A group of adolescent girls portray in art and in words their journey from trauma and hurt to trust and hope. Students, who are members of a positive peer culture group, designed and painted a mural in three sections. As a whole, the mural represents the three stages of the adolescent process. (Author)

A study investigated how positive behavior support was experienced and understood by team members (n=19) from four residential, community-based teams who achieved positive outcomes for adults with severe challenging behaviors. Findings from the study depict an overall culture of support consisting of interrelated layers of social context.…

In two interviews Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General, discusses the biggest challenges facing children and youth and how government, families, and communities can come together to meet these challenges. The first interview was conducted by Mary Shahbazian; the second was conducted by Father Chris Riley. (Author)

Provides overview of the types of women's groups that have developed since the initiation of consciousness-raising groups in the 1960s. Documents the important historical processes in women's group work and reviews literature conducted with women's groups, including self-help groups and informal support groups. Concludes that the absence of…

A survey of 37 educators in 14 Italian schools examined the roles of paraprofessionals. Results indicated that paraprofessionals were relied upon far less than in the United States and that respondents thought that paraprofessionals should work primarily on motor and self-help/autonomy skills. Most expressed skepticism about use of…

Provides guidance to faculty and staff about how to recognize warning signs of depression and suicide in students, and how to communicate with these students. Warning signs include excessive absences, withdrawing from friends, and changes in dress or hygiene. Communication should be done in private, should be nonjudgmental, and should demonstrate…

Presents an exercise for training beginning therapists, as well as adaptations of the format. The basic exercise consists of role playing where the client in a therapy session speaks a language not understood by the therapist-in-training. This exercise assists students in becoming more cautious and curious in the co-creation of meaning in therapy.…

While concern has been expressed for some time about the impact of rising female employment on informal help to older adults, few studies have directly compared employed and not-employed women and only rarely has research utilized national, population-based samples. This article examines whether paid employment reduces the provision and/or the…

Happiness is a critical indicator of quality of life in humans. A few studies have measured levels of happiness displayed under different conditions by individuals with profound multiple disabilities. We were interested in determining whether increasing the mindfulness of caregivers would result in increased levels of happiness in adults with…

This discussion of friendship in the lives of people with developmental disabilities raises questions which probe the nature of friendship, friendship between people with and without disabilities, and the special challenges involved in making and keeping friends. First, four dimensions of friendship are identified and discussed: (1) attraction…

Although art therapy has traditionally focused on the use of art expression in psychotherapy, the practice of medical art therapy has begun to grow rapidly. This paper provides a brief overview of the emerging specialty of medical art therapy and its importance as a counseling tool with people suffering from serious health problems. The paper…

Peer helping has become a popular method of dispute resolution in many secondary schools. However, evaluation of such programs is usually anecdotal in content. In order to add to the quantitative data on the effectiveness of peer helping, a peer helping effectiveness scale was designed and implemented; the results of this evaluation effort are…

Grade 7 mathematics students (n=18) were audiotaped while working in cooperative learning groups on 4 occasions over a 16 week period. After the second and third recordings, students were given edited transcripts of their discussions and were trained in how to interpret them. They used an instrument to appraise their group processes 1-2 times per…

This booklet is designed to help individuals help older family members handle their finances. Presented first are 10 guidelines for keeping the tension involved in intervening in an older relative's finances to a minimum. The following financial/legal instruments are explained: joint bank accounts, powers of attorney (including durable powers of…

Intended for people who are willing to expend the effort to help children become independent readers and writers, this book presents professionally accepted approaches and techniques with step-by-step instructions for tutoring on a one-on-one basis in the language of the lay person. It contains a theoretical and attitudinal base from which to…