Although employment can be an exciting challenge, it can also induce stress. This digest examines some of the characteristics of job-related stress. Three concepts characterize the association of work, mental health, and physical health. (1) Stress is an interaction between individuals and any source of environmental demand. (2) A stressor is an…

Since motivation is an essential element in school success, it becomes critical that school psychologists understand how academic motivation influences middle school students' academic achievement. The behavior characteristics exhibited by academically motivated middle school students and some interventions for at-risk students are reported. The…

This guide is intended to help school personnel facilitate the management of special diets and nutrition education in the school curriculum in accordance with requirements of the National School Lunch Act, the Child Nutrition Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. After the introduction,…

The 14 chapters of this book review the research and offer guidelines for intervention with infants and children having fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects (FAS/FAE). Chapters are grouped into five sections on the diseases of fetal alcohol, the science of FAS, a life-span approach to FAS, preparing people with FAS for life in the…

The federal Even Start program was implemented to improve the educational opportunities of low-income children and adults by integrating early childhood education, adult education, and parent education into a unified family literacy initiative. Because children's first formal educational experiences may significantly influence the course of their…

Twenty-six papers on the education of students with developmental disabilities are divided into 7 sections on: (1) definition and placement; (2) assessment and curriculum; (3) instructional strategies; (4) individual needs; (5) systematic and data-based instruction and management; (6) family involvement and community attitudes; and (7) appropriate…

This booklet provides an overview of autism and discusses strategies for living and working with children with autism. The first section of the guide, "Understanding the Problem," addresses the characteristics of autism, including social symptoms, language difficulties, repetitive behaviors and obsessions, sensory symptoms, and unusual…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Building Friendships project, which developed, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated an intervention to improve the social integration of students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The project used an ongoing, informal team approach to bring together and mobilize key people in a…

This workbook was developed as part of an arts-based prevention and primary intervention program for preschools, parochial and elementary schools, day care centers, churches, and homes. It is designed to help parents identify potential or existing problems and create feelings of value and self-reliance in young children. The importance of enjoying…

This report summarizes the activities of the SIFT-OUT program, a federally funded project designed to prepare teams of university faculty, family members, practitioners, and agency representatives from six states, to serve as leaders in providing early intervention training in their states. A total of 166 state-level early intervention leaders…

Using data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study that included more than 11,000 students (ages 6-12), this study explored the primary disability classification assigned to students by their schools, the variety of disabilities that parents reported, functional limitations associated with students' disabilities, disability…

This fact sheet explains the concept of "systems of care" in meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents with behavioral, emotional, or mental health problems. Community-based systems of care provide a coordinated range of mental health and related services and supports. Teams representing public and private organizations…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a service coordination outreach project designed to assist states in meeting their urgent needs for qualified and appropriately trained personnel to carry out their new roles as service coordinators in the provision and coordination of early intervention services as stipulated in federal…

Behavioral problems are the most common mental health problem in children and adolescents worldwide. For several decades there has been a growing body of scientific knowledge of the factors influencing the development of antisocial behavior. There are several intervention and prevention programs, the most effective of which activate parents,…

This booklet provides an overview of the characteristics and needs of young children with autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. It addresses: (1) different disabilities under the classification of autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders; (2) characteristics of autism; (3) characteristics of children…