Qualitative research (QR) has gained visibility and acceptance in the field of special education due to early efforts to identify quality indicators focused on technical and methodological aspects of QR. Whereas these indicators focused on credibility and trustworthiness of data, this article articulates additional QR quality indicators to enhance…

Behavior management can be a key to student, teacher, and district success. When students with disabilities are served, effective behavior management is even more critical. Failure to implement proper discipline with students with disabilities can have financial consequences. For students, the emotional toll can be greater, albeit intangible.…

Executive function (EF) skills are the attention-regulation skills that make it possible to sustain attention, keep goals and information in mind, refrain from responding immediately, resist distraction, tolerate frustration, consider the consequences of different behaviors, reflect on past experiences, and plan for the future. As EF research…

Results of this longitudinal study (7 years) suggested that the stress attributed to a specific child (including a child with an intellectual disability) by parents (N=93) may be an indicator of more general family stress. Although the strength of parental worry decreased, the pattern of worries did not change over time. (Contains references.)…

Reported in this paper are the findings of five meta-analyses assessing the relationships among children's interpersonal cognitive problem-solving (ICPS) skills, training, and behavioral adjustment. Five hypotheses were examined: (1) Adjusted children score higher on ICPS measures than do nonadjusted children; (2) Children trained in ICPS skills…

Chinese families (n=101) from two settings (urban and rural) responded to the Family Needs Survey describing life with a child with disabilities. Findings indicated that information was the most pressing need followed by financial help and help locating a doctor. Type of impairment and setting were related to need expression. (Author/DB)

Analysis of social competence and problem behaviors for 164 special education students in grades K-3, using the Social Skills Rating System, found weak to moderate relationships between parents' and teachers' ratings. Gender comparisons revealed mixed findings. Results provide evidence for the instrument's convergent validity and suggest that…

Issues related to the ecological assessment of students with mild to moderate disabilities are examined. The paper discusses targeting student behavior according to its context and in relation to present and future socioenvironmental demands; aspects of an ecological assessment model; and thoughts on incorporating aspects of ecological assessment…

Twelve years have elapsed since Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), was passed by Congress. This paper accordingly reviews the far-reaching effects of EAHCA on the educational enterprise, focusing on the legal, administrative, and instructional challenges of disciplining handicapped students in a…

This paper discusses different approaches used by researchers to acquire a comprehensive picture of what family life is like when one of the family members is handicapped. Researchers must determine the best time to get a "true" picture of what family life is like and must determine whether parents describe the true family situation or react to…

This study examined whether teachers respond differently to various problem behaviors as a function of student gender. Prospective teachers (N=155) were presented with a description of a male or female student exhibiting either internalizing, externalizing, or solely academic problem behaviors. Participants indicated their likelihood of referring…

This response to a paper by Guess and Carr (EC 602 212) on stereotypy and self-injury in the disabled evaluates their interpretation of the literature, use of conceptual terms, and treatment of behavior analysis principles. They are critiqued for using descriptive analogies and intervening variables to support their theory. (DB)

The booklet provides information on current family-oriented research activities based on a survey of 16 Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers and 17 projects funded by the National Institute on Disability Research or other agencies. Information provided for each center includes name, address, phone number, director, funding source and…

Actual and theoretical cases are presented in which the Battelle Developmental Inventory was used in infant assessment. Age-related discontinuities reveal that, for children whose chronological age abuts one of the cut-off points between age categories, radically different summary scores can be obtained from one day to the next despite identical…

This response to a paper by Guess and Carr (EC 602 212) on stereotypy and self-injurious behavior in the disabled focuses on (1) potentially misleading statements that may discourage practitioners from operant approaches to stereotypy and self-injury, and (2) strengths and weaknesses of the model compared to existing operant models. (DB)