Instruction is the most important variable in special education, but it is often overlooked. Special instruction is what makes special education work, yet it is often neglected. We need to know more about how to teach both academic and behavioral skills more effectively, how behavioral and academic skills are interrelated, and how to choose those…

Describes a scheme consisting of nine elements or "themes" ordered in terms of their more probable links developed from clinical work with crying infants. Theme categories are genetic/hereditary, psychiatric disorder, central nervous system, medical health (chronic), medical health (acute), nutrition/allergy, form, psychosocial…

The article points out the risk of erroneous classification and inequitable treatment for students who are difficult to teach and manage. Analysis of child count data highlights variability in identification and referral processes and suggests that attempts to tighten eligibility standards, especially for mildly handicapped students, is…

Discusses diagnostic and functional classification, assessment, and treatment approaches for school refusal behavior. Diagnostic classification focuses on separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, depression, and truancy. Functional classification focuses on the maintaining consequences of the behavior, such as avoidance of…

Characteristics of the aggressive, severely behavior disordered (BD) child are discussed, with a focus on classification and identification criteria. Additional factors directly related to the behavior of an aggressive, severely BD child are also considered: biological factors, familial factors, cognitive factors, frustration (specifically…

This paper cites ethical provisions and professional standards that affect the selection of behavioral interventions that will benefit exceptional individuals without undermining their dignity. A three-category system that classifies behavioral interventions on the basis of their intrusiveness or restrictiveness is presented. Interventions are…

A rationale is presented for the use of neuropsychological knowledge in the better understanding and treatment of the learning disabled child by the school psychologist. Neuropsychological classifications of brain function and behavior are discussed in order to help psychologists recognize those cases appropriate for neuropsychological assessment.…

Describes five disorders (attention deficit disorder, traumatic brain injury, fetal alcohol syndrome, prenatal substance abuse, and fragile X syndrome) that are part of a proliferation of categories of behavioral disorders, examining how special and general education might approach problems potentially inherent in the process of including students…