Because of widespread disillusion with suspension as a discipline procedure, school officials are developing inschool alternative programs. Institution of such a program must begin with reflection about how current disciplinary programs are succeeding or failing. The primary purposes of the program must include helping the child and identifying…

Children, aged 10-12, were referred to an outpatient mental health center because of behavior problems, some involving social skill deficits, others not so involved. Children acknowledging a social skill problem, and a desire to do something about it, were chosen pending parent approval and cooperation. Prior to participation in the group,…

A parent-centered model for treating emotionally disturbed children is discussed, including limitations of child-centered approaches, the model's assumptions, the steps involved in teaching parents how to understand their child's misbehavior and positively participate in their child's therapy, and the use of play therapy when necessary. (JDD)

A learning-disabled adolescent male who exhibited inappropriate behavior, poor academic work, and inadequate social skills is described. His teacher devised a disruptive behaviors checklist, conducted a reliability check, and decided on a motivational intervention whereby the subject's behavior determined consequences for the entire class. The…

Corporal punishment and suspension are cruel and discriminatory. School social workers can help to implement more humane strategies such as the following: (1) in-school suspension; (2) timeout procedures; (3) assignment to alternative schools; (4) behavior contracting; (5) use of peers and parents; and (6) social and cognitive skills training. (VM)

Describes a pilot study, involving 48 institutionalized infants and toddlers, which aimed to treat iron deficiency anemia and to discover other factors contributing to the problem. Results indicate improvement in cognitive development after the administration of iron among three groups, while no significant differences were observed in psychomotor…

Through self-management training, students learn to take control of their actions and make appropriate decisions. Four self-management strategies for enhancing mildly handicapped adolescents' job are self-instruction, self-questioning, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement. (CB)

Draws parallels between a supervisor helping troubled teachers and a teacher helping troubled students, using a fictionalized example. Recommends that supervisors use both professional methods and personal relationships to help teachers become more effective. (MCG)

Examined the usefulness of a daily report system for improving school behavior and motivation of an eighth-grade student. The system improved communication between the school and parents and resulted in improved behavior, effort, and grades, as well as increased responsibility and self-confidence. (JAC)

Eleven years ago, FPG Child Development Institute (FPG) launched a longitudinal study of a little known form of mental retardation known as fragile X syndrome (FXS). The Carolina Fragile X Project has since grown into a multidisciplinary team studying diverse aspects of the condition, ranging from early identification to school performance. The…

The Center for Child and Family Policy was established at Duke University on July 1, 1999, following several years of planning by faculty members representing numerous disciplines and the full campus. The Center was approved as a university-wide Center for an initial five year period. The Center's mission was initially framed broadly to bring…

Three issues of this newsletter include articles on and news items related to deaf-blindness. Articles include the following: "Research-to-Practice: Bridging the Gap between Research and Demonstration Projects and Practical Needs of Parents and Educators" (Harvey Mar and Nancy Sall); "Syndromes, Behavior, and Educational Intervention" (J. P. M.…

This paper provides counselors and other helping professionals with tools for assessment of and intervention in grieving families that have suffered the loss of a child or fetus through illness, accident, violence, or miscarriage. Helping professionals who don't specialize in grief issues can especially benefit from this information, as many…

Examined the effects of the Disruptive Child's Play Group (DCPG) on the self-concept of children with disruptive behavior problems. Results indicated that counselors using structured play can have positive effects on the attitudes of disruptive children. The DCPG significantly increased self-concept scores of disruptive children. (RC)

Social comparison (i.e., an applied behavior analysis procedure) was used to evaluate a reading program with behaviorally disordered elementary school students. Behaviorally disordered students in a self contained special classroom were compared to average readers in a regular classroom on oral reading performance. (SEW)