Summarizes progress made in meeting the communication needs of individuals with severe disabilities. Evidence is presented that supports best practices in the selection of: communicative functions, communicative modes and symbols, and instructional formats. The importance of social motivations for behavior and use of advances in augmentative…

Reviews the relationship between phonological awareness and early reading. Follow-up data from a group of 38 first-grade children who had low letter-sound knowledge in kindergarten found that those who received phonological awareness intervention in kindergarten performed better than their first-grade peers on word recognition and reading decoding…

Proposes a treatment protocol for rape and other violence perpetrators. Examines philosophy, assessment, and a curriculum, along with resistance to such treatment programs. Provides suggestions for treatments within campus settings. (Author/KW)

Suggests that family counseling should be the focus of interventions performed by school counselors; presents a model that is brief, collaborative, and competency-based. This family counseling model has the potential to give school counselors a practical decision-making framework, based on systems theory, for answering important precounseling…

Discusses research on adolescent substance abuse risk factors and their role in the management of adolescent substance abuse disorders. A selective literature review suggests specific intervention strategies; no generic approach fits all adolescent substance-use clients. Effective techniques require individual assessments, including the context in…

Asked 96 students, grades 3, 6, 8, 12, about various teaching methods (expert-led, teacher-led, peer-led, and parent in home) commonly employed in substance abuse education. Students generally believed that each type of would positively influence drug- and alcohol-related knowledge but not behavior. Expert-led discussions were believed the most…

Examines a conceptual framework for refining the notion of academic responding according to a learning hierarchy. Describes treatment components that correspond to different stages of the learning hierarchy. Reviews research on the relationship between different treatment components and student responding and makes recommendations for the practice…

Describes an initiative of the National Association for the Education of Young Children with the goals of helping early childhood professionals prevent child abuse and neglect and promote healthy social and emotional development. Highlights findings from the Phase 1 research project confirming that most educators are willing to participate more…

This article describes the Higher Education Partnership Project, a project that involved collaboration with two tribal colleges and offered courses to students and professionals working with children with disabilities and their families. The program was successful in teaching critical competencies and building a local capacity for teacher…

An 8-year study examined the experiences of 23 rural families in the Early Intervention Early Childhood process. Findings indicated a lack of prenatal care and limited access to medical care, specialists, and local doctors due to geographic isolation and shortages of service personnel. Recommendations for improving rural service delivery are…

Interviews and focus groups with 50 professionals and 7 parents of children with special needs examined challenges faced by families and early intervention professionals in rural East Texas. Challenges identified by families included transportation, housing, access to medical care, and feelings of isolation. Professionals identified the lack of…

This article discusses the role of families in the functional analysis process. It provides an overview of the functional behavioral assessment (FBA) process, evaluates the conceptual and pragmatic issues surrounding the role of families in functional behavioral assessment, and discusses what roles may be most feasible for families and behavior…

This paper reacts to testimony on early childhood special education research before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education (EC 632 080). Noting the Commission's emphasis on accountability and results, it stresses the importance of being clear about desired outcomes, the need for sensitive and accurate ways of measuring…

This meta-analysis looked at outcomes of school-based interventions aimed at enhancing the self-concept of students with learning disabilities, specifically effect sizes in relation to students' self-concepts prior to the intervention. Results indicated that only students with documented low self-concept benefited significantly from intervention.…

Used meta analysis to synthesize research on the effects of interventions to improve mathematics achievement of students considered at risk for academic failure. Found that effective interventions included providing teachers and students with student performance data; using peer tutors; providing clear, specific feedback to parents on children's…