Examines how family resources and demographic variables relate to adolescent family life satisfaction in remarried family households. Self-report questionnaire data were collected from 95 high school students in remarried families. Showed that flexibility, regularity in household time and routines, and effectiveness in parent communication were…

This article examines factors associated with underutilization of early intervention services, outlines the prevalence of these factors in the population of families with young children, presents statistics on the sociodemographic characteristics of families with children under five, and suggests policies that may facilitate the participation of…

Offers guidelines for creating and implementing an age-appropriate project that fits children's needs, interests, and surroundings. Using the example of a supermarket project, outlines the four stages of a project's development--preliminary planning, getting started, investigation and discovery, and wrapping up the project. Gives tips on learning…

This article discusses research findings in increasing language skills in children with autism, assessing and teaching precursors relating to positive outcome, the importance of family involvement in intervention, best practices for communicative interventions, interrelationships between language and other autistic behaviors, and the social and…

Investigates the relationship between stressful life change events and coping strategies, and high school completion status among early adolescents. Discriminant analysis was used to build a prediction model and indicated that the coping factors of Social Activities and Seeking Professional Support significantly predicted high school dropout…

A survey of 318 fathers participating in early childhood education programs found fathers of children with and without disabilities preferred activities in which all family members could participate. Strategies for facilitating father participation included providing activities of interest to both parents and providing information to help children…

Challenges the message of "biopsychiatry," the belief that all mental illness is biologically based, genetic in origin, and incurable, and can only be treated chemically. Suggests that the epidemic drugging of school-age children is an act of despair. Highlights one family's experience in getting appropriate treatment without medication for their…

A study involving 28 Virginian parents of adolescents with disabilities found they identified the quality of their relationship with service providers as the key factor affecting their participation in transition planning. A model is presented that illustrates the potential positive or negative cycle that occurs as families and professionals…

Examined the effectiveness of a family-centered residential treatment model, Reasonable Efforts to Permanency through Adoption and Reunification Endeavors (REPARE), for achieving permanency outcomes for children. Found that the REPARE program achieved greater postdischarge stability for participants than the agency's standard residential treatment…

The relationship of schools to diverse communities demands attention by administrators, teachers, staff members, and volunteers. How well the three constructs mesh depends on the abilities and sensitivities of all constituencies involved. Three components are essential to successful programs that involve families in an educational setting:…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals often are called upon to work with groups that are seeking to create healthier communities. This article offers an expanded perspective on what it means to include a family focus in these discussions and it answers the question, How does a family perspective lead to different solutions for creating…

Most people spend all year looking forward to the time of holidays and the celebration and reflection it brings. Although family traditions abound with hearty food and holiday cheer, the holidays can also be stressful for parents of children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this article, the author provides several tips…

In this article, we share how 2 multilingual/multicultural school communities work to build strong relationships with immigrant families to support parent involvement and language minority student achievement. (Contains 1 footnote.)

RBackground: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is being increasingly recognized in children and adolescents. Yet comparatively little attention has been given in the literature to management. Methods: Description of the main features of the disorder, precipitating and maintaining factors and diagnostic assessment. Outline of different views on the…

Teacher educators have long recognized the importance of adequately preparing preservice teachers for their work with families. Preservice teachers express many concerns that they believe may impact the development of comfortable and collaborative relationships with members of children's families. In a previous study, the authors found that…