The stresses of underachieving gifted children and the reasons for those stresses are examined. These stresses include pressure to be brilliant, creative, popular, and good. Recommendations for dealing with underachievement syndrome are provided, and brief case studies of underachieving gifted children are cited. (JDD)

Many learning-disabled students experience social skill problems which call for training to promote success in school, work, and social settings. Social skill problems fall into three categories: skill deficits, performance deficits, and behavioral excesses. Interventions generally focus on increasing the individual's repertoire of skills, using…

This guide outlines the characteristics of dyslexia and its educational implications. Parental understanding of the problem and support for intervention efforts are stressed. Various learning activities are suggested, along with guidelines to help the child cope with the disability, become better organized, study for tests, etc. (JDD)

Early intervention programs provide early stimulation and therapy for young children with disabilities. However, no specific age guidelines have been established for starting early intervention, and the pressure to make an immediate commitment to an early intervention program can overwhelm parents. Program options and decision-making strategies…

This guide provides recommendations and guidelines to expressive arts therapists and educators who work in school settings as therapists, supervisors, supervisees, or graduate school expressive arts interns. There are eight chapters: (1) Expressive Arts Therapies in School Settings (definitions, learning objectives, confidentiality, ethical…

The paper reviews music therapy, the educational background of music therapists, music therapy's various settings, and its use as an intervention with girls with Rett Syndrome. Sample music therapy programs for three girls (aged 5, 14, and 20 years) with Rett Syndrome are presented. The sample programs provide: student descriptions; the girls'…

This article presents key ideas from Lev S. Vygotsky's social-interactionist zones of proximal development theory and applications of this theory to assessment and intervention with children having language impairments. A case study illustrates the steps in coordinating assessment and intervention. (Author/DB)

This paper comprises a compilation of nine case studies of girls (aged 4-16 years) with Rett Syndrome. The educational settings involved are various and include private day school, public elementary school in both integrated and special needs classrooms, and a county-operated preschool program for handicapped children. Each case study outlines the…

Students can develop self-directed behavior when behavior management strategies are structured to provide opportunities to learn responsible behavior, make choices, and develop internal control. Student behavior is viewed as a response to psychological needs for love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. Components of a reality therapy session…

This monograph is intended to help in the creation of effective programs for adolescents with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD). Discussion covers techniques for dealing with students placed in special education programs within public school settings and those placed in specialized settings (e.g., day treatment centers). After an introductory…

This guide presents methods for promoting integrated development in autistic children, through the use of attachment-based activities. The first section reviews the literature on autism, including its etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and attachment research. The second section describes the Minneapolis Children's Medical Center program, called…

This paper reviews instructional strategies for dealing with learning-disabled preschool children in mainstreamed classrooms. It focuses on the teacher's role in developing the child's abilities in the areas of social skills, choices and anxiety, sequencing and routine, transition periods, and motor skills. To enhance social skills, peer…

The Children's Language Institute Preschool Project developed a successful classroom-home language intervention program for mildly to mildly-to-moderately language-impaired preschool children. An overview of the project, its rationale, and its results in terms of positive change in families and children are described. This volume is designed to…