The emergence of both disability studies and the new social studies of childhood has seen a new approach in the study of disability in childhood. The focus has shifted from an exploration of impairment to one that prioritises the social with disabled children themselves placed at the centre of the research. This article concentrates on disability…

Childhood studies have argued for the social construction of childhood, respecting children and childhood in the present, and recognising children's agency and rights. Such perspectives have parallels to, and challenges for, disability studies. This article considers such parallels and challenges, leading to a (re)consideration of research claims…

Researchers and advocates who argue for increased recognition of gifted students with learning disabilities (G/LD students) often frame their arguments in terms of the need to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of gifted education. However, the criteria used to identify G/LD students are sufficiently vague and fluid that the G/LD category…

Use of contextual cues in language comprehension by hearing impaired persons is considered in two sections. The first section summarizes a study of how 21 hard of hearing children (7-12 years old) used contextual cues to identify words in sentences heard from a tape recorder. Results are explained to indicate that identification of words on the…

The method of using the percentage of nonoverlapping data points to summarize and synthesize single-subject research in special education was applied to six specific studies. The method was found lacking for such reasons as its failure to identify patterns across time or vital idiosyncrasies in behavior within and across studies. (Author/DB)

To gather descriptive data regarding basic characteristics of existing standardized programs and to determine the extent to which the programs have been adopted and replicated following their initial development, a questionnaire was designed and sent to the developers of 20 standardized behavior intervention programs serving normal and moderately…

This article provides an overview of 3 approaches to peer-mediated intervention that have been effective in improving the social and communicative interactions among young children with autism and other developmental disabilities and their classmates without disabilities. These empirically supported peer-mediated interventions involve teaching…

A life career education program for 35 elementary multiply handicapped retarded students resulted in positive changes in areas of academics, communication, interest, self-concept, self-help, and task performance. (CL)

The report presents results of a survey of Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Intermediate Unit 23 special education staff (supervisors, master itinerant teachers, teachers, clinicians, therapists, psychologists, social workers and instructional aides) regarding problems with individualized education programs. Problems and solutions found from…

A method for quantifying story retells, called proposition analysis, was used to study the reading comprehension performances of 34 learning disabled and normal fifth and sixth graders. Journal availability: see EC 112 927. (DLS) 927

Case study investigation refers to the relatively uncontrolled and subjectively described study of a single case. Several different types of case studies are reviewed including nontherapeutic, assessment, and therapeutic/intervention. Suggestions for improving case study investigations and recommendations for future case study research in school…

The educational needs of 73 children who exhibited characteristics associated with autism were studied. Ss were children clinically diagnosed as autistic and having severe communication and behavior disorders. Trained observers completed behavioral observations, teacher interviews, student record reviews, and behavior and language questionnaires.…

The report summarizes the findings and conclusions from the second and final year of an evaluation of Head Start's efforts to serve handicapped children. It is explained that baseline and posttest data were collected on 391 handicapped Head Start students, 321 handicapped children in non-Head Start preschool programs, and 121 unserved handicapped…

A program was developed to provide for generalization training for two groups of language delayed children (N=11), ages 5 to 11, being served in two self contained special education classrooms. The program consisted of three components: teaching the target language construction in a controlled classroom setting, evaluation of language…

The relative effect of biological and social factors on the achievement patterns of women is explored through an analysis of data from the Terman study and comparison of the development of male and female gifted children. (JMF)