The Family-Centered Behavior Scale assessed perceptions of 443 parents/caregivers of special needs children [126 with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD)] of the importance and frequency of family-centered behaviors of professionals, primarily special education teachers, social workers, and physicians. Parents agreed on the most important…

Adolescent pregnancy is a challenge for teens and their families as well as for service providers, social scientists, and legislators. A cost-effective "solution" that consistently demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing unwed pregnancy has not been found. Three related articles (this issue) are discussed; issues for clinicians and researchers,…

A survey of 37 system-of-care sites constituting 31 programs for children with serious mental health challenges found high family participation in such activities as modification of questionnaires, collecting data, and reviewing results. Low family participation was reported in the hiring of staff and data processing. Most families were…

This article describes three potential levels of accountability for providing certain types of support for families in early intervention and preschool programs for children with disabilities: providing the legally required services for families, providing services that are considered recommended, and achieving certain outcomes as a result of…

This reaction to an article (Bailey, 2001) that describes three potential levels of accountability for providing family support in early intervention and preschool programs, recommends articulating inclusive and functional family support outcomes and developing outcomes that describe growth toward a long-range goal but also allow for individually…

This reaction to an article (Bailey, 2001) that describes three potential levels of accountability for providing family support in early intervention and preschool programs, comments on the role of the families at each level. The need to include parents in the development of procedures and guidelines for evaluation is stressed. (Contains five…

Accounts are presented from five Latin American families concerning their attitudes toward and experiences with the special education system. All indicated high degrees of commitment and involvement, but responses varied concerning understanding of Individualized Education Plans, awareness of rights and options, and willingness to challenge school…

Notes that one of the best investments society can make is in its children's education. Describes how employers across the country are supporting better education through family-friendly policies for learning, particularly through the "Employer's Promise for Learning," an initiative of the "Family Involvement Partnership for…

Factors that make autism a vexing public policy issue are identified, including incidence increases, lack of consensus on etiology and methodology for clinical intervention, coincidence of the age of diagnosis with the upper age limit of early intervention programs, a shift to a family-centered decision-making paradigm, and litigation. (Contains…

This article considers the needs of families of children with disabilities, the implications for interdisciplinary practice, and the changing pattern of early childhood disability. Family contributions to individuals with disabilities, the importance of early intervention, and the need for professionals to enable and empower families is…

A study of nine families and three service coordinators examined whether a family's level of satisfaction improves when the service coordination they receive adheres to a family-centered model. Results indicate a high degree of family satisfaction and a low degree of dissatisfaction when the model was adequately implemented. (Author/CR)

Examines reasons cited by conditionally-admitted and early-admitted freshmen for choosing to attend college. Finds that parents and family had the greatest influence on both groups; however, the conditionally-admitted students cited these influences more often as the primary influence. Discusses other influences cited by both groups, such as…

Family involvement in schooling can benefit young children, teachers, and families. Family involvement in schools can be influenced by both school-related and family-related factors. School-related factors include teachers' attitudes toward families, and school and teacher expectations. Family-related factors include ethnicity, prior school…

This study investigated the effects of a family-centered intervention that involved parents in weekly assessments and daily routine activities for promoting young children's language and behavior. Forty-one 3-5-year-old children at-risk for language and behavior problems, recruited from three developmental preschools, were randomly assigned to a…

Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The April 2005 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Google Plans to Digitize Big Library Collections";…