description) The objectives of this proposed study are to investigate the application of coercive processes to families of young children with developmental disabilities and problem behaviors; develop a broader ecological unit of analysis for behavioral family assessment and intervention that includes the concept of activity setting (routine); and build an empirical foundation for an ecological approach to behavioral assessment and intervention that helps families successfully include their child with disability in family life, and that reduces the stressors associated with child problem behaviors. The study has two specific aims: to develop an observation methodology that measures parent-child interactional processes in family routines; and to empirically investigate the construct validity of coercive processes in typical home routines of families of children with developmental disabilities and problem behaviors.
