A study was conducted of 201 adults with Down's syndrome to investigate the differential causes of decline in adaptive behavior. Results indicated that aging, dementia, and severity of mental retardation were significant factors, while absence of a medical illness predicted a higher level of adaptive behavior. (CR)

Evaluated a social process model describing how aggression and withdrawal lead to negative social self-perception. Subjects were 793 French Canadian elementary school children. Found that withdrawal behavior uniquely predicted social self-perceptions. Both negative peer status and peer victimization successively mediated the impact of social…

Discusses demographic diversification and implications for the American educational system. The United States is aging rapidly, has polarized wealth and poverty, has more Latin American and Asian immigrants, and is becoming increasingly mobile, suburban, and non-Caucasian. The best predictors of school achievement are household income and parents'…

A study involving 574 children (ages 5-17) who received mental health services examined whether caregiver variables predicted child mental health service utilization patterns, particularly caregiver strain. Results found caregiver strain to be associated with the combination of services used, sequencing of services, gaps in care, and cost of…

The effects of functional grouping of 303 people with intellectual disabilities on care practices in English group homes were investigated. Residents who were non-ambulant were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and residents with severe challenging behavior were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and…

Discusses a review of 34 qualitative and non-qualitative studies related to affective and social aspects of student-computer interactions. Highlights include the nature of the human-computer interaction (HCI); the interface, comparing graphic and text types; and the relation between variables linked to HCI, mainly trust, locus of control,…

This article describes variables that may influence alternate assessment outcomes for students with disabilities and offers recommendations to enhance student achievement. These variables include technical quality, curriculum access, data collection, instructional effectiveness, risk factors, and resources allocated to instruction. Two of four…

Investigated the family as a context for gender typing of adolescent science achievement. Findings indicated no child gender or grade-level differences in science-related grades, self-efficacy, or interest. However, parents were more likely to believe that science was less interesting and more difficult for daughters than sons. Parents' beliefs…

This study examined role of shared family context in understanding differential parenting. Findings indicated that child age was the strongest child-specific predictor of positivity and differential positivity. Lower SES, marital dissatisfaction, and larger family size related to higher differential positivity. Children's temperament related to…

Interviews and home observations examined friendships of 28 children (ages 3-10) with disabilities. Children with the greatest amount of contact with friends had disabilities that were mainly physical, while children with behavior problems and cognitive limitations had the fewest peer interactions. Children living in isolated areas had more…

A longitudinal study of 113 children (ages 3-10), including 35 with poor reading skills, found both socioeconomic status, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment scores, and reading achievement scores were related to reading abilities, but preschool environment measures were more strongly and consistently related to and predictive of…

Investigation of the predictive ability of motivational and attitudinal factors in high school students' continuation of foreign language study revealed that both factors, as well as grade level, course grade, interest in culture, and interest in fulfilling college entrance requirements, distinguished continuing from discontinuing students. (29…

A social-context longitudinal model of the early schooling process was tested using three first-grade outcomes for 1,470 Black and 69 Hispanic children (1,359 remained in the school system at the end of grade 1). Many variables influence the early schooling process, including cognitive readiness at kindergarten entry. (SLD)

The effects of fathers' absence from the home on their children's educational aptitude and achievement were studied for about 9,000 Swedish children from grade 6 to age 21 years, 15 percent of whom lived only with their mothers. Low achievement in the mathematical and technical spheres characterized those with no father in the home. (SLD)

Presents an integrative path model that details relationships among several demographic variables, life stress, depression, hopelessness, social support, and suicidal ideation of 737 college students. Found negative life stress to be a significant predictor of both depression and hopelessness. Depression proved to be a better predictor of suicidal…