The authors provide three case examples of the evaluation of assessment-based intervention strategies within the natural classroom context for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders. For each of the participants, several hypotheses were generated concerning potential environmental correlates of undesirable behavior based on information obtained during student and teacher interviews as well as descriptive observations. The utility of these assessment-based, nonintrusive intervention strategies was evaluated within the natural context and ongoing routine of the classroom using an alternating-treatments design. For each participant, results demonstrated that assessment-based environmental modifications can decrease problematic classroom behaviors. In addition, results of the hypothesis testing suggested feasible and effective classroom intervention strategies.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AchenbachT. M., & EdelbrockC. S. (1991). Manual for the cross-informant program for the Child Behavior Checklist.Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
2.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.).Washington, DC: Author.
3.
BarkleyR.A. (1990). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment.New York: Guilford.
4.
BarkleyR. A., FischerM., EdelbrockC. S., & SmallishL. (1990a). The adolescent outcome of hyperactive children diagnosed by research criteria: I. An 8-year prospective follow-up study.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 546–557.
5.
BarkleyR. A., FischerM., EdelbrockC. S., & SmallishL. (1990b). The adolescent outcome of hyperactive children diagnosed by research criteria: III. Mother-child interactions, family conflicts, and maternal psychopathology.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 233–256.
6.
BroussardC. D., & NorthupJ. (1995). An approach to functional assessment and analysis of disruptive behavior in regular education classrooms.School Psychology Quarterly, 10, 151–164.
7.
BroussardC. D., & NorthupJ. (1997). The use of functional analysis to develop peer interventions for disruptive classroom behavior.School Psychology Quarterly, 12, 65–76.
8.
DunlapG., & KernL. (1996). Modifying instructional activities to promote desirable behavior: A conceptual and practical framework.School Psychology Quarterly, 11, 297–312.
9.
DunlapG., KernL., dePerczelM., ClarkeS., WilsonD., ChildsK. E., WhiteR., & FalkG. D. (1993). Functional analysis of classroom variables for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.Behavioral Disorders, 18, 275–291.
10.
DunlapG., Kern-DunlapL., ClarkeS., & RobbinsF. R. (1991). Functional assessment, curricular revision, and severe behavior problems.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 387–397.
11.
DuPaulG. J., AnastopoulosA. D., PowerT. J., MurphyK., & BarkleyR. A. (1994). The ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Unpublished manuscript, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.
12.
DuPaulG. J., & EckertT. L. (1997). The effects of school-based interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analysis.School Psychology Review, 26, 5–27.
13.
DuPaulG. J., & ErvinR. A. (1996). Functional assessment of behaviors related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Linking assessment to intervention design.Behavior Therapy, 27, 601–622.
14.
DuPaulG. J., & StonerG. (1994). ADHD in the schools: Assessment and intervention strategies.New York: Guilford.
15.
ErvinR. A., BankertC. L., & DuPaulG. J. (1995). Treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In ReineckeM. A., DattilioF. M., and FreemanA. (Eds.), Cognitive therapy with children and adolescents (pp. 38–61). New York: Guilford.
16.
ErvinR. A., DuPaulG. J., KernL., & FrimanP. C. (1998). Classroom-based functional and adjunctive assessments: Proactive approaches to intervention selection for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 65–78.
17.
FioreT. A., BeckerE. A., & NeroR. C. (1993). Educational interventions for students with attention deficit disorder.Exceptional Children, 60, 163–173.
18.
HornerR. H. (1994). Functional assessment: Contributions and future directions.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 401–404.
19.
IwataB., DorseyM., SliferK., BaumanK., & RichmanG. (1994). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 197–209. (Reprinted fromAnalysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 2, 3–20, 1982).
20.
KazdinA. E. (1982). Single-case research design.New York: Oxford University Press.
21.
KernL., ChildsK. E., DunlapG., ClarkeS., & FalkG. D. (1994). Using assessment-based curricular intervention to improve the classroom behavior of a student with emotional and behavioral challenges.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 7–19.
KratochwillT. R., & McGivernJ. E. (1996). Clinical diagnosis, behavioral assessment, and functional analysis: Examining the connection between assessment and intervention.School Psychology Review, 25, 342–355.
24.
KutsickK. A., GutkinT. B., & WittJ. C. (1991). The impact of treatment development process, intervention type, and problem severity on treatment acceptability as judged by classroom teachers.Psychology in the Schools, 28, 325–331.
25.
LalliJ. S., BrowderD. M., MaceF. C., & BrownD. K. (1993). Teacher use of descriptive analysis data to implement interventions to decrease student problem behaviors.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 227–238.
26.
LewisT. J., & SugaiG. (1996). Functional assessment of problem behavior: A pilot investigation of the comparative and interactive effects of teacher and peer social attention on students in general education settings.School Psychology Quarterly, 11, 1–19.
27.
MaagJ. W., & ReidR. (1994). Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder: A functional approach to assessment and treatment.Behavioral Disorders, 20, 5–23.
28.
MartensB. K., & KellyS. Q. (1993). A behavior analysis of effective teaching.School Psychology Quarterly, 8, 10–26.
29.
NorthupJ., BroussardC., JonesK., GeorgeT., VollmerT. R., & HerringM. (1995). The differential effects of teacher and peer attention on the disruptive classroom behavior of three children with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 227–228.
30.
O'NeillR. E., HornerR. H., AlbinR. W., StoreyK., & SpragueJ. R. (1990). Functional analysis of problem behavior: A practical assessment guide.Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Press.
31.
PhillipsE. L., PhillipsE. A., FixenD. L., & WolfM. M. (1971). Achievement place: Modification of the behaviors of pre-delinquent boys with a token economy.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 3, 45–59.
32.
ReppA., & KarshK. G. (1994). Hypothesis-based interventions for tantrum behaviors of persons with developmental disabilities in school settings.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 21–31.
33.
RhodeG., MorganD. P., & YoungK. R. (1983). Generalization and maintenance of treatment gains of behaviorally handicapped students from resource rooms to regular classrooms using self-evaluation procedures.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 16, 171–188.
34.
SassoG. M., ReimersT. M., CooperL. J., WackerD., BergW., SteegeM., KellyL., & AllaireA. (1992). Use of descriptive and experimental analyses to identify the functional properties of aberrant behavior in school settings.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 809–821.
35.
UmbreitJ. (1995). Functional assessment and intervention in a regular classroom setting for the disruptive behavior of a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Behavioral Disorders, 20, 267–278.
36.
WeissG., & HechtmanL. T. (1993). Hyperactive children grown up: ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.
37.
WhalenC. K., & HenkerB. (1991). Therapies for hyperactive children: Comparisons, combinations, and compromises.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 126–137.
