The paper reviews problems encountered by communities serving urban Blacks with serious emotional and behavioral disorders and discusses approaches used in Southside Chicago. Demographic factors affecting provision of service for Black students are detailed. The Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities has provided funds…

A peer tutoring program was implemented in a nongraded innercity school in an effort to decrease discipline problems--specifically fighting--and to increase the reading comprehension of both tutors and tutees. The target group consisted of 25 intermediate and junior high school students who tutored 25 intermediate and primary school students. The…

An art therapist addresses the issue of art therapy within the public school system. She describes her involvement within a cooperative special education program in which she provides direct individual and group therapy as well as consultation to regular class teachers. She reviews methods, materials, and approaches she has used in working with…

The traditional service programs are not doing the job of providing the comprehensive services needed for youth. Using the following premises as a foundation, an alternative model of providing services for youth is possible: (1) A person does not have to go to a Mental Health Clinic in order to get service. Services can be provided in a local…

Relationships among teachers, exceptional children, and their peers should be considered when determining causes of misbehavior and the strategies to correct them. Checklists outline possible teacher and student behaviors which contribute to student misbehavior, and such interventions as independent, dependent, and interdependent group…

Outlined are behavior management strategies for emotionally disturbed students who are partially mainstreamed. Appropriate behavior outside the classroom earns the child stamps. Inappropriate behavior inside the classroom results in warnings, penalty points, and time-out. On-task behavior is also rewarded with stamps, which may be accumulated for…

Issues in effective diagnosis of such dishonest behavior as cheating, lying, and nonconfrontative stealing are discussed. Published intervention approaches for dishonest behavior are reviewed, including negative sanctions, direct appeals to morality, public affirmation, covert sensitization, timeout, reinforcement contingency procedures, and…

The article describes the "Competency Based Curriculum" for the affective domain which is designed to teach children basic social interaction skills necessary to develop and internalize self-controlling behaviors. Instructional activities and assessment tasks are considered for several types of the 11 objectives. (CL)

"Every Child" is Australia's premier early childhood publication, aimed at anyone involved in the care and education of children from birth to eight years--in particular child care professionals, teachers, child care students and the parents of young children. Published quarterly, it contains informative and entertaining articles on such…

As schools evolve improvement plans in keeping with higher standards and expectations and increased accountability, most planners recognize they must include a comprehensive focus on addressing barriers to student learning and promoting healthy development. A growing volume of research on the value of schools, families, and communities working…

This paper describes Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that results in mental retardation. An overview of this condition is presented from the perspective of a family who traveled through the many stages of the disability from infancy to young adulthood. The etiology and characteristics of the disability are discussed, including…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to produce and field-test two computer-based interactive CD-ROMs: "PEGS! for Preschool" and "PEGS! for Secondary School". These programs, in a game format, provide beginning general and special educators with independent practice in…

This paper describes the use of children's literature to develop interdisciplinary units, including components to help students (many with learning, behavioral, or emotional disabilities) develop appropriate social skills. The program focused on three books by Newbery award winner, Katherine Paterson: "Jacob Have I Loved,""The Great…

Presents PEERS, a broad based intervention program designed for remediating social withdrawal among isolate children and promoting increased peer interactions. PEERS examines deficits in four skill areas: the child's social, language, and motoric competencies, and the parents' child-rearing ability. (MJL)

A teacher's use of appealing physical education activities to develop other educational skills and to encourage behavior change in learning impaired children is described. The teacher makes up a behavior plan with each child in the homeroom; positive behavior earns breaks, free play, and the right to use gym equipment and to participate in…