Nine local groups of general practitioners in Norway participated in a study of the usefulness of peer group discussion of actual cases as a means of professional development. Physicians brought referral cases and feedback (correspondence) from the specialist concerned to the group for analysis and received suggestions for further study. (MSE)

Investigated quality indicators of prereferral interventions (behavioral definition, direct measure, step-by-step plan, treatment integrity, graphing of results, direct comparison to baseline) as predictors of prereferral intervention outcomes among teachers and related services personnel on 312 students. Interventions varied in quality, use of…

Reviews dynamics of court referral and client behaviors associated with forced mental health counseling. Discusses similarities and differences between voluntary and mandated counseling. Includes suggestions for managing logistics of the mandate and client reluctance. Presents traits of mental health counselors who hope to work successfully with…

Describes the development and components of a referral database management system developed by the Arkansas Transition Project. The system enables individualized-education-plan team members to refer students with disabilities directly to adult agencies and to receive a monitoring report describing the agency response to the referral. The system is…

Presents strategies for early childhood educators and child caregivers for identifying potential developmental delays and disabilities among the children they work with. Suggests using a developmental checklist, documenting actual activities, talking with the director, meeting with the parents, and referring parents to the appropriate agency. (KB)

A study obtained data on 406 children from birth to age 3 with visual impairments at the point of entry into specialized early intervention programs in nine states. The majority were legally blind and had additional disabilities. About a six-month mean lag was found between diagnosis and referral for services. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Reviews the development, distribution, and effectiveness of a free, comprehensive mass-mailed community service directory designed for older people. Recipients who remembered receiving it (about 50%) indicated it increased service awareness and prompted various types of use. (JBJ)

The rise in the number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is discussed and information is offered on behaviors signaling the need for referral in very young children. Positive and negative effects of medications are discussed, along with specific behavioral coping strategies for both home and group care. (Contains…

Children with visual impairments who are gifted may be one of the most underserved student populations in our educational system (Johnsen & Corn, 1989). A paucity of current research exists concerning appropriate practices for recognizing these students in publicly funded school settings. In 2004, the American Foundation for the Blind reported…

Background: There has been no previous incidence survey of children referred to a speech and language therapy service in the UK. Previous studies of prevalence of specific communication difficulties provide contradictory data from which it is difficult to plan speech and language therapy service provision. Reliable data are needed concerning the…

This article describes a psychoeducational group for ethnic minority residents in a predominantly White adolescent residential treatment center. Group process and development are discussed, and a sample 10-week group is described as a way to provide an example of the application of the Association for Specialists in Group Work's "Principles for…

Population changes in the US have created new challenges for service providers responsible for screening, determining eligibility, and providing appropriate educational services to young English Language Learners (ELLs). Six focus groups (two each) with administrators, teachers, and parents were conducted in two different locations to investigate…

The achievement gap between African American students and their Caucasian peers has been of concern for quite some time in the field of education (Orfield, Losen, Wald, & Swanson, 2004). As a result, this article examined high stakes reading test scores for 4,135 African American students in grades 3 through 10 in a Midwestern school district.…

In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education implemented a grant program for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems. As described on the Department's website, "this program provides grants to SEAs, LEAs, and Indian tribes for the purpose of increasing student access to quality mental health care by developing innovative programs…

This study involved a longitudinal analysis of academic skills and problem behavior through elementary school. The purposes of the study were (a) to explore the interactions between reading skills and problem behavior, and (b) to determine the value of regular screening assessments in predicting which students would not respond to school-wide…