Discusses the relationship between professional ethics and the broader concept of "professionalism." Presents a list of ethical principles that appear to have universal applicability across professions and illustrates some of the ways in which special services personnel sometimes violate these principles. Discusses reasons ethical violations occur…

A cost-benefit analysis addresses innovations in microcomputer technology in the area of related services (e.g., communication therapy, counseling, occupational and physical therapy), noting the cost variables (such as purchase of new hardware) as well as the potential benefits (including the number of handicapped individuals to be served). (CL)

Highlights some recent national and state educational reform activities and their probable implications for students with disabilities. Explains in brief the impetus behind the thrust toward an outcomes-based approach to education. Summarizes the response of the National Center on Educational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities to these…

The matter of gender differences that influence adolescent development is considered by means of an empirical investigation. Implications of the results are discussed for parents, teachers and special services professionals. (Author)

A survey of 476 special educators of students with behavioral disorders was conducted to describe the frequency of collaborative interactions between educators and school and community agency personnel, and; describe the teachers' current level of skill for 32 identified collaboration competencies. Discusses implications of findings on preservice…

Describes a prevention program, the Peer Group Connection (PGC), which uses peer influence to help teenagers cope with the problems associated with becoming adults. Discusses peer leadership training, the goals and objectives of PGC, teacher selection and training, student leader training, and also provides evaluations of the program. (RJM)

Describes social skills training procedures that can be used in group formats. Procedures provide a systematic approach to teaching social skills to children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. Presents a system for classifying social skills deficits based on acquisition/performance deficits and presence/absence of interfering problem behaviors.…

Investigated differences in school psychologists' role functioning. Asked 636 full-time school psychologists to estimate the time they spent in assessment, counseling, consultation, research, clerical tasks, and administration. Time spent in administrative tasks was the only significant difference between psychologists employed by districts and…

Investigated parents' perceptions of the importance of selected functions of school psychologists, their ratings of problems in multidisciplinary team special education placement meetings, and their overall satisfaction with psychological services. Parents rated all functions as important and assigned greater importance to all functions, except…

Gives an overview of a center's efforts to provide group support for grieving children. Discusses the grief process, how children of various ages express grief, and major themes in children's grief. Offers details on establishing grief support groups, including information on group structure, preparation, format, and suggestions for sessions. (RJM)

Provides an overview of issues special services providers should consider as these providers review options for services. An array of factors affecting the planning and implementation of group interventions with school-aged children is reviewed. Available alternatives for group interventions and guidelines for selecting, implementing, and…

Analyzes the process of moving a group-based, teacher-led group intervention from the implementation phase to the institutionalization phase. Describes structures that implementers can establish to help operationalize the guidelines; illustrates structures using case examples, with emphasis on a special education setting serving an urban,…

Reviews how students' ethnicity shapes the goals of preventive interventions, the methods of program implementation, and program impact. Argues that workers must examine the underlying assumptions that guide definitions of social competence and methods of behavior change in intervention programs. Programs should be tailored for each ethnic group…

Discusses the role of related services personnel in system reform. Argues that the skills of related services staff will serve them well in the educational reform movement. Describes ways in which roles can be expanded and skills modified to meet the needs of schools and students undergoing reforms. (RJM)

Describes the process that the National Center on Educational Outcomes used to generate outcomes that could be viewed as applying to all students. Descriptions of the process should provide special services personnel with a perspective on how they might be leaders in developing school goals and standards for students. (RJM)