Reviews types of reported problems among African American youth exposed to violence and victimization. A substantial number of African American youth reported being exposed to direct victimization while in transit to and from school. Discusses the impact of violence on mental health status, in that subjects exposed to violence exhibited…

Board members should avoid 10 common errors: losing patience, behaving badly, challenging the board after a vote, acting like inspectors, micromanaging school administrators, springing surprise questions at meetings, putting politics before children, representing special interests, violating executive session, and putting the board before family…

This article describes the misdiagnosis of some gifted children as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorders because of their disruptive behavior in classrooms. Behaviors associated with gifted children and behaviors associated with children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are discussed, along with characteristics of gifted…

Describes an intervention involving social-support-focused discussion groups for the transition to university. Fifty first-year students participating in six groups showed better adjustment to university and fewer behavioral problems compared with a randomly assigned control group (N=46) at a follow-up evaluation conducted at the end of the year.…

A Canadian Institute of Child Health's report suggests that children are becoming increasing unsympathetic to others, are becoming more aggressive as they age, and are being bullied more often. More 8- to 11-year-olds seem hyperactive and/or anxious and exhibit problematic behavior. Health care is underfunded. (MLH)

Seventy-three caregivers of persons with Angelman syndrome completed the Aberrant Behavior checklist and Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior. Responses indicate that 15q- Angelman syndrome is associated with problems such as lack of speech, over activity, restlessness, and eating and sleeping problems. Inappropriate laughter was only reported…

The limitations of informant assessment of problem behaviors was investigated across seven situations and three participants (ages 11-18) with cognitive impairments. Informant hypotheses about the function of problem behaviors were validated by subsequent functional analyses only when informants identified their hypotheses as involving situations…

The lip movements associated with dyskinesia in six adults with mental retardation were investigated through analysis at medication baseline, at the highest level of withdrawal dyskinesia, and at the lowest level of dyskinesia following medication withdrawal. Lip oscillations following withdrawal were linked to changes in structural complexity of…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 55 teachers and support staff at special schools for children with mental retardation found that use of maladaptive coping strategies for challenging behaviors constitutes a risk for staff burnout and this risk is in addition to that associated with exposure to challenging behavior. (Contains references.)…

Using the Index of Teaching Stress, an instrument assessing a teacher's subjective level of stress and frustration in response to teaching a particular student, a study found elementary school teachers (n=64) rated students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as significantly more stressful to teach than their typical classmates.…

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth was used to assess whether maternal emotional support of a child moderates the relation between spanking and behavior problems. For each group (European Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans), spanking predicted an increase in the level of problem behavior over time. Maternal emotional…

Provides a model of understanding and evaluating manualized treatments by beginning with a review of the theory and data-driven principles upon which one treatment, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), is based. As a point of illustration, several principles of PCIT, such as reinforcement, punishment, and stimulus control, are highlighted, and…

Discusses how a "disruptive" kindergarten student in a summer school program blossomed in a different classroom environment where there was an atmosphere of love and trust. Notes that the student was an active learner, and his new classroom environment encouraged that type of learning. (RS)

Examines the utility of visual cues as a form of antecedent management for promoting task engagement and lessening the effects of severe and challenging behavior among children with autism. Specific guidelines for designing and implementing activity schedules are described, and a case study is presented. (Author/CR)

Investigates the relationship of terminal core values to delinquency, substance use, and sexual behavior in a sample of high school students. Groups valuing fun/enjoyment and security were strongly identified with delinquency and substance use. Groups valuing self-respect, sense of accomplishment, and sense of belonging exhibited low frequency of…