This reflective essay addresses the use of metaphors as a creative framework through which Christian academics can change the lens for viewing our practices. Academics strive to demonstrate creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and mental keenness, while aspiring to teach our students to do the same. Often, however, the stresses and strains…

Given the human costs of psychological trauma, social workers should be well versed in trauma-informed care (TIC). This framework helps guide the efforts of systems, organizations, and practitioners toward reducing trauma or mitigating its effects. The field has created TIC principles, although they have yet to be fully realized as practical…

This book provides teachers and other professionals with a highly effective, easy-to-follow curriculum for teaching children with high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome and related social challenges to relate to and interact with others successfully by developing a solid, basic foundation in Theory of Mind (ToM). Dr. Kirstina Ordetx provides…

An overarching goal in education is to enable students to become independent and self-sufficient individuals who are able to manage their behaviors without the assistance of others. When students are able to manage their own behaviors (also known as self-regulation), they do not rely on external controls, such as teacher prompting. In general…

Many studies have examined ways to improve social functioning of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Some common strategies include: (1) social stories strategy; (2) social scripts strategy; (3) power card strategy; (4) cognitive behavioral modification; and (5) the "I Will" card strategy. The "I Will" card strategy utilizes components…

With the increase in the numbers of diagnosed children on the autism spectrum, schools are being challenged to provide proper educational services for these children. In Educating Children with Autism, the National Research Council recommended that educational programs for students with autism include three basic components. These are direct…

The academic and social challenges facing public schools are enormous. For example, the pressure to meet the demands of the current high-stakes testing environment and reach adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals has arguably never been greater (Luna & Turner, 2001; Sanders, 2003). The energy devoted to academics has supplanted the little time spent…

Restorative methods seek to address problems by working with youth rather than doing things to them or for them. While individual teachers use such methods, a restorative school requires a consistent whole school approach. This article describes core principles for building restorative schools being implemented by Marist Youth Care in Sydney,…

The article explains the theory of structural cognitive modifiability and the importance of mediated learning experiences upon which Instrumental Enrichment, a remedial program for disabled and normal adolescents, is based. The content and process of Instrument Enrichment are described, and the results of evaluation studies are summarized.…

The goal of educators is to prepare students to live independent, productive lives. This objective is accomplished by helping students acquire the requisite skills to function independently. Most youths develop an aptitude to make wise behavioral choices by observing the individuals with whom they interact. Unfortunately, students with emotional…

This article explores 2 important aspects of metacognition: (a) how students monitor their ongoing performance to detect and correct errors and (b) how students reflect on those errors to learn from them. Although many instructional theories have advocated providing students with immediate feedback on errors, some researchers have argued that…

Outlines debriefing strategies to help students organize, compare, classify, evaluate, summarize, or analyze an experience and determine its meaning. Discusses several possible activities leading to increased understanding, including writing logs, diaries, or summaries, naming themes, imagining alternatives, evaluating, role-playing, drawing,…

Describes an instrumental enrichment program for assessing learning potential and correcting cognitive deficits. The program presents one5 curriculum packages consisting of paper-and-pencil exercises and providing materials for one-hour lessons three to five times a week for a period of three years. (RH)

Education professionals consistently rank disruptive/aggressive student behavior as persistent and troubling, reporting various types of maladaptive behaviors ranging from talking out in class to assault. Researchers suggest that childhood aggression accounts for a high proportion of the referrals to special education for emotional and behavioral…

This article explains how cooperative learning techniques can be used to teach interpersonal social skills, describes the cognitive-behavioral model for treating deficits in social problem-solving skills, and outlines the critical steps for using peers as social skills trainers in classrooms with antisocial students. (DB)