Factors related to risky driving and drinking/driving decisions were explored by presenting vignettes to 135 older adolescents, aged 17 to 24. Analyses reveal that alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes toward the acceptability of drinking, and previous drinking and drinking/driving experiences were all significant predictors of decisions about…

Investigates substance use patterns among 192 pregnant substance-using women to assess whether ethnic differences exist regarding drugs of choice, frequency and recency of use, and severity of use. Results reveal that substance use patterns differed across ethic groups. Findings suggest that prevention and intervention efforts have to be tailored…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by parents of young children with either Prader-Willi syndrome (N=84), Down syndrome (N=56), or typically developing (N=86), found children with Prader-Willi exhibited more compulsions, skin-picking, and tantrums than did the other groups. Discriminant analysis identified two functions (developmental milestones…

Investigates the short-term stability of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents for 124 randomly selected children in grades kindergarten to grade 12. Significant test-retest stability coefficients were obtained and mean differences across the retest interval did not exceed .8 raw score points. Results were similar to those obtained in…

Examined the personal, situational, and contextual correlates of coping in 315 adolescents. Found that adolescents who used more approach-coping responses were older, more active, and appraised stressful events as controllable and as challenges, whereas adolescents who used more avoidance coping were easily distressed, had more chronic stressors,…

Identifies important aspects of faculty trust and school climate. Trust in the principal and trust in colleagues were aspects of faculty trust that were affected in this study of middle schools. The organizational climate factors of supportive, directive, and restrictive principal behavior and collegial, committed, and disengaged teacher behavior…

Reports an impact study of the Western Australian School Leadership Program, a development program for administrators. Questionnaires completed by 357 program participants and 287 colleagues indicated the impact of the training on leader behavior in schools. The effect was enhanced when several leaders from the same school had participated. (SLD)

Reports the results of part one of a multi-faceted research project investigating children's information-seeking behavior in using World Wide Web search engines, with reference to Yahooligans. Examines search processes, patterns of exploration of returned results, success in finding/retrieving relevant information, persistence in finding…

A study compared specific repetitive behaviors in 32 adults with autism with 34 controls with mental retardation. The occurrence of each behavior category, except dyskinesias, was higher in individuals with autism and they showed a greater number of topographies of stereotypy and compulsions. Repetitive behavior severity also predicated autism…

This article provides an overview of the evaluation process in early intervention and describes the integration of concepts based on neurobehavior into the eligibility evaluation of the very young child. Neurobehavioral models are described and an example illustrates how the integration of neurobehavioral concepts can result in a better…

Tests of executive functions and control tasks not assessing executive function were administered to 19 individuals (ages 6-28) mild hyperphenylalaninemia (MHP) and 19 controls. Tests of academic skills and behavior-rating questionnaires were also administered to the group with MHP. No group differences were found for any measure. (Contains…

This article critiques the research methodology used by Mudford, Hogg, and Roberts (1999) that resulted in a failure to achieve inter-observer agreement on adults with mental retardation when using an experimental, 13-category behavior state code. Arguments are provided on why their videotape study does not meet requirements of acceptable…

Evaluated the Philadelphia Early Childhood Collaborative, a program designed to improve child care by increasing cooperation among organizations that deliver professional resources to child care providers. Found no long-term effects on provider behavior, attitudes, or knowledge, although child care providers rated services highly. (SLD)

The association between help-seeking and nearly lethal suicide attempts was evaluated using data from a population-based, case-control study. Measures of help-seeking included type of consultant contacted, and whether suicide was discussed. Findings suggest efforts to better understand the role of help-seeking in suicide prevention deserves…

This observational study of the social interactions of 16 children with autism or Down syndrome in their homes found that differences in the frequencies and complexities of children's behaviors depended on behavioral intent in both groups. Socially intended behaviors were less frequent, less self-initiated, and less complex in children with…