United Methodist Family Services of Virginia placed 41 developmentally disabled children in adoptive homes between August 1985 and June 1988. Efforts of the program's caseworkers to find potential adoptive families and obstacles to the placement of the children, are discussed. (BG)

Examined initial parenting attitudes of 28 pregnant adolescents. Pregnant adolescents scored significantly lower on "expectations for children" construct of Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory than all groups of controls. Adolescents who placed babies for adoption had significantly lower scores on role-reversal measure; differences between…

Describes the initiative taken by an organization to address the lack of appropriate therapeutic resources for adoptive children or members of their adoptive families who seek mental health treatment. Categorizes knowledge and expertise needed by therapists to assist adoptive families. (SKC)

Discusses the reform of the foster care system in Japan. Considers the reasons for reform, the former problems of the foster care system, the major points of the reform, and the "special adoption" system. (RJC)

Reviews studies on the impact of organizational factors on the adoption of innovations along three dimensions (innovation type, innovation radicalness, and stages of adoption), finding considerable agreement. Proposes a research agenda for future studies. (SR)

School organization and incentive structures help thwart large-scale adoption of innovative educational practices. Evidence from the progressive movement and past curriculum reform efforts suggest that wide-scale reforms are ineffective under current conditions. Change requires external normative structures, organizations that focus intrinsic…

Four samples (3,172 pairs of twins reared together, 90 pairs of twins reared apart, 87 adoptive families, 114 biological families) completed the Strong Vocational Interest Battery/Strong Interest Inventory. Results suggest that variance in vocational interests can be attributed to 12% additive genetic and 24% nonadditive genetic effects, 9% to…

Surveyed 72 adopted individuals who had sought for and found at least 1 biological parent. Although 86 percent of the respondents had a positive reaction to the reunion, only half felt they had a positive relationship with their biological parents. (BG)

Focuses on the content of adoption disclosure counseling and the perceptions of adult adoptees and relatives about the helpfulness of counseling. Data were gathered from 225 adult adoptees and 143 biological relatives who participated in mandatory counseling services in Ontario, Canada. The majority of subjects indicated counseling was very…

A literature review found that (1) innovations must be introduced into the community before physicians adopt them; (2) prerequisites of change include personal commitment, a conceptual base, multiple experiences, and multiple information sources; and (3) interventions to accelerate adoption are more successful if individualized and targeted. (SK)

Technological talk in the field of applied behavior analysis creates distance between researchers and behavior analysis consumers. The field should focus on properly analyzing the needs of potential consumers, adapting technology to serve those needs, and packaging and marketing products in such a way that they are readily accepted and easily…

A survey of 59 physicians following continuing medical education found that 51 planned changes as a result. Forty-eight completed a follow-up survey in which 42 reported successfully making changes. Barriers were related to skills and strategies needed to manage planned changes. (SK)

Laws regulating adoption are varied and complex in countries that offer children for international adoption (IA), while United States Immigration laws pose additional obstacles to Americans wishing to adopt foreign-born children. Declarations by the United Nations and the development of a convention on IA by the Hague Conference offer some hope…

Discussion of the role of implementation mediators in implementing computer technology in schools focuses on the role of WCET Television in helping schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, to adopt computer technology. Guidelines for successful implementation are suggested which emphasize the need to understand and address resistance to change. (21…

This matrix, which shows interconnecting conditions, results, and treatment modalities, can be used by child welfare workers to help them decide when the delivery of services to parents will or will not bring about reunification, and when to take other steps to permanent placement. (Author/GH)