This paper synthesizes current thinking, issues, and practices related to the use of paraprofessionals in the provision of early intervention and preschool services to children with disabilities, birth through 5 years of age, and their families. Information was gathered from 31 state and jurisdiction coordinators of preschool services under Part B…

This report gathers papers prepared for a design conference for the evaluation of the Federal Talent Search Program, an early intervention program to identify gifted and talented financially needy students and connect them with discretionary grants for higher education. An introductory paper synthesizes major conference themes. These include: (1)…

This monograph presents the executive summaries of research syntheses developed at five special centers addressing assessment and interventions for children with attention deficit disorders (ADD). The Center at the Arkansas Children's Hospital (Roscoe A. Dykman et al.) reviewed the literature and conducted meetings on the assessment and…

Conflicts between traditional Hmong values and traditional American parenting values are explored, drawing on the experiences of a coordinator of an Even Start program serving Hmong parents. Even Start is a state-funded early childhood intervention program with a literacy component for parents with less than an eighth grade proficiency in reading…

This report describes a program for decreasing student underachievement. The targeted population consisted of two German classes at the third- and fourth-year levels in a high school in a suburb of a major metropolitan area. Persistent student underachievement was documented through homework percentages, participation percentages, overall grades,…

This briefing paper focuses on children ages birth to five years and is intended primarily for health workers in developing countries who are responsible for the management of young children with HIV and AIDS. It provides practical information on: (1) how HIV is transmitted to infants and young children; (2) how transmission can be prevented; (3)…

This book is about the interactions among economic, social, and political environments, individual behavior, policies and legislation, and the form and substance of counseling. A central premise of the book is that the U.S., like most of the nations of the world, is in transition, in which it is undergoing significant transformations in its…

This paper provides a discussion of definitions, historical precursors, and prevalence figures for children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and highlights relevant medical and behavioral characteristics. It also addresses the educational implications of working with children with FAS in terms of instruction and curriculum. Educators are urged…

This study analyzed scaffolding techniques in the context of symbolic or pretend play in the case of a child with developmental learning disabilities (DLD). Interactions in four situations were examined and compared: the DLD child in interaction with her mother and with the speech therapist; and a child of similar age, without DLD, in interaction…

This paper suggests that community colleges receive undeserved criticism as institutions that contribute to students' decline in college motivation. Rather, many college-bound youths underestimate college demands due to open-admissions policies and the ready availability of remedial courses, and fail to prepare adequately for this educational…

This module presents the philosophical perspective that the fostering of family/professional partnerships is an integral part of effective service delivery to young children with disabilities. The module addresses the issues involved in nurturing the development of dynamic working relationships with families. The issues include: (1) understanding…

The study reported here is an analysis of 100 seventh graders who were part of a 1989 and 1991 follow-up Phi Delta Kappa study on high risk students enrolled in general education. In 1989, 26 of the 100 students were identified as at risk. Approximately 39% of the at-risk students were identified as eligible for special education, the vast…

This report, which is based on the work of the Perinatal Substance Exposure Think Tanks, establishes priorities for statewide services in California to young children who are prenatally exposed to alcohol and drugs. Although the report focuses on the developmental needs of children, it also examines efforts to provide prevention and treatment…

This report summarizes in-home behavioral interventions carried out with 18 individuals (ages 3 to 43) with developmental disabilities in the San Diego and North Los Angeles County Regional Centers during 1990-1991. The report focuses on client characteristics, problems that were addressed, intervention procedures used, and results. The paper…

An exploratory study was conducted on the implementation of Part H of Public Law 99-457, with emphasis on the involvement of health care providers. A series of 10 focus group discussions were held with health professionals (mostly nurses and physicians) in five states (Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio). These health care providers…