Ten children diagnosed with juvenile Battens disease were tested over a three-year period in general intelligence, memory, listening and speech, motor skills, and general learning. Results showed that the patients followed a predetermined pattern but that the time span for development of memory, communication, and behavior problems varied greatly.…

Describes an inservice teacher course incorporating 34 competencies identified as important for behavior disorder teachers in rural West Virginia, and featuring 15 seminars tailored to participants' needs, videotaped practicum experience, and use of portable computers to record and analyze student behaviors. Contains 28 references. (SV)

The special needs of young adults with concurrent mental health and substance abuse problems are discussed. This article presents federal initiatives and research findings, and describes state-of-the-art approaches to treatment and rehabilitation. Strategies for training mental health professionals to diagnose and treat dually disabled persons are…

Videotaped exemplars of social situations were successfully used to model, rehearse, and provide directed feedback of appropriate alternatives to aggressive behaviors by two male special education students (ages 13 and 14). Following a reduction in levels of aggressive behavior, peer willingness to interact with the students improved. (JW)

This paper describes the ongoing action research program at a residential school for students with emotional and behavior disorders in England. Structured "cooperative play" is used to improve language and behavior skills of students, train adults, and provide a research setting in which changes can be observed, recorded, and…

This study investigated the relationship between behaviors of 10 preservice student teachers completing their student teaching in the area of emotional disturbed/behavior disorders and ratings of their teaching effectiveness by observers. The highest obtained correlation was between the amount of off-task student time observed in the classroom and…

Coaching procedures of the Skillstreaming Curriculum for social skill development were evaluated for their effects on self-perceptions of social skills of 70 students with behavior disorders and their teachers' perceptions concerning social behaviors in classes. Pre-/postintervention data indicate very small differences in student perceptions and…

In this study of 186 elementary school teachers, discriminant function analyses of peer ratings yielded membership in high, medium, and low perceived effectiveness groups based on measures of self-efficacy, standards and expectations for students, responsibility for student behavior, and resistance to teaching handicapped pupils. Implications for…

A peer modeling procedure was shown to induce swallowing in a young child with dysphagia, and to increase food acceptance in a young child who consistently declined food. A peer-mediated procedure, consisting of rotated opportunities to consume food with a peer, increased consumption more than did modeling alone. (Author/JDD)

The article identifies five themes of current school reform policies and efforts and evaluates their possible effects on programs for students with behavior disorders. They are (1) allowing more parental choice; (2) doing more with less; (3) achieving competitive academic excellence; (4) eliminating violence and disruptive behavior; and (5)…

Discusses how one preschool boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) learned to compensate for his disability and to change his behavior after being integrated into a family day care setting which facilitated parent-provider teamwork. (BB)

Behavior-disordered children account for major problems encountered in schools today. Researchers developed a comprehensive way of addressing child behavior problems by emphasizing school-home-community collaboration. The article presents a conceptual framework that describes the development of antisocial behavior and critical intervention points…

Provides information on alcoholism and codependency to help teachers identify and respond to children of alcoholics (COAs). Discusses characteristics of alcoholic homes and problems encountered by children and adult COAs. Examines survival "masks" of COAs, including hero, rebel, adjustor, clown, and caretaker. Lists organizational,…

The adjustment of 130 high school graduates and 70 dropouts, all with behavioral disorders, is investigated, focusing on employment, living arrangements, leisure activities, coping mechanisms, and difficulties with law enforcement. Employed versus unemployed individuals are compared in terms of gender, vocational training received in high school,…

A direct observation procedure was used to evaluate first-grade children identified in kindergarten as at risk for development of conduct disorders based on behavior problem incidence rates of schools, teacher reports of school readiness, and parents' ratings of child behavior. High-risk kindergarten children demonstrated first-grade difficulties…