The paper looks at the development of a play group for autistic children with descriptions of the autistic population, the daily program, the program's philosophy, the play group model, and actual lessons. Children, who ranged in age from 5 to 9 years, often chose activities which were self-stimulating and/or repetitive. The daily program included…

A PlayDay is a day designed to draw attention to a range of play activities, while providing an opportunity for children, families, members of the community, and teachers to share in physical and mental challenges without facing the pressure of winning or losing a game. PlayDays can range from massive park events for thousands of children and…

Measures were proposed that would enable UNICEF, in association with others and despite prevailing difficult economic circumstances, to more effectively bring well-being and hope to hundreds of millions of children. Specific proposals were designed to help most countries accelerate child survival and development. Most particularly, it was…

To help mitigate the impact of multi-environmental degradation, the model program for emotionally at-risk children that uses nature to enhance emotional well-being (or intellect) has been constructed, implemented and researched. The six sessions that compose the program are designed to impart social-emotional understanding and prime perceptions by…

This paper provides a description and analysis of the development, implementation, and continuing framework of practice for a model of comprehensive, coordinated maternal and child health programs in which traditional maternal and child health services are provided by a local county health department while family planning and related services are…

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of childhood. The extensive research on ADHD indicates that both assessment and treatment of ADHD is best accomplished through the involvement of multiple informants. By establishing a supervisory relationship with a university-based training clinic, child…

Using a construction building analogy, this guide provides a plan for building a system of behavior strategies. These strategies are designed to assist behavior analysts of contracted provider agencies in the construction and maintenance of procedures which will help monitor and reduce the frequency of problematic behaviors in individuals with…

Parent training goals, models, and predictors of effectiveness are examined with examples from three parent training models: (1) a combination of group sessions and intensive in-home consultation visits to prepare families receiving their child home again after residential treatment; (2) intensive in-home training intended to prevent residential…

During a symposium, three presentations described initiatives that exemplify the principles and components of the Ecology of Outcomes. Emphasis is on accountability for achieving measurable outcomes and use of outcome information in program planning and development. Summaries of individual papers are: (1) "The Ecology of Outcomes: System…

Three summaries of papers presented in a symposium examine issues in the wraparound model of providing case management and mental health services to children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral disorders. The papers describe 30 months of participatory program evaluation and simultaneous program development between the University of South…

This paper reports on efforts underway in New York State to develop the Individualized Needs for Services Assessment (INSA). The INSA is a set of standardized procedures and data definitions to guide assessment of service needs for children with serious emotional disturbances (SED). The INSA procedure for children with SED is designed to be…

The following essential elements of programs that prepare physicians to care for at-risk children effectively are described: (1) active participation in children's care; (2) effective service programs for learning; (3) comprehensive, multidisciplinary, flexible, and intensive programs; and (4) program evaluation. The policy implications in…

In response to requests of adult students for foreign language instruction for their kindergarten and elementary school aged children, and after researching the availability of such instruction in the area, Tarrant County Junior College developed a series of nonsequential courses of 12 lessons each on common topics such as parts of the body, the…

In times of crisis, students, teachers, and other staff members can be deeply affected. Since a crisis can occur at any time, having an effective crisis intervention plan for school personnel in place is important. Immediate intervention following an emergency may help students deal with the immediate after effects of a death or loss and may…

Teasing is an attempt to look better at the expense of someone else. This abuse may be as mild as verbal bantering or as severe as group violence against others. The chronically oppressed student may conclude that school is a frightening and unfriendly place. Teasing has recently become the focus of psychological research and this paper provides a…