Through parents' accounts, this book provides information about the experience of having an autistic child in the family. It examines the nature of autism, the problems it presents, and the various ways that parents cope with the disorder. Chapter 1 discusses the experiences of families with autistic members and the sequence in which they were…

This document offers materials on stress management used in a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners. The document contains handouts on the following topics: (1) description of learners' typical days and identification of their stress points; (2) what stress is and is not; (3) a…

This practicum was designed to increase nurturing relationships between primary caregivers and infants prenatally exposed to cocaine. Goals were to increase the general emotional well-being of the caregivers within the family unit, to increase the interpersonal competence of the caregivers in relation to the care receiving infants, and to increase…

This compilation presents five papers on issues and research in special education. "Qualitative Research in Special Education: An Evaluative Review" (Charles A. Peck and Gail C. Furman) explicates some of the epistemological assumptions underlying qualitative research methods, reviews examples of qualitative research, evaluates the contributions…

This elementary school curriculum guide is intended to develop an understanding of the emotions involved in stressful changes in life and to teach coping skills for dealing with those changes. The focus is on changes caused by divorce, remarriage, or death of a parent. The first 38 lessons are designed for the classroom. The remaining 15 are…

This document contains teacher's materials for a five-unit secondary education vocational home economics course on families with special health needs. The units cover: (1) family health needs (including the impact of special needs on financial well-being, the impact on the psychological health of the family, and the relationship of society to…

This self-teaching workbook is designed to provide parents of developmentally disabled adolescents with basic information about the transition of severely handicapped youth from secondary school into community living. An initial parent quiz is followed by six chapters which address the following topics: (1) "What Is Transition?"; (2)…

This collection contains the keynote address and several presentations that were delivered at a University of Minnesota conference on issues in early childhood education. Keynote speaker Rheta DeVries discussed three tasks facing the educator who is learning to be a constructivist teacher: understanding the nature of the child's mind; overcoming…

Proceedings of the eleventh international conference on improving university teaching are presented. Theme presentations and authors include: "Quality Control in Higher Education: Current Issues in Britain" (Gerald T. Fowler); "Quality Control in Higher Education: A Comparison of Current Issues in Three Countries--The Case of…

This volume presents a collection of 14 articles, written by professionals active in teaching dance to the handicapped. Different approaches, techniques, and philosophies are presented in the following papers: "Dance for the Handicapped: A Mainstreaming Approach" (C. D. Crain); "The Science of the Art of Giving Directions" (M.…

A study examined the effect of a series of enrichment activities on the self-concept of 34 cooperative office education students in the East Baton Rouge School Parish (Louisiana). The students participated in an enrichment program consisting of 10 55-minute class periods of instruction in human relations and communication skills, ways of coping…

Discussed are adults' egocentric attitudes about children, particularly toddlers, and ways in which such attitudes can creat unnecessary stress in the caregiver and toddler. Emphasis is given to: (1) hostile myths about toddlers that obscure reality and muddy relationships; (2) misunderstandings about ways in which toddlers think; (3) young…

Students need opportunities for developing a strong self-image and for learning how to cope with life's problems safely and effectively. Programs should be provided that offer young people the opportunity to develop (1) a strong and secure sense of self-worth; (2) more effective communication skills; (3) the ability to cope with disappointment,…

An Illinois project identified employer perceptions of vocational education graduates' job holding and success problems and needs and prepared instructional units to remediate these problems. An employer job survey was disseminated to businesses and industries who rated young adults entering the job market on non-skill related job performance…

A curriculum examining various aspects of the Mexican American culture was designed for a training program conducted by the Texas Department of Public Welfare for its case workers and other personnel. Intended to heighten awareness of the cultural variables affecting the relationship of Mexican American clients to case workers and to the…