Examined predictors of parental alienation in parents of 49 urban midwestern fourth-graders using the Dean Alienation Scale. High levels of alienation were associated with single, unemployed female parents, whose child was a female with few perceived friends. In predicting parental level of alienation, race, achievement, and attendance were not…

Thirty language-impaired, reading-impaired, and normal children, aged 6:8-8:10, were administered eight tasks in word repetition, rapid naming, syllable segmentation, paper folding, and form completion. Controls performed better than the subjects on all but two tasks, and the language-impaired and reading-impaired children performed comparably on…

Examines the portrayal of the Black experience on television in relation to civil rights legislation during the period. Reviews various television programs and finds that despite an increase in the number of Black characters on the air, stereotyping has remained a problem. (FMW)

A postgraduate, teletuition course for educators of gifted children offered by the University of South Africa is described. Course contents include four modules: (1) categories of giftedness; (2) identification; (3) guidance/counseling and communication; and (4) teaching the gifted child. Two practical sessions comprising one-week workshops are…

Gifted students sometimes camouflage themselves behind a facade of underachievement. Causes of underachievement include: (1) social and emotional conflict due to societal misconceptions, expectations, and stereotypes; low self-concept; and family instability; (2) a stifling or inhibiting academic environment; and (3) physiological and neurological…

Analysis of the responses to the Issues in Disability Scale made by 244 disabled and nondisabled persons suggests that the strain that frequently occurs during interactions between disabled and nondisabled individuals may derive more from misunderstandings of one another's expectations than from negative intentions. (Author/BJV)

The Psychotic Behavior Rating Scale uses a factor analysis approach to aid in differential diagnosis of autism, schizophrenia, mental retardation, aphasia, and other severe handicaps. The scale is compared with five existing qualitatively developed instruments, noting similarities and dissimilarities among the various scales. (Author/JDD)

In response to Kenneth Kavale's theoretical objections to the model of severe discrepancy in determining the existence of learning disabilities, this article describes advantages of discrepancy considerations and presents a model that emphasizes the role of the learning disabilities teacher in diagnosing and remediating specific learning…

This discussion among seven experts in gifted education covers: (1) curriculum and formal/informal instruction; (2) social climate; (3) teacher characteristics; and (4) identification of gifted students for a special high school in Israel. (Author/KM)

The article discusses the cultural differences of Americans and Southeast Asians in their child-rearing practices. Guidelines are provided for teachers working with Southeast Asian parents, who may feel shame that their child is identified as handicapped. A chart compares American cultural values with Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian values.…

Compared the performance of 338 children on the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) in a follow-up study, to eight indices of school functioning, including retention in school, teachers' observations, assignment to special classes or services, and report card grades. Preschoolers with low MAP scores were significantly more likely to be…

This paper defines social withdrawal from a social skills perspective and presents a fourfold classification system of children's social skills deficits. The paper reviews the literature in discussing assessment procedures; social skills training strategies (modeling, coaching, peer-mediated interventions, and group contingencies); and…

Overreliance on test-based assessment of learning disabilities can produce diagnostic results of questionable validity and prove stigmatizing for the child. An instructional-based model focuses on evaluation of the child's response to teaching. Observation and analysis of the student's reaction yeilds results that are more readily translatable…

The Cost of Care Index (CCI) has been developed as a case management tool to assist professionals in family assessments and to identify actual or perceived problem areas of families in the care of elderly relatives. The 20-item CCI focuses upon five dimensions related to family care of the elderly. (Author/ABB)

Six ethnic groups in San Francisco high schools were compared with respect to: self-esteem, racial tension, ethnic identity, open-mindedness, and inter-ethnic contact. Black students obtained the best results. Caucasians obtained low levels of open-mindedness and interethnic contact, while Indochinese were found to lack self-esteem and have the…