As part of an institutional closure program, 95 Australian individuals with mental retardation were relocated to community-based group homes. Assessments indicated improvements in adaptive functioning but not significant change in maladaptive behavior. There were also improvements in life circumstances and increased opportunities for choice-making…

Examined the relationship between mother's history of depression when their children were 0-3 years old and the child's subsequent early school adaptation, using teacher ratings of problem behaviors, peer relations, and academic performance of 5- to 8-year-olds. Found that maternal depression was related to more adjustment and behavior problems,…

Classroom discipline methods are changing with the times. Assertive Discipline is a 20-year-old program designed to help teachers successfully manage students' behavior. In the 1990s, it involves building a rapport with students and creating a discipline plan at the same time. The paper details the basic principles of the Assertive Discipline…

Describes how to create a safe, healing environment for children recovering from the effects of trauma. Discusses basic assumptions, values, goals, and the process that must be shared by all system members. Moving to an injury-based perspective can increase teachers' understanding of students' problematic behaviors and help students avoid…

Examined parent-child interaction during toddlers'"terrible twos" stage. Found that families experiencing difficulty could be identified, troubled behavior could be predicted based on family ecology, and families at moderate and high contextual risk were more likely to experience troublesome behavior when the child experienced 20 or more hours per…

Step Nine focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, secure, learning environment. The classroom focus arrests early unacceptable behaviors, identifies habitual rule-breakers, and preserves environmental integrity for self-disciplined learners. Chief elements are simplicity, consistency, communication, parental involvement, and progressive…

Examined relationships between severity, chronicity, and timing of maternal depressive symptoms and child outcomes for 4,953 children. Found that severity and chronicity of maternal depressive symptoms were related to more behavior problems and lower vocabulary scores. Interaction of severity and chronicity related to higher levels of behavior…

Discusses the implementation of a charter middle school serving at-risk students in Louisiana and intended to provide an alternative to expulsion. Reviews the school's objectives, school governance and charter law compliance, educational program, accountability, and preliminary progress. Considers the level of attainment for each of 13 goals for…

A study assessed social skills development in children aged 8-13 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder after they attended a residential summer camp. Questionnaires returned by parents of 12 such campers reported increases in age-appropriate behavior, independence, self-esteem, connection with peers, and participation in group activities.…

Explores the relations among perceived self-efficacy, social support, children's behaviors, and maternal parenting in a sample of 188 single Black mothers of a preschool-age child. Results show a positive relationship between child behavior problems and parenting stress. Fewer child behavior problems and higher material educational attainment were…

Today's teachers are increasingly becoming targets of violence, incivility, and tortious acts by minor students. Some teachers have successfully sued threatening students in civil court for punitive damages. About 13 states have made assaulting a teacher a felony. Some tort theories hold parents liable for their children's misbehavior. (Contains…

This article presents a prereferral assessment and intervention process implemented in an elementary school. Included in the description are procedures, examples of record forms, and a case study illustrating the operation of the process. The advantages and disadvantages of the process, as perceived by the faculty and staff, are listed. (Contains…

A study compared the behavioral adjustment of 48 children (mean age=11) with mental retardation and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 47 children with mental retardation. The children with ADHD had significantly more symptoms of depression, family conflict, noncompliance, anxiety, hyperactivity, inadequate social skills, and…

This article reviews the psychopharmacological treatment of aggression, mood disturbances, and self-injurious behavior in persons with autistic disorder. It highlights the use of dopaminergic drugs, serotonergic drugs, opioidergic drugs, adrenergic drugs, thymoleptic drugs, and glutamatergic drugs for their potential utility in treating…

This study surveyed Hispanic and Caucasian parents' (N=377) views of negative classroom and interpersonal school survival behaviors. Both parent groups held similar views regarding these behaviors. In contrast, special and general education teachers (N=117) and parents differed significantly on their views of many of these behaviors. (Contains…