The goal of this meeting was to discuss the challenges of adult education and mechanisms to better understand and address those challenges through research. The meeting was structured around three panel discussions representing the perspectives of State directors of adult education programs, adult education researchers, and education research…

With the increasing numbers of children who are being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder there are a wide variety of treatment approaches being marketed to vulnerable parents who are desperate to help their child. However, many of these approaches have not been rigorously evaluated and can lead to false hopes, unreasonable fears, or…

This special series focused on treatment integrity in the child mental health and education field is timely. The articles do a laudable job of reviewing (a) the current status of treatment integrity research and measurement, (b) existing conceptual models of treatment integrity, and (c) the limitations of prior research. Overall, this thoughtful…

The current status of school based programs for children of divorce conducted during the 1980s which have evaluated the effectiveness of programs targeted to assist children in adjusting to divorce are examined. Eleven qualitative studies were identified which had been published since 1980 and involved children 0-18 years of age. Information on…

There is a paucity of literature on social skills therapy for students on the autism spectrum, revealing an urgent need for additional research. Past research has focused on the use of small groups or single-case study designs. The present study examines the effectiveness of a social skills therapy program for school-age children ages 11 through…

Intended primarily for researchers and prevention program personnel, this booklet provides current background information on the continuing problem of smoking among children and adolescents. In the first brief section, research findings concerning American youth's current smoking patterns and beliefs are described. The second section considers…

This article describes several features important in the success of using a behavioral model when treating individuals with autism and presents remaining issues to be addressed for improving treatment effectiveness. It urges future research to include strict empirical designs that allow for sound inferences regarding the parameters of treatment…

This commentary discusses the wide acceptance of and the expenditure of limited resources on unproven behavioral therapies for individuals with autism. Considerations that need to be reviewed before adopting a behavioral treatment are outlined, including the need to establish whether direct effects can be attributed to a treatment. (Contains 11…

Discusses sexual abuse among persons with mental retardation, skills for preventing sexual abuse, and methods for assessing prevention skills. Reviews research on abduction prevention programs for persons with mental retardation and on sexual abuse prevention programs for children, and makes suggestions for future research. (Author/CR)

This commentary discusses the use of pharmacological treatments to reduce over activity and hyperactivity in children with autism. While it concedes that some medications, particularly antipsychotics, can effectively reduce over activity, it cautions that the effects of psychotropic medications on inattention remain poorly defined and stresses the…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the progress of 51 children receiving long-term dynamically-oriented therapy at a naturalistic "real world" clinic. The orientation of the Outpatient Clinic of the Yale Child Study Center is primarily long-term, psychodynamic treatment. Parents and clinicians completed…

This commentary discusses study results that indicate the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) clomipramine is more efficacious than the relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine and placebo in treating repetitive or ritualized behaviors in children with autism. The need for concurrent genetic and biochemical…

A review of the research on treatment efficacy for children with hearing loss found that early intervention has long-term positive effects; that a variety of communication modalities exist and research has been more descriptive than prognostic on the choice of modality; and that sensory aids provide different degrees of benefit. (Author/CR)

The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect upon the mixed/modest results of the primary studies related to the effectiveness of physical activity enhancement and improving nutritional intake in obesity prevention programs for children and youth. The results of a recent review of this topic that included 57 randomized controlled trials…

Attitude change among older and younger participants in intergenerational programs is investigated. While elderly participants in several programs reported positive feelings resulting from their involvement with children, children's attitudes attributed to intergenerational experiences were mixed. Research should consider longitudinal growth and…