This guide to pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) first provides a review of the literature on defining characteristics of PDD/ASD, causes of PDD, and diagnosis of PDD. Review of intervention and treatment comprises the major portion of the paper. After briefly considering parent education, this section…

This report describes the methodology and initial results of an evaluation of the universal (school-wide) Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) initiative in Illinois, including (1) strategies for establishing research-based practices and data-based evaluation systems in implementation schools; (2) methodology and initial findings of…

This report describes several aspects of families' experiences in beginning early intervention services using data from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS). Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, NEILS is following a nationally representative sample of 3,338 infants and toddlers and their families from the time they…

This final report describes the objectives, activities and outcomes of a federally funded initiative to train and assist early childhood interagency teams in a model of planning systems and services for all young children, including children with disabilities and other special needs. The project is based on the value of stakeholder ownership in…

This publication summarizes the proceedings of a Project FORUM conference that examined the needs of homeless children and youth with disabilities. The summarized presentations address the definition of homelessness, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, services for homeless students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

This action research project investigated the use of various methods of teaching as a means of developing an integrated curriculum to address the lack of transfer skills among kindergarten students. Evidence of the problem included the deficiency of skills demonstrated on academic assessments, teacher observations, and anecdotal records. Analysis…

A 3-year experiment evaluated the effectiveness of the Pyramid program, an educational program for young children from deprived situations and based on two concepts: psychological nearness (principles of attachment theory) and psychological distance (derived from developmental distancing, or the growing ability of a child to comprehend that an…

These guidelines are an official statement of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) that address the official roles and responsibilities of school-based speech-language pathologists. Chapter 1 outlines the guiding principles that underlie the development of the document, provides federal and global definitions of speech-language…

This early intervention kit includes a Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants (CESPI) instruction manual, an early interventionist workbook, and ten parent/caregiver workbooks. The CESPI early intervention program is designed to provide therapists, teachers, other health professionals, and parents with a common-sense, practical guide…

In many schools, the educational mission is thwarted because of multifaceted factors that interfere with youngsters' learning and performance. It is for this reason that schools invest in educational support programs and services. It is somewhat surprising how little attention educational policymakers give to rethinking this area of school…

This report examines the development of Conduct Disorder (CD) in children and adolescents from the perspective of Hans Eysenck's bio-social theory of personality. The theory views personality as a product of the interaction of temperament and socialization. Eysenck's three-factor model of personality is comprised of Extroversion (E), Neuroticism…

The "literacy.ca" newsletter is a vehicle for literacy workers and supporters to share information, ideas, resources and research on emerging literacy issues. This issue of "literacy.ca" contains the following sections: (1) Profiling Partnerships; (2) Research; (3) Research Spotlight; (4) Literacy and Disabilities; (5) Health…

"School Reform in Chicago" shares the lessons learned from the city of Chicago's school reform efforts over the past two decades, the most ambitious in history, becoming a huge laboratory for innovations in areas such as school governance, leadership, accountability, and community involvement. In 1987, The U.S. Secretary of Education…

Social validation procedures were used to evaluate the extent to which 72 professional staff, 47 nonhandicapped peers, and 47 parents perceived and valued changes in leisure time behavior that occurred with seven severely mentally retarded and multiply handicapped adolescents. (Author/SEW)

The role of British Columbia's rehabilitation programs for socially maladjusted and disturbed youth is described, and attention is directed to provincial policies, factors related to successful outcomes, and program evaluation needs and results. (SEW)