Used post hoc matching design to compare children who participated in the Home Instructional Program for Preschool Youngsters throughout Arkansas with children from same classrooms with either no preschool experiences or with other preschool experiences in Grades 3 and 6. Found that HIPPY showed a modest positive impact on school suspensions,…

A study examined posttraumatic stress disorder in Mexican, Mexican American, and non-Mexican American children exposed to domestic violence. Surveys of 68 mothers with children in shelters in Mexico and Texas revealed no ethnic differences in children's overall trauma symptoms. Mothers' experience of physical and sexual abuse predicted greater…

This article reviews substantive and procedural issues presented in due process and court cases involving policies and practices of educational programming for young children with autism. It discusses the legal standards used by hearing officers and judges and synthesizes case law. Recommendations are made for state and local policymakers.…

A year nine pupil with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a residential school was not accessing the curriculum due to distractibility and aggressive behavior. Analysis of data gathered through individual interviews, analysis of daily staff reports, and structured behavioral observation, indicate the student functions more successfully…

Data on 3,449 children (ages 0-3) indicate children at risk because of low income, minority status, or lack of insurance were 3 to 12 times more likely to be without a usual source of care and 2 to 30 times more likely to have unmet needs for health care. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article discusses the importance of early intervention advocacy and provides vignettes that illustrate sample early intervention advocacy issues from the perspectives of parents, teachers, and program administrators. Quick tips are provided for professionals as self-advocates and for family advocacy, along with legislative Web site resources.…

Nondisabled only children (N=10) were observed and videotaped at home with their mothers in scripted, free-play, and novel contexts to probe uses of temporally displaced (TD) communication and maternal contributions to its development. Scaffolded maternal speech was found important to TD speech development and context-sensitivity underscored as a…

Discusses legislation aimed at prevention, identification, and treatment of prenatal exposure to controlled substances and the consequences of such exposure. Coercive state intervention can include involuntary civil commitment, child protection; and criminal prosecution. Such intervention raises constitutional issues of privacy and…

Effects of 2 home-based treatments to reduce school problems among 10 disruptive intermediate school students were probed. Although the treatment using only positive reinforcement yielded no significant change, a mixed reinforcement treatment brought both a decrease in rates of referrals to the office and decrease in depression rates. (Author/PB)

Presents examples of appropriate intervention strategies for professionals working with school-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention among adolescents. A multidisciplinary approach is advisable because influencing adolescent sexual behavior is a complex matter. Consistent, continuous messages through multiple channels and by multiple…

Recent developments in infant mental health are outlined, with implications for work with at-risk populations. Discussed are: the biobehavioral-developmental perspective, the infant as a social being, the infant-caregiver relationship, the transactional model of the infant-parent relationship, assessing developmental disabilities, conceptualizing…

The effects of a package of instructional methods on the academic achievement, behavior, and social bonding of 77 experimental and 83 control students in grade seven who were low achievers in math are described. The potential for preventing discipline problems through promoting sound teaching practices in mainstream classrooms is reviewed. (TJH)

Drawing from a study of exemplary community college programs, offers recommendations for increasing support for at-risk students through preenrollment activities, orientation programs, elimination of late registration, basic skills assessment, improved financial aid, expanded mentoring programs, and increased problem solving and literacy…

A training model is described that promotes collaboration between neonatal intensive care unit professionals and early intervention staff regarding the care of premature infants. The goal is to train service providers to implement a seamless system of family-centered interventions and to transition from inpatient to community services. (Author/SW)

A case study is reported that identified the individual, aggregate, and interactive effect of socioeconomic status, cultural, psychosocial, and academic factors that shaped the at-risk status of a Chicano fourth grader. The most significant at-risk factors included home violence and lack of continuous positive adult contact in school.…