Complex HIV and AIDS related legal issues confronting mental health professionals are addressed, specifically: living will, statutes, durable power of attorney, durable power of attorney for health care, rational suicide, euthanasia, workplace discrimination, and laws affecting minors. (JBJ)

This paper examines the family of disorders referred to as attention deficit disorders (ADD). It addresses the topics of special education legislation; the history of ADD; associated conditions (learning disabilities, behavior/emotional disorders, and other health impairments); assessment; treatment (medical and educational, family counseling, and…

A modified cooperative learning methodology was implemented with 12 boys at a residential treatment center for oppositional adolescents. Despite their volatile behavior, limited self-control, deficient prosocial skills, and lack of group experience, they responded positively to the experience. The model is felt to effectively enhance cooperation,…

This study investigated viewpoints of 290 parents and 267 professionals concerning early intervention services for infants and young children with disabilities in the light of requirements of Public Law 99-457. Major concerns of both groups related to accessing services, developing Individualized Family Service Plans, and coordinating services.…

Twenty-five adolescents with behavioral disorders in residential treatment participated in a 10-week aggression replacement training program. Comparison with 14 controls indicated that treatment affected participants' social skills knowledge but did not impact their observable behavior. (Author/JDD)

Weaknesses in traditional forms of social-emotional curriculum development are identified. In the Data Based Curriculum Project, teachers submit, on a standard reporting form, interventions they have found to be effective in changing student behavior, and forms are duplicated, distributed to each participant, and filed by behavior label. (JDD)

An analytical model is presented to help social work graduate students understand and compare nations' social welfare policies for income, health, and social services. The model looks at these policy elements: government's legal responsibilities and conceptual orientations; constraints on government intervention; catalysts for intervention, needs,…

Compared the effects of TEACH, a perceptual remediation approach, to those of phonetic tutoring on first graders whose performance in the SEARCH Program during kindergarten indicated they were at risk for reading failure. There was no evidence for significant academic effects of participation in the TEACH program for at-risk children. (GLR)

Twelve children (ages 40-62 months) with developmental disabilities were divided into 2 groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out. Both interventions were initially successful, but durable results were achieved only with functional…

This case study demonstrates the effective use of functional assessment, with a 13-year-old student with autism functioning at a level of severe retardation. The process involved identifying and defining target behaviors (clothes touching and tearing), gathering information, forming and verifying the hypothesis, and implementing an intervention.…

This case study demonstrates the use of functional assessment to improve the classroom behavior of a 10 year old with mild mental retardation. The process involved conducting a brief prefunctional assessment, identifying variables for hypothesis testing, and developing and implementing an intervention based on the hypotheses. (DB)

Evaluation of a schoolwide enrichment and resource room enrichment program on problem solving/problem finding for gifted children in grades 3-5 found that the gifted students involved made significantly greater gains than did average ability students receiving the special treatment and significantly greater gains than did gifted students receiving…

This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

Various client-centered, dynamic, and cognitive/behavioral counseling approaches are suggested for development of greater social awareness and competence, more positive self-esteem, and a more cohesive sense of self in learning-disabled adolescents and adults. Individual case vignettes are offered to explain both the rationale and strategies of…

Adolescents with nonverbal learning disabilities are characterized by poor fine graphomotor skills, poor organization, and inaccurate perceptions of social situations. Effective remedial interventions include training students in study skills, writing skills, organizational skills, and social skills, and in ways to plan, risk, and act on their own…