Seventy-seven adolescents in 2-parent families and their parents were observed in a revealed-differences interaction task when the adolescents were age 14, and the adolescents' ego development and self-esteem were assessed at both age 14 and 16. Adolescents' displays of autonomy and relatedness were strongly related to concurrent measures of ego…

The goal of good education is to have each student decide for himself or herself what will secure or endanger his or her freedom. Ways in which education has socialized people to fit into a racist society are discussed, and suggestions are given for reducing racism in the classroom. (SLD)

Provides data on the construct validity of a newly developed Communalism Scale (CS) by exploring its relationship with indexes of collectivistic and individualistic tendencies. Results from 86 college students show that the CS scores were negatively correlated with individualistic attitudes. Positive relationships were found between communalism…

A simulation study with 96 students at 3 schools of fashion design demonstrated that more creative output was obtained from subjects who had more choice in selecting problems on which to work; took more time to perform the task; had more training; expressed positive feelings about their work; and attended the school with the best reputation. (DB)

A follow-up survey was conducted of 201 Japanese young adults with autism who had participated in therapeutic camping or had therapeutic involvement at medical consultation agencies. Assessment of symptoms and dependency level indicated that 31.5 percent showed marked deterioration during adolescence, whereas 43.2 percent showed marked…

Child labor in Latin America is discussed in terms of its history and social and economic conditions. Relationships between children and adults and new social policies that effect child labor in Latin America are considered. (BC)

Prior to the 1980s, Chinese students were educated to submit themselves to national needs based on a rigid manpower plan. Recently, the gradual emergence of a market economy has led to the development of vocational high schools, the possibility of individual choice in careers, and the fading out of job allocation. (KS)

A nationwide survey of 510 postsecondary learning disability (LD) service providers revealed that an educationally diverse group of professionals is developing programs and providing direct instruction to students with learning disabilities. Service providers are encouraged to utilize interventions that lead to self-determination and independence…

Maternal views on the separateness and independence of their children were investigated through interviews with 60 Japanese and 60 Israeli mothers about their kindergarten children. Cultural differences between subjects living in Fukuoka (Japan) and Jerusalem (Israel) are discussed for their implications for the study of child development. (SLD)

A young man with severe to profound retardation was taught to use two different augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) aids. Although the participant learned to correctly request with both AAC devices, he later showed a strong preference for one device over the other. The value of multimodality and consideration of client preferences is…

Telephone interviews with 215 handicapped recent high school graduates or drop outs found that the areas of most concern to themselves and their parents included affective issues (e.g., poor self-esteem) and issues of vocational success and personal independence. Findings are discussed in relation to the educational intervention experienced in…

Describes young people of today as new subculture of youth that is more global and culturally independent than previous generations. Presents eight characteristics that are representative of students in focus groups conducted on college campuses. Suggests four areas in which changes might be made in college placement centers and recruiting…

This study found that a procedure involving choral responding and self-assessment accompanied by contingent praise may be an effective tool for teaching in-class transition skills to preschoolers with developmental delays. Active engagement sharply increased, with collateral decreases in competing behavior and levels of teacher prompting of target…

A survey of 518 service providers found high levels of knowledge and adherence to values of inclusion regarding the need to provide opportunities for engaging consumers with disabilities in community daily activities and rights for services. Employees had less knowledge of activities intended to provide opportunities to make choices. (Author/CR)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 69 parents of children, birth to age 5, with disabilities or at risk for poor developmental outcomes found that parent and family characteristics showed no relationship to either help-giving practices or perceptions of personal control and self-efficacy. However, program characteristics were associated with…