A national agenda for the education of gifted students should focus on three areas of unmet needs: the educational needs of the underserved gifted, including underachievers, young gifted, and culturally diverse gifted; a program quality support network, emphasizing research, development, demonstration, and leadership training; and collaborative…

A survey of early childhood intervention policies in 50 states and the District of Columbia focused on handicapping conditions served, overseeing agencies, interagency contracts, state regulations, training/certification, etc. Results showed a national shortage of trained early childhood personnel, less than optimal funding, lead agency…

This research review adopts a developmental perspective to the problem of gifted underachievement. It covers affective development characteristics, focusing on self-concept, locus of control, and personality and temperament; environmental influences such as family and school; and strategies for holistic development through a combination of direct…

Attitudes of 60 nonretarded fourth graders toward mildly mentally retarded people were examined. Listening to a story about a mildly mentally retarded boy led to more favorable attitudes on a social distance measure; only students who were asked focusing questions before the story reported more favorable attitudes on an integration-segregation…

Traumatically head-injured individuals who reach the higher stages of recovery typically exhibit cognitive communication disorders. Patient management requires, among other considerations, a focus on functional communication competency, an ecologic-systematic perspective, and use of compensatory techniques. A case study applies this management…

Research on learning-disabled secondary school students' academic deficits, response to classroom environment, and response to instructional interventions is integrated with research on metacognition in text learning. A metacognitive orientation is recommended for instructional intervention programs, which should address general comprehension…

Developmental intervention programs for infants with handicaps and their parents generally focus on preventing eventual developmental delays; changing the infants' behavior, development, or relationships with caregivers; or changing the family system. For each intervention purpose, exemplary programs are described. Issues related to efficacy and…

Mothers (n=45) of developmentally delayed young children were surveyed concerning family resources, personal well-being, and adherence to professionally prescribed child-level interventions. Adequacy of resources was related to both well-being and intervention commitment, even after the effects of maternal age, socioeconomic status, and child age…

The impact of regular and special education on 11 learning-disabled children in fourth through sixth grade was studied by analyzing their slope of improvement on curriculum-based measures of reading scores. A time series analysis indicated that daily reading instruction in a resource room was a more effective intervention than regular education.…

Sensory integrative therapy as a treatment for self-injurious behavior (SIB) was contrasted with an attention control condition involving a 15-year-old multiply handicapped boy. Lower rates of SIB during but not following treatment sessions were effected. Effects of such therapies are concluded to be highly variable across individuals. (Author/JDD)

Two models are described that facilitate the collaborative development of Individual Family Service Plans for families with handicapped children. The theoretical model of the coping process and the decision-making model of personalized learning provide a structure for enhancing family resources for adaptive coping. Two case studies illustrate…

Describes practical, psychological, and sociological barriers adult women encounter on returning to postsecondary institutions. Investigated the effectiveness of a comprehensive supportive service for such students. Designed a group counseling intervention to effect change in self-concept, self-esteem, anxiety, and grade point average.…

School-based training programs for personal and social coping skills have shown evidence of effectiveness in primary prevention of substance abuse. Early intervention programs for students most at risk are also needed, such as peer intervention, student assistance, and behavioral self-management programs in the areas of smoking and alcohol/drug…

Responding to a critique of their earlier article, authors Levin and Meister, joined by Glass, attempt to clarify some of the issues and to correct implicit misunderstandings in the critique, while detailing the application of cost-effectiveness to educational interventions. Twenty footnotes are appended. (IW)

School psychologists have experienced difficulties in assessing students' behavior disorders, because of lack of training and problems associated with the traditional medical model of abnormal behavior. An alternative assessment model is described in terms of its five principles: problem solving; functional analysis; multiple operationalism;…