The director of a not-for-profit nursery school adapted the adult stress management techniques of exercise and relaxation for use with 3- to 5-year-old children. Specifically, children were taught visualization techniques and yoga exercises involving deep breathing. The goal of the practicum was to rechannel children's negative stress-related…

A practicum on the control of burnout was developed for an inservice training program for special education professionals at Oxnard College (California). A review of current literature on the control of burnout was presented to an expert panel of special education faculty members who compiled a list of suitable topics for the practicum. Four major…

To explore the relationship between prenatal parental stress and pregnancy outcome, this study investigated the hypothesis that parents of infants with defects would report greater amounts of stress in the year prior to their infant's birth than would parents of normally developing infants. Data on levels of parental stress were obtained from 37…

The entry level cardiovascular condition test scores of 45 cadets at the Criminal Justice Training Institute (Florida) were compared with test scores after the cadets participated in a 15-week conditioning program. The test consisted of running, push-ups and sit-ups, and bench and leg presses. The conditioning program was designed to increase…

Stress is a part of everyday life for adolescents with puberty as stress affecting sixth grade students (N=27) was addressed in a junior high school with a program designed to reduce stress through problem solving. Two evaluation devices, the Barksdale Stress Evaluation and the "My Stress Level" Test were used for pre- and post-test comparison. In…

This practicum report describes the design and implementation of a program in Puerto Rico to facilitate the transition process for seven deaf preschoolers from a restrictive hospital environment to a mainstreamed regular school setting. The program stresses parental involvement by helping parents to accept their roles, not only as primary…

Based on the idea that laughter and humor are basic components of a healthy childhood, this practicum paper emphasizes the concern that preschool programs have become too academic and are creating stress for children. Similarly, adults in preschool settings, pressured by parents and public school academic expectations, have become too serious in…

This practicum was designed to help migrant and non-migrant children in grades two and four cope with stress. The identified children were those who were unable to concentrate or seemed confused, anxious, defensive or easily angered. The goals were to have the children exhibit a decreased reliance on anger, an increased sense of self-worth, and an…

The director of a child care facility implemented a practicum designed to assist preschool children with coping strategies. Of a class of 26 children, 8 males and 5 females were physically aggressive; 9 males and 5 females were verbally aggressive; and several children were antisocial, or exhibited withdrawal, disturbed, or immature behaviors. The…

This practicum was designed to develop an incentive program for family home day care providers employed by an agency in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, that was undergoing a change from for-profit to non-profit status. During the period of changeover, provider uncertainty as to their status led to declining morale, lack of focus, and resistance to…

This practicum was designed to address the declining morale and the elevated job-related stress among the staff of a multiproblem human service agency. The participants were over 90 youth counselors and supervisors. Their educational experience ranged from some college to doctoral-level course work and their work experience varied from .5 years to…

Two sixth-grade, hearing-impaired students were studied to determine the effectiveness of stress management techniques using biofeedback instruments to monitor their nervous and cardiovascular systems. The male student had behavior problems, exhibiting explosive behavior without warning. The female student experienced excessive audible inhalations…

This practicum developed a workshop to educate staff and parents on identifying preschool stress, behavioral indicators of stress in children, and exploring effective stress coping techniques for use in the classroom and at home. A 3-phase solution strategy was implemented over 10 weeks. Phase I, the implementation process, included a staff…

The significant number of firefighter trainees experiencing performance evaluation anxiety during fire training school was addressed by the implementation of anxiety reduction and performance enhancement strategies. Audiotape recordings were chosen as the primary intervention medium to facilitate program effectiveness within an established fire…

Students who are involved in middle school alternative education programs are often labeled as severely disruptive. They have a history of physical violence, abusive language, truancy, and sometimes police arrests and juvenile detention records. These students need to learn how to deal with stress-producing events in a more socially acceptable…