In a study of the level, complexity, and initiations of play behavior in 15 handicapped segregated, 15 handicapped mainstreamed, and 15 nonhandicapped mainstreamed preschoolers, Ss were observed during free play. Play levels, according to hierarchies of M. Parten and J. Piaget, as well as the play initiator were recorded every 3 minutes for 90…

Two studies investigated treatments on the attribution and behavioral persistence of special education students (9 to 15 years old) labelled as helpless in arithmetic. In the first study (N=14), an attribution retraining treatment was effective in alleviating helplessness but not significantly more effective than a control treatment. In the second…

The effects of alcohol on the developing fetus are examined. Noted is the existence of both structural problems (such as microcephaly and cardiac anomalies) and behavioral problems (such as mental retardation and speech and language deficits). The potential damage of alcohol at a very early stage of fetal development is discussed. It is thought…

Three studies investigating the behavior of nonhandicapped people in the presence of handicapped individuals and a possible tactic for reducing the nonhandicapped individual's discomfort are reported. In Studies One and Two, nonhandicapped Ss watched two videotapes of paraplegics in wheelchairs being interviewed. Each S then chose the handicapped…

The behavior patterns of 6 handicapped children and 14 nonhandicapped children were recorded during participation in a model developmental-interactive based curriculum for preschool children. Interactions were recorded using the Coping Analysis Schedule for Educational Settings. Among findings were the following: the consistently high occurrence…

The short-term (45-day) stability of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (P. McDermott, N. Marston, and D. Stott, 1993) was studied with 51 first and fifth graders, seven of whom were classified as "exceptional/disabled." Significant test-retest reliability coefficients were obtained, and mean differences from test to…

The purpose of the Rehabilitation Indicators Project is to develop a method, rehabilitation indicators (RI's), for defining multi-dimensionally the benefits that accrue to rehabilitation clients. RI's are presented as descriptors of observable elements of the rehabilitation client's life space with each descriptor inherently meaningful to client…

Recent developments in family stress and coping research and a review of data and observations of families in a war-induced crisis situation led to an investigation of the relationship between a stressor and family outcomes. The study, based on the Double ABCX Model in which A (the stressor event) interacts with B (the family's crisis-meeting…

This study of handicapped and non-handicapped preschool and early elementary school children and their older normal siblings was designed to determine (1) the intercorrelation of parent and teacher ratings of the child's academic competence and social adjustment, and (2) the correlations of mother, father and teacher ratings with the child's…

Maternal and professional perspectives on the developmental, behavioral, and ecological status of children with disabilities and their families were compared, specifically examining the degree of congruence between maternal and professional estimates on various measures designed to assess child and family status. A review of 37 studies helped…

The factor structure of the Quay Peterson Behavior Problem Checklist was investigated with 358 children identified for or placed in special education classes for the emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, and educable mentally retarded. Ss were selected across racial backgrounds to determine the scale's efficacy in measuring personality…