Supporting children and young people's mental health is a central aim of the UK government policy, with those with learning difficulties a particularly vulnerable group. This systematic review of research uses published literature to explore how access and participation in therapy might be facilitated for young people with learning difficulties.…

The use of music therapy techniques has recently extended into the educational realm to help overcome learning difficulties, support emotional management, and assist students to develop necessary social skills. This is known as educational music therapy (EMT). Current educational policies give ever greater importance to the fostering and…

In the art educational therapy (AET) method introduced in this article, school coursework is integrated into art therapy with the aim of facilitating such learning and enhancing the emotional well-being of children with learning difficulties who have experienced stress or trauma. A grounded theory research study based on the cases of 5 middle…

The author traces autism from recognition of the disability by E. Bleuler in 1906 to the present, noting changes, similarities, and differences in the copious amont of research. After a poem by Neil Diamond and a glossary of terms, the author describes the views on autism held by E. Bleuler, L. Kanner, L. Bender, M. Mahler, F. Kallmann, B.…

Examines several similarities in practices in education and in psychotherapy. (FL)

An overview of the historical development of educational therapy as a treatment model for individuals with exceptional needs is presented, and two major disciplines--the psychoeducational model and the mental health approach--are critiqued. A more comprehensive model of education is proposed. (Author/CL)

Perceptual-motor coordination is an important area of development for the slow learner, and a carefully planned music program provides assistance by strengthening hand-eye and eye-hand development. (CM)

The paper reviews recent research on the effectiveness of behavioral self-control procedures with children and adolescents with behavior problems. A range of procedural variations is discussed, and empirical evidence on the use of self-control procedures in educational setting is evaluated. (Author/PHR)

The article proposes a six-stage model of the development of communication forms and functions during the prelinguistic period. Applications to the clinical treatment of severely developmentally disabled persons concern expanded targets and procedures for assessment and treatments which are socially interactive and responsive. (DB)

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…

The empirical research on the economics of early educational intervention for handicapped children is reviewed and critically assessed. Analysis of 16 research reports shows that few methodologically sound economic studies have been conducted, and statements that early intervention is cost effective cannot be empirically substantiated. (Author/JDD)

Traditional literary criticism, reader-response research, and the techniques of systemic therapy are brought together to provide guidelines for teachers and counselors concerned with using stories to further the emotional development of children. A theory of reader-story interaction is proposed, and a case is made for individually composed…

The article focuses on models of the causal ascriptive processes in relation to the education of exceptional learners. The model the authors found most useful includes four dimensions of causal attributions, i.e., causes vary in the degree to which they are internal, volitional, mutable, and predictable. (PHR)

The expressive arts, literature, film and song, are mediums for dramatic exposure of human experience with loss. This paper identifies concerns with loss, in students of any age, viewing the arts as a mode of learning in the classroom which elicits feelings and illustrates materials and techniques for expression. (Author)

Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulty in learning to read. Some dyslexics also may have difficulty learning to write, to spell, and to speak or work with numbers. Some researchers estimate that as many as 15 percent of American students may be classified as dyslexic. Children with dyslexia are not all…