A case study of a 29-year-old woman with high functioning autism is presented. Examples of her use of puns, jokes, neologisms, "portmanteau" words, irreverent humor, irony, sarcasm, and word play based on her obsessional interests are provided and discussed in relation to current theories of autism and of normal humor. (Contains references.)…

Discusses the use of humor in the counseling process and the potential difficulties when working with a client from a different culture. Explores the available literature and offers contributions on the subject from four ethnically diverse perspectives. Presents a general approach based on existential theory along with five general conditions to…

A high-school Spanish teacher recalls her first hectic year. She would have quit, without assistance with everyday classroom realities from an official mentor (a vice principal), a biology teacher, and a second-grade teacher (her mother). These mentors eventually became her best friends. (MLH)

Suggests teacher resiliency is a critical element in classroom success and teacher retention. Identifies significant adult relationships, a sense of personal responsibility, social and problem-solving skills, a sense of competence, expectations and goals, confidence, a sense of humor, and a sense of accomplishment as resources important in the…

According to one principal, an attention-getting fourth-grader's quick wit, creative excuses, and impish pranks demonstrated a high degree of thinking. Although the student's intellectual prowess defied testing and he was never viewed as a "smart" kid, he had a special kind of intelligence not often appreciated in school. (MLH)

January is a perfect time to insert a strong dose of humor into group time gatherings. Oftentimes, children have tired of the predictable pattern of group meetings and need some change. Humor-filled group time activities can be the best secret remedy. Not only will children become more interested in the group time meetings (and therefore listen…

"The Chemedian and the Crazy Football Match" is a comic strip developed by the authors to bring humor to aspects of the UK primary science curriculum. The comic strip was tested in six English primary school classes (years 3-5; ages 7-10); over 150 children participated in the project, together with six teachers. Children found the comic…

Four doctoral students and their professor contemplate the value of play in their high school and college classrooms. They discuss their experiences teaching children's books, student illustrations, and excerpts from magazines and newspapers that convey the intricacies of the English language through homonyms, homophones, homographs, and polysemy.…

Three types of jokes are distinguishable according to the style of speech used: 1) the merely prosaic joke, 2) the joke with a fictitious dialogue, and 3) the dialogue joke. These are analyzed in terms of communication, discourse analysis, and semantics. (Text is in German.) (DS)

This paper examines the negative stereotypes so long foisted on witty women and the move of contemporary witty women writers into a comic vision beyond the imposed connection of female wit to sly cleverness and witchcraft. To illustrate how the woman writer had to cope with a prejudice against and a fear of her wit, the paper considers three…

Humor can be incorporated advantageously in personality guidance within the group and individual context. The guidance teacher must, in the first instance know when humor should be applied within the group context; secondly, the teacher is responsible for ensuring that humor is not abused, either by the group or himself. Should these conditions be…

The desire for consistent judging criteria is essential to the learning process of forensics students. When evaluating the After Dinner Speaking (ADS) judges need to focus on a variety of criteria. Some of these criteria transcend event descriptions while others are indigenous primarily to ADS. The topic chosen for the event should demonstrate…

Presents Machiavellian ways to recognize and reckon with the touchy side of decisionmaking. Deals with stalling for time, keeping the peace, and passing the buck. (Author/WM)

An investigation of the influence of internal and external cues upon the perception of humor in the violation of a logical expectancy (using conservation of weight) in a total of 108 third and fifth graders. (ED)

Adolescent girls who were referred to a guidance counselor because of lack of academic interest, erratic attendance, or uncooperative behavior participated in this study conducted at a large, urban, public school. Two groups were formed and the function of humor and laughter explored. (BJG)