cut-off point validated locally, the prevalence of deviance on the parental scale was 40% in the rural school, 30.2% in the agricultural resettlement (Felda) school and 32.3% in the urban school. On the teachers' assessment, the prevalence of deviance was 40.8% in the rural school, 10.8% in the Felda School and 8.9% in the urban school. There was significantly higher prevalence of deviance in the rural school on the teachers' scale. In the rural school, significantly higher prevalence of deviance was found among boys.  (+info)

Maternal addiction, child maladjustment and socio-demographic risks: implications for parenting behaviors. (44/1523)

AIMS: In this study we examined three parenting dimensions (involvement, autonomy, and limit-setting) and three potential determinants (maternal addiction, low SES and its correlates, and mothers' perceptions of their children's maladjustment) in order to disentangle features of parenting that are uniquely related to maternal addiction from those related to contextual determinants. We also examined conditional effects of low SES and its correlates on parenting. DESIGN: Based on a literature review and predictions arising from an ecological model of parenting, we expected that maternal addiction would be related with problems in parental involvement, but that the other parenting dimensions would be related with mothers' perceptions of children's maladjustment and low SES. Accordingly, we examined variance in each parenting dimensions accounted for by each of the three determinants, respectively. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects included 120 (69 opiate-addicted and 51 SES-matched comparison) mothers with children under 16 years of age. MEASUREMENTS: Children's maladaptive behavior was assessed with the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, and parental adjustment with the Parent Child Relationship Inventory. FINDINGS: Direct effect predictions were confirmed and two conditional effects involving single status and family size were also found. CONCLUSIONS: Although many parenting problems have previously been attributed to maternal addiction, only parental involvement is directly related to being an addict; other parenting dimensions may be better explained by contextual factors.  (+info)

Extinction effects during the assessment of multiple problem behaviors. (45/1523)

Extinction effects were evaluated in a multiple baseline across behaviors design with 2 boys after just one of several target problem behaviors was observed during a functional analysis. Other target behaviors emerged as extinction was introduced sequentially across all problem behaviors. Results demonstrated an efficient strategy for simultaneously assessing multiple problem behaviors maintained by the same consequence.  (+info)

Comparison of single and multiple functional communication training responses for the treatment of problem behavior. (46/1523)

Two functional communication training (FCT) conditions without extinction were compared to treat the problem behavior of a child with developmental disabilities. The individual was taught to emit a single FCT response to obtain one of six items delivered in a randomized order or multiple FCT responses that specified the exact item. Results showed that only the FCT-multiple condition reduced problem behavior and maintained alternative mands.  (+info)

Noncontingent peer attention as treatment for disruptive classroom behavior. (47/1523)

A functional analysis isolated peer attention as the primary maintaining variable for disruptive behavior displayed by a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Using a brief reversal design, noncontingent reinforcement was then shown to reduce disruptive behavior relative to the peer attention condition. Implications for assessing behavior disorders in mainstream school settings are discussed.  (+info)

Evaluation of a brief multiple-stimulus preference assessment in a naturalistic context. (48/1523)

We evaluated a brief multiple-stimulus preference assessment within the context of an early intervention program for 3 children who had been diagnosed with autism. Subsequent curriculum-based reinforcer evaluations confirmed the predictions of the preference assessments. In addition, eight additional preference assessments that were conducted over a period of 1 month indicated generally stable preferences for 2 of the 3 participants.  (+info)