Notes the importance of play to the development of special needs children. Discusses ways a teacher can manipulate classroom learning centers for the benefit of those with disabilities, particularly visually impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, mentally disabled, and those with behavior problems. (HTH)

A retrospective chart review was used to examine sexual behaviors and cognitive impairment in 200 youth (ages 5-18) with serious mental illness. Lower IQ was associated with increased sexual acting-out. For more serious victimizing sexual behaviors, only verbal IQ differences were statistically significant. Overall, sexual behavior disorders were…

This case study of a 6-year-old boy with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder discusses the advantages of combining person-centered planning and functional analysis to develop and implement broad-based behavioral-support plans. The support plan resulted in decreased challenging behavior, increased functional communication, improved academic…

This article explores the status of implementation of the behavioral and discipline requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. Data are presented from complaints, hearings, and court decisions that suggest that the overall discrepancy between competency expectation for Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams and…

Describes challenges involved in ensuring successful transition for youth with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) and makes recommendations for improving transition services, including: maintain linkages with community agencies and businesses, write cooperative agreements, facilitate referrals to other agencies, and link students with…

A study investigated the effect of different diagnostic criteria on the identification of emotional or behavioral disorders in 3694 second-grade children. Results indicated the 13 different diagnostic combinations identified from 1.1% to 27.5% of the sample. Four of these combinations resulted in significant ethnic or gender bias. (Author/CR)

This article provides an overview of some of the recent developments in assessing social skills of children, as well as best practices in conducting assessment and linking assessment to effective intervention. Naturalistic behavioral observation and behavior rating scales are proposed as first-line choices for social skills assessment. (Contains…

A literature review of parent training programs on treating young children with behavioral problems indicates most programs used a social learning approach and that overall, the Eyberg and Webster-Stratton models held promise for direct service providers working with behavioral difficulties. Factors that influence a program's success are…

A study compared practice-level variables between two sites that have been implementing system-of-care (SOC) principles for at least 5 years and two traditional service systems. Overall, SOC sites scored significantly higher than non-SOC sites in the child-centered and family-focused, community-based, and cultural competence domains. (Contains…

A professor of special education specializing in students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) reviews her career from 1966 to the present noting the influence of the literature, authorities, and Public Law 94-142. Changes during this time identified include more effective interventions and increasing danger from student weapons. She urges…

Exploration, in three elementary classes, of the social affiliations of students who were either academically gifted or had learning or emotional/behavioral difficulties found students formed distinct peer clusters around shared characteristics, particular social characteristics were associated with students' level of centrality in the classroom,…

Discusses what teachers can do to handle students with conduct disorders. After presenting a situation involving a troubled sixth grader, a child psychologist recommends avoiding labels, assuming underlying causes, advocating a full workup, and reaching out to his family; a school leader agrees and suggests pairing the child with a mentor. Four…

Reviews recent research on the development of aggressive behavior in childhood and early adolescence using an ecological perspective focusing on social development in the family, school, peer group, and community. Asserts family processes and early childhood peer relations that appear to tip developmental trajectories toward social rejection at…

A survey of 692 regular and special educators found that teachers selected punishing and exclusionary interventions most often for Asian-American students and least often for Hispanic-American students. Special educators were more likely than regular educators to use behavior interventions. Implications for teacher training, teacher…

In the Games As Measurement for Early Self-Control (GAMES) study, a battery of self-regulation assessments appropriate for use with ethnically diverse children from low-income families was created. Respondents were 71 English- and/or Spanish-speaking children. Findings indicate that many laboratory and clinical assessments are appropriate for home…