A meta-analysis of intervention research with problem behavior: treatment validity and standards of practice

Published intervention research to remediate problem behavior provides a major source of empirical evidence regarding standards of practice and the relative effectiveness of intervention strategies. A meta-analysis of the developmental disabilities literature for the years 1976 through 1987 was performed. Two measures of intervention effectiveness were employed to evaluate the relations between standards of practice, intervention and participant characteristics, and the treatment validity of different levels of intervention for a range of excess behaviors. The results largely failed to support several widespread assumptions regarding precepts of clinical practice. Suggestions were made concerning clinical-experimental research and publication practices to ensure that future work will provide a more conclusive base.