Considers the nature and needs of the emerging adolescent. Identifies important concerns not discussed in this journal issue: child abuse, divorce and visitation rights, nuclear war, work in and out of the home, and stress. Briefly describes the seven articles contained in the issue. (CB)

A parent who is also an education major offers guidelines to classroom teachers involved in parent-teacher conferences to discuss individualized education programs. Emphasized are: the teacher's role as coordinator and moderator of the conference, preparing parents for the meeting, providing support for them, and making clear explanations during…

Illustrates ways teachers of young children can meet individual children's needs while managing the group. This may be accomplished through chore-choosing during circle time and giving constructive praise as children perform their jobs, as well as deciding what to teach to whom and when while circulating during playtime. (BB)

A review of the history and current status of screening and differential diagnosis in the field of learning disabilities concludes that continued efforts at refinements in diagnosis/classification are unproductive. The authors offer a variety of concrete recommendations from a data-based perspective to make appropriate educational experiences…

Many school districts have adopted minimum competency tests as part of the requirements for high school diplomas. It is important that the needs of special education students are included when planning and implementing competency testing. Included are three levels of options to consider for modified testing of special students. (MD)

Discusses two uses of microcomputers for learning disabled (LD) children--one uses them to do traditional things more efficiently; the other includes involvement of LD children with computer programing, particularly LOGO, and use of simulation and word processing programs. Reasons why LOGO is ideal for LD children are identified. (MBR)

Describes an effective community education program for Pearl High School in Nashville (TN) that involved the consideration of five factors (community involvement, personal needs, organizational needs, perceptions, and expectations) in a successful effort to unify the school. (SB)

Suggests that the characteristics of an abused child might be the result of the parent's abusive behavior or the cause of such behavior. The nature of the particular encounter and the matching or nonmatching of needs may turn the characteristics of the child or parent into risk factors. (JAC)

Presents a model for organizing vocational curriculum to better serve individual students' career development needs and delivering it in an efficient (less costly) manner. Rationale and administrative structure for the Performance-Based, Multi Occupational (PBMO) program are presented and a seven-dimensional program organization and curriculum…

Notes that teaching science to disadvantaged preschool children requires the teacher to direct the instructional program so the children discover answers to their questions. Activities and problems should be as realistic as possible and emphasize the children's needs as well as their interests. (Author/AM)

The prospect of decreasing affluence indicates an immediate need to change life-styles and expectations. The challenge to educators involves a reconceptualization of education's role and requires faith in the potential for reason and analysis in ordinary humans. The tools are learning theory and social psychology. (Author/AJ)

The Second Careers program (which combines academic work, experiential learning, and group and individual counseling to assist older persons in mid-life transition who are contemplating a career change) is described. A report of a conference which was part of the program is included. (MS)

The purpose of this study was to examine current attitudes and knowledge of pre-service teachers towards assistive technology and to develop, implement, and evaluate a mini-workshop on assistive technology to better prepare regular classroom teachers for the inclusive classroom. A pre-post survey design was used. Data from the pre-survey provided…

This TIP on the best practice guidelines for the treatment of substance abuse is intended to enhance treatment providers' knowledge concerning people who have a physical or cognitive disability, in addition to their substance use disorder. The TIP is designed to educate clinicians, educators, and paraprofessionals about modifications needed in…

This field manual is intended for mental health workers and other human service providers who assist survivors following a disaster. It provides the basics of disaster mental health, with both specific and practical suggestions for workers. Essential information is included about disaster survivors' reactions and needs such as dealing with grief;…