Potential individual variations in the effectiveness of facilitated communication (FC) were examined with 20 students with autism and related disorders. Use of multiple methods (including auditory or visual input, simple point responses, and typing) provided no clear support for validity of FC over students' independent communication. Increased…

Discusses the use of goal theory to guide schoolwide change, focusing on the results of a three-year project designed to introduce task-focused learning at an elementary and middle school. Based on classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires, the study identified various impediments to school change related to teacher and administrator…

Examines current educational reforms and their influences against a backdrop of historical change in education. Suggests future directions of school psychology and proposes a renewed emphasis on science. Assessment is reexamined with a focus on empirically based intervention and a systematic evaluation of outcomes. Discusses the implications and…

Schools can reduce special-education and remedial instruction costs by helping students succeed in early grades. This article profiles several prevention and early intervention programs, including Success for All, Reading Recovery, Prevention of Learning Disabilities, the Carolina Abecedarian Project, Comer's School Development Program, and…

Twenty-nine elementary special education teachers each monitored 2 students with mild disabilities using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for 16 weeks. Students whose teachers implemented CBM more accurately made significantly greater math gains than students whose teachers either implemented CBM less accurately or who did not use CBM. Adequacy…

Offers suggestions on helping foster children adjust and succeed at home and school. Drawing on advice from a child psychologist and an adoption/foster care expert, the paper discusses how foster care and adoption work, how the school can help, and what the families need. (SM)

Measured changes in AIDS-related attitudes/behaviors in adolescents (n=181) in the 13 months following Magic Johnson's disclosure that he was HIV positive. Tested whether gender, race, age, sexual experience, and preexisting HIV-avoidant behaviors would be significant dependent variables. Sixty percent of respondents reported the announcement…

Tests a parent competency model incorporating the effects of attendance in a parenting skills training intervention. Subjects (n=209) participated in a controlled study to test the model. Results generally supported the model for both mothers and fathers. Child management behaviors mediated parent conventionality and intervention attendance…

A study of 16 children (ages 2-4) with autism and pervasive developmental disorders found that children involved in home-based services before and after age 3 all demonstrated significant changes on six developmental domains but there were no significant differences between age groups. Improvement in communication, cognitive and social-emotional…

This article describes a 9-week writing workshop in a fourth grade classroom. The workshop was based on a process-writing model, graphic organizers, and ongoing assessment using a six-trait writing assessment rubric. Although both high and low scoring groups made significant progress, the low group made the most progress. (Contains 13 references.)…

This commentary on "The Effects of Family-Centered Service Coordination: A Social Validity Study" (Romer), discusses the challenges of implementing family-centered service coordination and variables such as caseload size, models of service coordination, and models of staff development that might have an impact on these challenges. (CR)

This study examined the contributions of six variables (age at start, disability severity, mother's marital status, mother's education level, mother's employment status, and program intensity) to cognitive and motor developmental progress of 75 young children in an early-intervention program. Cognitive development was most affected by age at…

A study compared scores on the Developmental Diagnostic Profile for 68 children with emotional/behavioral difficulties on entry to a nurture group, on exit, and after two years of mainstreaming. Emotional/behavioral difficulties were significantly reduced upon exit. Current data reveal that in 16 of 20 sub-strands, improvement has been primarily…

Among affectively ill patients followed for up to 14 years, 36 committed suicide, 120 attempted suicide, and 373 had no recorded suicide attempt. Comparing these three groups revealed that suicide completed within 12 months was predicted by clinical but not personality variables, and suicide beyond 12 months was predicted by newly derived…

This article summarizes research findings related to the characteristics, identification, and programming for gifted students with learning disabilities. It also presents data from 2 projects that examined the identification and characteristics of this population. Research-generated recommendations are provided and the need for a continuum of…