This text investigates the practical application of operant conditioning techniques to modify behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Travis and John Grabowski Thompson synthesize clinical research and behavioral theory to provide a structured framework for practitioners. The authors focus on the systematic implementation of reinforcement schedules and behavioral analysis to improve functional outcomes in institutional and educational settings.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text in the history of behavioral intervention for developmental disabilities. Readers frequently note the clinical density of the prose, which reflects the standard psychological methodologies of the early 1970s.