This study examined the validity and internal and interrater reliability of the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire, an assessment that classifies children with autism into subtypes. Subjects were 42 students (ages 5 to 22) enrolled in multihandicapped special education classrooms. Findings support the reliability and validity of the questionnaire for…

Compares the predictive performances of the Illinois CANTS 17B and the Washington State Risk Matrix on a sample of New Jersey child protective services cases using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Both instruments predict case recidivism, closings, and substantiation with probabilities greater than chance.…

An observational coding system that assesses emotional expression operationalized through voice cues and speech content was tested for interrater reliability and validity. Subjects were normal and psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents participating in a study of adolescent ego development and familial interactions. Findings demonstrated the…

Presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal study examining the development of articulation quality and specific phoneme awareness during the fourth year of life. Articulation and phoneme awareness of /r/ and a control phoneme were assessed for 80 3-year-old children. (Author/JL)

Describes the development and validation of a questionnaire, the Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ), that assesses student perceptions of five important teacher behaviors: (1) Challenging; (2) Encouragement and Praise; (3) Non-Verbal Support; (4) Understanding and Friendly; and (5) Controlling. (Contains 49 references.)…

This article describes the development and possible applications of the Teacher Assessment of Student Communicative Competencies (TASCC) for use with students in the first through fifth grades. The TASCC allowed 20 teachers to successfully observe and measure their students' verbal and nonverbal communicative abilities and use of compensatory…

For preschool children, ages 3 through 5, four major purposes for gathering assessment information are: identification, diagnostic evaluation, program planning, and progress monitoring. This article describes key considerations for each purpose, focusing on the instruments used to collect assessment information. Strengths and concerns of…

This article provides in-depth information regarding the most commonly used instruments for the screening or diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Reliability, validity, format, and target population are presented to help clinicians select appropriate diagnostic measures. Future directions in the development of new instruments are discussed.…

Discusses lower rates of success among indigenous Australian students and describes an instrument that investigated how well students cope with life out of school as an alternative indicator of ability. Highlights include the impact of cultural background on intelligence test results and results of trials in primary and high schools. (Author/LRW)

Examined psychometric properties of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales with preschoolers. Found that cross- informant correlations were poor for social skills, low for internalizing behaviors, and modest for externalizing behaviors. Parents and teachers rated boys as having more externalizing behaviors than girls. Parents identified…

This study examined causal relationships between anxiety, racism, and self-esteem in a sample of White graduate and undergraduate students (N=169). Results indicated that level of anxiety had a direct effect on anti-Black attitudes, which, in turn, had a direct effect on self-esteem. Implications for counseling interventions aimed at preventing…

Describes a study conducted at the University of Oklahoma that assessed information-seeking, evaluating, and usage abilities before, during and after an upper-level science course. Explains the bibliographic instruction offered during class, and proposes a model for incorporating information literacy into upper-level science courses and an…

A study involving 149 Hispanic students aged 5-11 in bilingual programs in Texas developed preliminary data on a measure of phonological processing in Spanish and investigated the extent of cross-linguistic transfer for phonological awareness skills from Spanish to English. Phonological processing in Spanish, as measured by the instrument,…

Examined the relationship between students' perceptions of a problem behavior prevention program, All Stars, and changes in program variables-bonding; normative beliefs; ideals; and commitment. Three factors-Program Enjoyment, Student Engagement, and Teacher Relationship-were used to predict changes in four variables. Results indicate Student…

This preliminary study evaluated effectiveness of a tobacco prevention program on knowledge, attitude, intention, and behavior of tobacco use among fourth-grade students. Results suggest that the program was effective and showed that students in the education group had greater improvement in knowledge than the comparison group. Both students and…