Applying a three-step methodology on a sample of Belgian college students, an econometric study discovered that students consider two dimensions of their prospective educational choice (economics and "a priori" chances of success) and that poorest students weigh the risk component heavily. Intervention would promote efficiency and…

This article discusses the contributions of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in effective instruction of students with autism spectrum disorders. Emphasis is on the use of antecedent interventions and curriculum-based assessment. It also notes that the principles and methods of ABA are being integrated into routine educational procedures, including…

A study involving 44 New Jersey early intervention programs estimated the cost of services. Variables affecting cost were: types of staff providing services, time allocations of providers, services setting and type, wage rates, and staff-child ratio. A fee-for-service system is discussed as a way to increase incentives for efficiency. (Contains…

This article discusses the risks involved for speech-pathologists in making choices about controversial practices and offers a clinical practice framework for gathering information about controversial approaches and for implementing and motioning their use. The framework is illustrated using facilitated communication as an example of a…

Surveys college students (N=119) to examine psychosocial predictors of interventions to prevent drunk driving. Results show that the level of comparative impairment between the intervenor and the drunk driver, the sense of moral/social obligation to intervene, and the number of people consulted about the intervention significantly predicted…

Examines home behavior and maternal perception of three girls (ages 10-11) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder before and after parent training intervention. Parent ratings of behavior and emotional states were collected, and observations were made of child and parent home behaviors. Data showed that child compliance improved in two…

Since home is the most unequal environment in education, school should be an arena of equity. Alternative education can catalyze America's unrealized hopes by helping poor, discouraged youngsters overcome their most debilitating handicaps: rampant pessimism, failure to trust in effort, and mistrust of societal institutions. Doing nothing is not an…

To examine the perceptions of families in the early childhood special education literature, four popular journals were reviewed, and 93 1996-1997 articles were identified for further study. Results found a lack of emphasis on the family and the family's role in the delivery of early intervention services. (Contains references.) (CR)

This epilogue discusses potentials in future clinical decision-making using the emerging functional neuroimaging technology, including identification of the mechanisms underlying cognitive functions and prediction of spared/impaired cognitive functions, those related to recovery of function and prediction of treatment candidacy; and those related…

Reports on a survey of middle and high schools in eastern North Carolina's Clinical Schools Network that examined the current status of computer networking and how the role of school media specialist is being affected. Results are reported related to perceived instructional needs and network problems, as well as proposed instructional and…

Investigated the effect of developmentally appropriate literacy interventions integrated into circle time in a Head Start setting on the detection of rhyme by 4-5 year olds. Found that the group receiving phonological-awareness treatment performed better on a rhyme detection test than the semantic intervention group. (JPB)

This article explains skills and abilities that teachers require to effectively manage a classroom that includes students with emotional and behavior disorders and to develop a curriculum of behavior management. Discussed are techniques for preventing student misbehavior, teaching new behaviors, handling crises, and managing conflict. (DB)

A naturalistic assessment of self-injurious behavior in an 11-year-old boy with multiple disabilities, including severe mental retardation, found that the boy's self-injury was occasioned by low attention and low stimulation and maintained by tangible and social reinforcement. Naturalistic assessment effectively guided the selection of behavioral…

This paper discusses how to set up and implement a token economy system for students with behavior disorders in a classroom setting. The available literature is reviewed, and it is concluded that token economies have been proven effective in improving behavior among students with social and academic deficits. (Author/PB)

In consonance with previous articles advocating change in school psychology role/function change efforts, this article places the burden for change on individual practitioners. Offers preliminary suggestions for how to bring about change through strategies at multiple levels--college/university, professional organization, school…