This text examines the characteristics that define autism: impairments in communication; abnormal social development; and clinically significant odd behaviors. Specific chapters include: (1) Neural Mechanisms in Autism (Andrew W. Zimmerman and Barry Gordon); (2) Epidemiology of Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Current…

Noting the unique skills required of parents with gifted/talented children, this book serves as a "portable support service" for parents who are faced with the overwhelming task of understanding and nurturing their gifted children. The guide describes the history and current models of gifted education, characteristics and needs of gifted children,…

Remedial mathematics has taken several forms over the years--across the nation, within departments, and among mathematics instructors. There is a growing debate over the effectiveness of remedial courses in relationship to eventual student matriculation, which increases institution funding. The use of technology, real-life problems and projects,…

This paper presents an overview of online student services being used by 19 vocational education and training (VET) and higher education institutions in Australia. Information was gathered though site visits between July and September 2000 about online support services for prospective students, enrolling students, enrolled students, and graduating…

A cut score validity analysis for a pretest writing prompt and the SAT Verbal and Math assessments was performed for academic writing course placement. This study was carried out as part of a broader program of assessment aimed at understanding the impact of the writing course and eventually set the baseline for assessing the impact of 'writing…

The present study assesses the impact of attending colleges with higher black enrollment on African Americans' self-esteem and self-efficacy. It tests Rosenberg's proposition that racially "consonant" environments enhance self-appraisals. The LISREL models control for various pre-college attributes and for institutional selectivity.…

This document is intended to help school districts in Oregon develop procedures for the operation of local special education programs. The guide is formatted to show legal requirements in the left column of each page with sample procedures in the right column. The sample procedures are not required and are intended to work in conjunction with the…

This report describes barriers to the successful recruitment and retention of African American students in gifted education programs and services, and offers recommendations for ensuring successful recruitment and retention of this population. Barriers to recruitment identified include: inadequate identification practices, too little attention…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the 3-year federally supported Minnesota Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Project. The project provided training and technical assistance, information sharing, and support services to families of children with deaf-blindness. Activities and accomplishments included: collaboration with…

This report provides background information and questions for discussion of special education policies by Ohio state legislators. Background information notes that approximately 10 percent of children, both nationally and in Ohio, receive special education services at an estimated cost in Ohio of $1.2 billion. Issues of compliance with federal law…

This book discusses the disproportionate representation of students from minority backgrounds in special education and gifted classes, and presents strategies that practitioners can use to better address the educational needs of all students. Chapter 1, "Disproportionate Representation: A Contentious and Unresolved Predicament" (Alfredo J. Artiles…

This teaching module instructs preservice teachers about accelerating the progress of rural gifted students. Acceleration consists of various provisions that allow early completion of school, including grade-skipping, cross-grade placement, early entry, dual attendance, special class placement, and radical acceleration. In rural areas, the…

These guidelines are intended to provide a resource to use in assessing, planning, providing, evaluating, and improving the quality of programs for California pupils with severe orthopedic impairments. The first three chapters present characteristic elements of a well-designed program in the areas of: (1) identification and assessment, (2) the…

A survey was conducted at Mesa College in San Diego, California to assess student satisfaction with the college's matriculation services. The in-class survey was administered over a 2-week period to a random sample of classes based on an 8% sample of the student population. The results of the study, based on a 78.7% response rate, included the…

This document presents the New Mexico State Plan for compliance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the fiscal years 1995 through 1997. Part 1 presents submission statements and certification information. Part 2 then focuses on policy and procedure addressing compliance in the following areas: (1) the right to…