This study examined effects of restitution on object throwing behavior of an adolescent male with severe mental retardation. Restitution was shown to maintain throwing behavior. When the subject was not forced to pick up what he threw (no restitution), throwing dropped to zero and was maintained at a very low rate. (Author/PB)

Day care directors who wish to create a good first impression for parents may wish to consider the appearance of the exterior of their building, the reception area, general health and safety of the center, personnel, center vans, and telephone etiquette. (RJC)

The study with three elementary-level moderately retarded students and peer mentors from the regular education program demonstrated that peer mediation was effective in facilitating cooperative play between regular class students and retarded students. Treatment effects were maintained for at least three months. (Author/DB)

Individualized self-monitoring checklists were developed for 3 learning-disabled students, aged 10-13; students followed the checklists as they completed their subtraction assignments. The procedures produced immediate gains in correct responding; when the checklists were removed and the previous incentives condition was reinstated, continued…

Following the guidelines of the "Handbook for Public Playground Safety," published in 1981 and currently being reevaluated, is only a first step in an overall playground safety program of planning, purchasing, installation, maintaining, and supervision. Includes playground safety checklists and ways to make playgrounds safer. (MLF)

Ten hearing-impaired college students participated in a 10-day winter outdoor adventure education course. Compared to a control group, participants exhibited improved self-concept after completion of the course. Gains in self-concept were maintained for a 2-month period following the course. (Author/JDD)

School districts are being overcharged by allowing closed roof specifications written by a single manufacturer of roofing materials. Cites examples from two Michigan school districts. Advises school districts how to choose a roofing consultant. (MLF)

Describes how the development of a criterion-referenced test for Kweyol led to the accreditation of Kweyol language and literacy courses taught in London. The process of accreditation has relevance for those involved in heritage teaching in countries such as the United States and for those committed to sustaining local literacies in microstates…

Offers cleaning tips for classroom computers. Recommends cleaning materials for specific components such as screens, keyboards, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and mouse and mousepads. Hazards such as dust, water, static electricity, power surges, and loss of data are also discussed. (JW)

This study found that categorization strategy training resulted in increased performance on unidimensional, bidimensional, and tridimensional sorting tasks by 4 males (ages 12-16) with autism. Three subjects also showed improvements on generalization probes and maintenance of performance. (Author/JDD)

At a panel discussion held at Imagining Indians Native American Film and Video Festival (Scottsdale, Arizona, June 1994), Americans Indians debated and expressed their concerns regarding intellectual property rights and the effects of commercialism on the integrity of Native American cultural beliefs and practices. Tribes must decide which aspects…

Three teenagers with autism, who relied on verbal prompts from the teacher to switch activities, were trained to independently identify transition times and to contingently self-reinforce the verbal identification of transition times. Accurate identification of transition time and self-reinforcement were maintained at one-month follow-up.…

Comparison of two strategies for reducing drooling in two adults with moderate mental retardation found both the use of brief cues and the use of flexible cues equally effective for Subject 1 but the use of flexible cues more reliably effective with Subject 2. Neither subject achieved independent skill without the use of cues. (DB)

General survey of history of Ingrian Finns and discussion of Ingrian Finnish dialect are presented. On the basis of morphological analysis of interviews with Ingrian Finns in Canada, Sweden, and Russia, an attempt is made to ascertain how Ingrian Finnish dialects have been preserved or changed in different parts of the world and under the…

A paradox is discussed that underlies the aims of linguists who attempt to influence, deliberately and systematically, the linguistic behavior of a community, while trying to avoid charges of prescriptivism. A balance between promoting feasible economic units and preserving linguistic diversity is advocated. (57 references) (Author/LB)