Tested hypothesis that African American children protect themselves from failure by detaching their self-esteem from academic outcomes. Analyses revealed a pattern of weakening correlations between self-esteem and academic outcomes from 8th to 10th grade for African American students. Correlations for white students remained stable or increased.…

Reviews how chronic illness affects the psychosocial and cognitive development of ill children, using both Eriksonian and Piagetian theoretical rubrics. Explores family and child stress and coping with medical crises and manifestations of illness. Provides recommendations for enhancing parent and professional communication and educational…

This study examined the relationship between maternal perceptions of family coping strategies and family strengths in 206 Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian families of young children with and without disabilities. Within all three groups, use of internal family coping strategies was more predictive of family strengths than was use of…

This article discusses social behaviors related to success in school and offers practical suggestions for helping students with social-behavioral deficits to master them. Skills and subskills relating to peer relationships, work habits, and general coping are discussed. A teacher rating scale for assessing these skills is included. (PB)

Colleges and universities must become aware of the growing number of students who are mothers, considering programs and policies enabling them to combine and cope with the demands of academics, home, and work. Needs of these students include improved programs, schedules, child care, financial aid, housing, and support systems. (MSE)

Discussion of computer anxiety focuses on a study of undergraduates in an introductory psychology course that assessed the effects of relaxation and coping skills training on their anxiety and performance as they learned to use a spreadsheet program. The influence of the computer's user friendliness was examined, and treatments for the…

Describes a new strategy for informing and involving people in environmental issues. Presents stories of successful efforts by ordinary people to effect environmental change. Suggests that these stories can provide the help people need to build more adequate models about environmental problems and about their roles in addressing them. (27…

Notes that, as Head Start programs nationwide are finding increasing numbers of children displaying stressed behavior in the classroom, it is important to examine programs and to modify expectations and environments to better meet the needs of children. Offers advice on understanding stressed children's needs, classroom strategies for meeting…

Findings from two studies of middle to late adulthood indicate that elderly people are effective in maintaining a sense of control and a positive view of self and personal development. Argues that the resiliency of the elderly hinges on the interplay between activities that alleviate developmental losses and accommodative processes by which…

Mothers of children with developmental disabilities were reevaluated two years after participating in a life skills training program utilizing a cognitive behavior approach to reduce stress and depression and improve communication and problem-solving skills. Participants (n=153) reported lower stress, lower depression levels, and improved coping…

This article reviews the literature and proposes that the problem of retention of teachers of students with emotional and behavior disorders be addressed in teacher preparation programs. Programs should include an understanding of factors leading to burnout, individual coping mechanisms, and training in most-needed competencies. (DB)

This literature review offers a historical perspective on autism and its causes, examines family life cycles and experiences, summarizes research on stress and coping strategies, and gives particular attention to the needs of adolescents and young adults with autism and their families. (Author/JDD)

Describes how one child care center staff helps infants make the transition to the toddler group. Transition occurs over a period of several weeks, involving parent-staff consultation and continual adult support. The child manages the change in small steps, resulting in a smooth transition and allowing the child the independence and support…

A father shares his experience raising a daughter born with severe brain damage. The article explores the parents' emotions in learning the scope of their daughter's condition, coping with support machinery, getting to know parents of other children with disabilities, dealing with health professionals, and securing financial support. (PB)

A study of 45 female adolescent incest victims in treatment found that wishful thinking, tension reduction, a lack of maternal support, appraisals of threat, and "holding self back" accounted for 70 percent of the variance in self-reported distress. Detachment, seeking social support, and appraisal of "holding self back" accounted for 38 percent…