Three preschool children exhibiting autistic behaviors were taught developmentally appropriate (DA) and age appropriate (AA) pretend play activities. Although DA activities were consistently acquired, activities in the AA category were, in most cases, not acquired and were less likely to be generalized to other activities or toys. (Author/JDD)

This paper reviews research on disturbances of children with developmental delays and handicaps in responding to complex stimuli, suggesting that such disturbances may deleteriously influence behavioral/neurophysiological development. Intervention programs for teaching children with autism a generalized set to use in responding to complex…

A case study of a 3-year-old autistic child and her family is presented, following the child through a 3-year intensive intervention program with a multidisciplinary team in a day treatment program. The day treatment program plan included academic goals, language goals, parental goals, and home training goals. A major component of the program was…

This study found that 16 preschoolers with Down's syndrome attained higher age equivalents and standard scores in "socialization" than did 16 preschoolers with autism. Adaptive age equivalent was positively related to chronological age for children with Down's syndrome in all domains, but only in "communication" for children with autism.…

The best way to manage discipline problems in preschoolers with autism is to prevent the problems from occurring in the first place. The article examines the diagnosis, incidence, and prevalence of autism, discusses how to facilitate desired behavior, and offers a case study of a preschool student with autism. (SM)

This research report includes articles on students, leadership, and technology related to the Georgia Psychoeducational Network (GPN), which serves students with severe emotional disturbances or behavior disorders. "The Relationship of Locus of Control of Reinforcement to Indicators of Student Growth in Academic, Behavioral, and Social…