Ten children, adolescents, and prelinguistically deafened adults implanted with cochlear implants exhibited substantial postoperative benefits in open-set speech perception, with some improvement in closed-set speech recognition. Results are discussed with reference to such variables as age at onset of loss, duration of profound loss, age at…

The impact of a modified wilderness program on the cooperative and aggressive behaviors of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents was evaluated in the context of self-efficacy theory. Results indicated that participating adolescents showed a significant increase in cooperative behaviors and that direct observation procedures were more…

This article outlines problems associated with large mental hospitals, describes how knowledge gained from these problems can be used to create alternative treatment programs, and introduces the papers in this special issue on community-based treatment programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. (JDD)

Individuals (n=45) with mild, moderate, or no mental retardation were provided brief descriptions of medical, behavioral, and pharmacologic treatments requiring informed consent. Interviews with the subjects provided reliable determinations about capability, with high levels of interrater agreement. The likelihood of being determined capable to…

This article reviews the current research-based knowledge on nonpharmacological interventions for students with attention deficit disorder and highlights findings related to behavior management, academic instruction, home and school collaboration, and comprehensive programing. A lack of research is noted on interventions concerning daily classroom…

Key components of human behavioral genetics and Sandra Scarr's work of the past two decades are critically reviewed based on scholarship in animal neuropsychology and clinical and educational psychology. Scarr's opinion that interventions to enhance intellectual development are ineffectual for children from abuse- and neglect-free backgrounds is…

This qualitative study describes the experiences of an adolescent with learning disabilities at risk of becoming a dropout. Intervention focused on teaching him anger control strategies and providing a vehicle for him to talk about his relationships with teachers, peer interaction, and engagement with education. (Author/JDD)

A study among medical residents (n=50) at the University of Montreal and Laval University (Quebec) found that a structured series of 12 seminars dedicated to psychotherapeutic interventions by family doctors was effective in raising students' knowledge levels, perceived skills, and attitudes. Skills of the "how-to" type improved more…

This article compares recommended practices identified by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Similarities and differing emphases are noted in the areas of inclusion, family involvement, assessment, program planning, curriculum and intervention strategies, service…

This review describes Nonorganic Failure to Thrive, presents developmental outcomes, and discusses psychosocial assessment and intervention issues relevant to this developmental disability of early childhood, focusing on child-specific variables, situational and family variables, parent-child interaction variables, and biopsychosocial formulation…

Describes the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP), a student mediation process begun in 1985 as a collaboration between the New York City Public Schools and Educators for Social Responsibility's New York City chapter. RCCP now educates for intergroup understanding, alternatives to violence, and creative conflict resolution among students,…

This study of two primary-grade students with learning disabilities and behavior problems found that an instructional package incorporating videotaped self-assessment, self-modeling, discrimination training, and behavioral rehearsal helped the children acquire cooperative classroom behaviors and generalize and maintain those behaviors. (Author/JDD)

This article examines three successive surveys of 5th- though 12th-grade students who were exposed to a variety of both school- and community-based prevention and intervention programs. The surveys indicated a decrease in drug use. The author offers her evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of the community's prevention efforts. (RJM)

Examines effectiveness of a school-based, cognitive stress management intervention program. Participating secondary school students showed significant improvement on a variety of emotional arousal measures. Cognitive restructuring training resulted in improvements on self-report measures of trait anxiety, self-esteem, depression, and trait anger.…

Twenty-nine Australian children (ages 6-9) with learning difficulties participated in 23-week programs involving music, storytelling, or both. Students participating in the programs improved in listening comprehension, phonological processing, and receptive vocabulary skills. Some effects were not evident until posttesting seven weeks after…