Student mobility is a widespread and often unheralded problem facing American schools. The majority of elementary and secondary school children make at least one non-promotional school change over their educational careers, with many children making multiple moves. They do so for a variety of reasons. School changes are most often initiated by…

The disease model of alcoholism, which has gained prominence since the mid-20th century as the major etiological model of alcoholism, suffers from several limitations including its overemphasis on biological factors at the expense of other psychosocial factors, in addition to its lack of consistency with a holistic, social work…

Aims: Over the past decade, genetic tests have become available for numerous heritable disorders, especially those whose inheritance follows the Mendelian model. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a group of developmental disorders with a strong genetic basis. During the past few years, genetic research in ASDs has been successful in…

The issue of the "research-practice gap"--the problematic relationship between research in education and educational practice--has been widely reported in the literature. This critical literature review explores some of the causes and features of the gap and suggests some possible approaches for addressing it. These solutions involve changes in…

Chondromalacia is the degeneration of the hyaline cartilage on the under surface of the kneecap. Its causes include patella maltracking (the kneecap does not glide properly over the joint), posttraumatic condition, and chronic overuse. The treatment can be a controlled rehabilitation program, various bracing techniques, foot orthoses, or, in…

The digest focuses on the nature of dyslexia and its characteristics. An initial section notes the variations in definitions as a function of the discipline. Diagnosis of dyslexia is said to isolate the specific difficulties associated with the problem and to suggest appropriate educational intervention. Typical characteristics of dyslexia are…

The article presents, in chart format, an overview of over 25 separate etiological perspectives on learning disabilities. Information provided includes the name of the perspective/theory, the diagnostic procedures involved, the type of children for which the theory is applicable, and the major proponent(s). (DLS)

Written for counselors who must help clients deal with bulimia, this article reviews bulimia's most obvious physical signs and symptoms, etiology, and behavioral characteristics. Considers innovative counseling approaches including Transpersonal Psychology, relaxation training, imagination, fantasy, hypnosis, myths, and rituals. (Author)

Five ailments which can cause pain in the achilles tendon area are: (1) muscular strain, involving the stretching or tearing of muscle or tendon fibers; (2) a contusion, inflammation or infection called tenosynovitis; (3) tendonitis, the inflammation of the tendon; (4) calcaneal bursitis, the inflammation of the bursa between the achilles tendon…

Many baseball players suffer from shoulder injuries related to the rotator cuff muscles. These injuries may be classified as muscular strain, tendonitis or tenosynovitis, and impingement syndrome. Treatment varies from simple rest to surgery, so it is important to be seen by a physician as soon as possible. In order to prevent these injuries, the…

To help educators understand the cognitive and behavioral sequelae of cerebral injury, the neuropathology of traumatic brain injury and the main neuropathological features resulting from trauma-related brain damage are reviewed. A glossary with definitions of 37 neurological terms is appended. (Author/DB)

The paper discusses terminology and probable causes of cortical visual impairment, normal visual development, and visual dysfunctioning. Also considered are educational implications for this population such as the importance of clarifying activity goals and utilizing persons, objects, and events that are intrinsically important and rewarding to…

The booklet is intended to provide practical information on hearing aids for hearing impaired children, their families and teachers. Illustrations are provided to describe the hearing process. The nature of hearing loss is considered in terms of types (conductive, sensori-neural, and mixed), causes, degrees, and educational implications. Four…

Characteristics of hyperactive children, techniques used to quantify levels of activity, possible causes of high activity levels, and parenting/teaching techniques that may reduce such high levels of movement are considered. Hyperactivity is defined as a high degree of physical activity Florida teachers who volunteered to use the 14 recommended…

Data analysis of 134 twin pairs from the Colorado Reading Project found that approximately 40 percent of the deficit observed in disabled readers is because of genetic factors, 35 percent because of environmental influences shared by twin pairs, and 25 percent because of environmental factors unique to the individual and/or error variance.…