Reports on a study addressing two issues: (1) the impact of problem-solving and communication skills training on the conflict-related behavior of parents and their young adolescent children; and (2) the additive effect of homework and session discussions designed to enhance generalized use and impact of skills in the home setting. (CMG)

Describes a program for training people to apply generic problem-solving techniques to personal problems. Male student volunteers (N=64) were assigned to a training group or no-training control group. The training group achieved a higher standard in their bachelor's degrees and developed an increased belief in internal control. (Author/JAC)

Tested the efficacy of several programs using feedback about carbon monoxide as strategies for deterring experimentation with cigarettes in sixth-grade children (N=405). Compared to no-treatment controls, the only program to reduce experimentation with cigarettes was the information-only program. Several programs had increases in rates of…

A wide variety of health disciplines use proxy measures to determine the extent to which a given program has had an effect. A framework for obtaining proxy measures of behavior includes the components of: exposure; attention; comprehension; yielding; retention and retrieval; decision making; action; and continuation. (JN)

Summarizes rationale for early childhood educational intervention efforts and describes the Carolina Abcedarian Project: a longitudinal, early educational program providing supplemental preschool experiences designed to prevent the cumulative and progressive decline in intellectual and socially adaptive behavior shown by children from extreme…

A case study of a 26-year-old woman with severe mental retardation, who was incontinent during each of the three scheduled breaktimes in a sheltered workshop, found that the problem was completely eliminated by providing her with attention while she helped a staff member complete routine breaktime activities. (Author/CR)

Discusses "Earning by Learning," a program designed to increase reading attitudes of academically at-risk children by combining two strong motivational factors: cash rewards and adult attention/approval. Tests the program's success with second and third graders at a site in Georgia. Finds overall success in frequent book reading,…

A 42-item structured observation instrument was devised to rate the family friendliness of the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) meetings in Virginia for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Seventy-nine case presentations at 31 FAPT meetings were observed and overall rating of family friendliness was good (63%). (Author/CR)

This article responds to critiques of "Natural Supports in the Workplace: The Jury Is Still Out" (Test and Wood) by focusing on what was on trial, the need to define natural supports, the interaction between policy and practice, and implications of natural supports on personnel preparation. (CR)

Evaluated long-term effectiveness of three cost-effective parent training programs for conduct-problem children. Assessed parents (N=154) one year posttreatment. Found significant improvements reported immediately posttreatment were maintained one year later. Found few differences between three treatment conditions excepting "consumer…

State education agency consultants (N=23) and local education agency administrators (N=124) rated criteria used to evaluate the success of programs for behavior-disordered/seriously emotionally disturbed students. Rated most important were student progress in the program, student movement to a less restrictive environment, and student success in…

The effectiveness of a six-hour teacher training workshop on child sexual abuse prevention was evaluated. Findings indicated that trained teachers demonstrated significant increases in knowledge about child sexual abuse and pro-intervention opinions. Trained teachers were better able to identify behavioral indicators of abuse and suggest…

As an illustration of cases where existing programs and facilities do not meet individual special needs, the article traces the chronology of a behavior disordered male from special class placement in elementary school through his eventual incarceration in the Nebraska penal system. (JW)

The "Ziegarnik effect," a learner's tendency to recall uncompleted tasks longer than completed ones and to remember failures more easily than successes, is applied to improving programs for the subgroup of students with emotional/behavioral disorders who show little benefit from special education interventions, and to teacher…

A prereferral model consisting of three components (information sharing sessions, peer exchange sessions, and peer coaching teams) was implemented in two inner-city elementary schools. Emphasis was on teachers assisting each other in generating solutions for student learning or behavior problems. Referral rates indicated that participants referred…