An adaptation of Egon Brunswik's lens-model methodology was used for evaluation of consumer judgments concerning overall effectiveness of a special education inservice training program for rural area handicapped preschool children and their families. (Author)

Issues pertaining to the documentation of positive outcomes for severely handicapped learners as a function of their educational programs are addressed, and the value of the general evaluative concept of educational validity is emphasized. Issues related to the current overreliance on the single-subject experimental model are also discussed. (SEW)

The study evaluated a reality therapy program used with 20 institutionalized mentally retarded (mild to profound) and emotionally disturbed adolescents residing in an institution. Results indicated that 17 of the Ss increased adaptive behaviors and all decreased maladaptive behaviors. (DB)

The label "cognitive" has been used to designate five substantially different approaches to the study of learning disabilities: information processing, metacognition, genetic epistemology, cognitive behavior modification, and the specific abilities model. (Author)

Baltimore's Job Squad is a placement alternative that motivates the handicapped person to improve independent job-seeking skills through the teamwork of counselors, peers, and community resources. Job Squad's background, support system, organization, positive results, and future implications as a valuable placement technique are discussed. (Author)

Severely handicapped students (N=16) were instructed in the receptive understanding of prepositions, color discrimination, and dressing skills. The results demonstrate no significant difference in acquisition of prepositions and color discrimination between instructional formats, but a significant difference in favor of individual instruction is…

A followup study of 21 children identified upon entering first grade as being at risk for reading difficulty was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a sensory integrative therapy program. (Author/SBH)

In the first year of a study of 74 Chilean children (ages 6-11) with learning problems, half participated in a multifaceted neurocognitive treatment and half in a treatment that provided supervision of school tasks and peer group support. All participated in the neurocognitive treatment the second year. Both treatments resulted in gains.…

A study involving three males (age 13) with learning disabilities investigated the effectiveness of using story mapping for teaching elements of the story form. The instructional procedure positively affected the number of story elements included in students' recall of stories when they were explicitly taught to use it in reading. (Author/CR)

A study chronicled the use of a process of planning for paraeducator supports by teams in 46 schools in 13 states during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years. Findings indicated that the process assisted school teams in self-assessing their paraeducators practices, identifying priorities, and developing action plans and implementing them.…

This introductory article to the issue, which focuses on the preparation of special education teachers, discusses the different perspectives of winners of the Teacher Education Division Publication Award. Evaluates whether special education departments should work with general education in teacher preparation. Provides list of winners and their…

This article identifies six core elements that have empirical support and should be included in instructional programs for students with autistic spectrum disorders. They are: (1) individualized supports and services; (2) systematic instruction; (3) comprehensible/structured learning environments; (4) specialized curriculum content; (5) functional…

A study analyzed data on 54 parents with learning disabilities, 30 of whom were Bangladeshi, who came into contact with the specialist community learning disability health team in East London over 5 years. Ninety-one pregnancies were documented. Out of a total of 79 births, 16 children were removed into care. (Contains references.) (CR)

A survey of 27 states receiving federal supported employment grants was conducted. Results indicated that the number of participating individuals increased 157 percent during the 3-year study period; over 1,400 programs of supported employment were authorized by state agencies during this time; and the individual placement model remained the most…

An overview of the Pierce County Vocational/Special Education Cooperative is presented along with data on the employment level, quality of employment, and attendance in postsecondary education settings of graduates of this program (N=120), a preintervention group (N=120), and a comparison cohort (N=564). Significant differences are noted in favor…