Models of parent involvement in the education of severely handicapped children are reviewed, and the assertion is made that most parent involvement programs reflect professional priorities rather than parental viewpoints and needs. Assumptions underlying models in which parents are considered teachers are reviewed, and discrepancies between…

Describes computerized conferencing comparing selected characteristics to those of other group communication media. Results of field trials and laboratory experiments are offered to demonstrate positive comparisons to audio and visual conferences. (JMF)

Reviews relevant literature on the subject of rural adolescent mental health. Discusses demographics, unique situations, and problems of rural youth. Presents impact of the rural economic crisis. Suggests treatment strategies to deal with mental health problems of rural adolescents: individual therapy, family therapy, and peer group programs. (NEC)

Classifies school-based prevention activities into the following five educational domains: (1) cognitive; (2) affective/interpersonal; (3) behavioral; (4) environmental; and (5) therapeutic. Discusses research findings for each domain. (Author/LHW)

Kielhofner and Barris examine two existing proposals for knowledge organization and proposes a related but alternative approach. Based on this proposed structure, literature in the "American Journal of Occupational Therapy" over the past 10 years was reviewed and classified to reveal patterns and trends. Labovitz and Miller critique the…

Reviews of professional literature identify characteristics of effective staff development programs and inservice activities. Purposes for staff development include: pedagogical growth and understanding and discovery of self as well as cognitive, theoretical, professional, and career development. (DF)

Literature is reviewed indicating that programs serving handicapped and nonhandicapped preschool children have been labeled inconsistently, with few attempts to identify specific variables which discriminate program types. Suggested are the terms "integrated special education" (with a high proportion of handicapped) and "mainstreamed" (with a low…

Recommendations for surveillance programs include: (1) screening systems should include multiple sources of data for decision making; (2) conceptually, screening should include procedures that assess the ongoing transaction between the child and the caregivers in his/her environment; and (3) surveillance should be conducted serially over time.…

Linking older people and school children provides benefits for both groups. Describes intergenerational education programs and lists resources to help school districts obtain information on model programs and apply for funding. (MLF)

Literacy should be viewed as a continuum of undereducation, stretching from those who cannot read and write at all at the low end to those who have less than a high school education at the high end. People at different points have different needs, which may differ greatly from those current literacy programs try to meet. The track record of…

Residential care must be redefined, free from jargon and rhetoric. Over the past 20 years, the social welfare approach, which encompasses the medical model, has dominated legislative and practical thinking about residential care. This theoretical thinking reached its culmination in the concept of the therapeutic community. The therapeutic…

Describes a system in which questions tailored to the examinee's capabilities are administered by computer. Enumerates possible benefits of the system, reviews the "state of the art," and predicts potential applications of computerized adaptive testing. (MCG)

More than 25 states have undertaken a futures project, a special program established to address long-term goals, emerging policy issues, and strategies for implementing these goals and issues for state government. Presented are models and methods for conducting state future projects, based on a survey of recent experiences. (Author/RM)

Discusses inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in managed care as part of general efforts by states to enroll all Medicaid recipients. Elements of managed care that are important to people with developmental disabilities are reviewed, including care coordination, maintenance of quality, and individual and family support. (Author/CR)

In response to increasing costs and growing reliance on external funding for college faculty research, a plan for promoting faculty success in gaining financial support for research is proposed. The plan is based on information in the literature concerning prerequisites for success in getting external support. (Author/MSE)