The contingency intervention system based upon an Apple II microcomputer is described. The purpose of the contingency intervention system is to (a) foster a generalized expectancy that the world is controllable and (b) lead the infant to use specific behavioral movements to explore the contingencies available. The use of the microcomputer to sensitively modify contingencies based upon continued analysis of the infant's movements is described. Finally, data from the performance of three Down's Syndrome infants (CA 3 to 6 months; MA 2 to 5 months) and one 10 weeks premature infant (CA 5 months, [uncorrected] MA 2 months) are presented. The use of the microcomputer as a behavioral microscope in infant intervention is discussed.

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The study investigated the educational impact of integration of severely handicapped students in regular public schools. Thirteen school districts and one residential institution were selected on the basis of their efforts to integrate severely handicapped students. Six of these sites were federally funded model programs for integrating these students. Degree of integration was defined through systematic observation of the rate of integration between severely handicapped students and nonhandicapped students. Information on severely handicapped students’ functional level and rates of interaction with nonhandicapped students and other severely handicapped students was used to predict their achievement of Individual Education Plan (IEP) objectives. Findings revealed that over and above functional level, degree of integration, as measured by interaction with nonhandicapped students, was a significant predictor (p < .025) of educational progress, as measured by the proportion of IEP objectives met. Integration was discussed as an important aspect of curricula for severely handicapped students.

Four Asian quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) wvere exposed to concurrent-chain schedules, the terminial links of which were either variable-interval 30 sec and variable-time 30 sec, or fixed-interval 30 sec and fixed-time 30 sec. Except for one bird that exhibited a preference for the variable-interval schedule over the variable-time schedule, no consistent preferences were demonistrated for response-dependent or response-independent schedules. However, response rates were three times greater on response-dependent than on responseindependent schedules. The discrinmination between terminal-link schedules wVas rapidly recovered after the schedcule positions wvere reversed. Casual observations revealed that the birds engaged in stereotypic circling and pecking while the response-independent schedules wvere operative. (Fantino, 1969;Herrnstein, 1970). However, in some cases when terminallink schedules provide equivalent rates of reinforcement pigeons demonstrate a preference for one scheduile over the other. For example. Fantino (1968) found that pigeons preferred fixed-interval schedules to schedules that provided the same amount of reinforcement but which requiired higlh rates of terminal-link

This study investigated mother‐infant interactions in 18 dyads. All participants were African American and enrolled in an early intervention program because the infants (2–26 months of age) had developmental disabilities or were at high risk for developmental disability. Some mothers had used drugs during their pregnancy, and all mothers were of low or middle socioeconomic status. Dyads were videotaped interacting at 4 different times, separated by at least 5 months in time. Videotapes were rated in terms of infant involvement and maternal responsivity in the interaction. 4 hypotheses concerning the pattern of maternal interaction across time were tested using ordinal pattern analysis. The hypothesis that mothers would become less responsive to infants over time (HD) as a function of drug addiction, poverty, or serious developmental delay was supported for only 4 of the 18 dyads. There was support for the hypothesis (Hj) that mothers naturally increase their responsivity over time (N= 6) and support for the hypothesis (HT) that mothers' interactive sensitivity fluctuates in relation to infants' involvement in the interaction over time (N= 7). Ordinal pattern analysis has advantages in determining how well competing hypotheses describe individuals within populations relative to approaches that identify differences that apply to entire populations.