The study compared information on autism accrued from the most recent research to the knowledge and beliefs of 80 experts and 950 caregivers. Results indicated that three areas emerge for further inservice training of caregivers: incidence and sex ratio, etiology, and attitudes toward public education of autistic children. (Author)

In assessing future prospects of the field of behavioral disorders, examines two areas: (1) early intervention for prevention and (2) inclusion and preparation of teachers. Discusses the need for increased attention to scientific and data-based decision making in the areas of early intervention and teacher preparation, and the establishment of…

This article describes the usefulness of a scientific approach to improving knowledge and practice in special education. Of four approaches to knowledge (superstition, folklore, craft, and science), craft and science are supported and implications for special education drawn including the need to bridge the gulf between research knowledge and…

This article reviews research conducted by the author and colleagues over a 27-year period on enhancement of peer-related social skills in young children with behavioral disorders or autism. It argues that a logical positivist approach has yielded significant quality-of-life benefits to participants while effectively challenging many outdated…

A scientific, rule-governed approach to solving problems suggests the following assumptions: we need different rules for different purposes; rules are grounded in values; the origins and applications of rules are often misunderstood; personal experience and idea popularity are unreliable; and all truths are tentative. Each assumption is related to…

This paper addresses issues in the utilization of research by special educators. It urges researchers to do better research and policymakers to make better choices. Criteria for good research-based procedures are offered. Discussion is organized around common frustrations of special educators, strategies for improving the link of research to…

Six issues in special education are analyzed: the erosion of science; the decline in the worth of special education; the lack of attention to prevention; the lack of primacy of academic instruction; the erosion of government programs; and the new racism that erodes the centrality of our common humanity. (Contains 3 references.) (CR)

Describes functional assessment, discusses the need to translate research findings into formats and processes that can be used efficiently in applied settings, and stresses the need for research to continue to build a technology of functional assessment that meets the range of situations faced in schools and communities. (Author/CR)

This article examines the social skills training research-to-practice process and argues that a logical and attendant line of rigorous study is lacking. Areas of social inquiry are drawn from to discuss the need for conceptual frameworks to guide investigation and offer a way for research to be designed and interpreted. (Contains references.)…

This article discusses the poor services students with educational, emotional, and behavioral needs are receiving and advocates for the use of research-based practices. Recommendations for the field of emotional and behavioral disorders include making prevention appealing, embracing a collaborative approach, and advocating for science. A…

This article discusses the need to incorporate research findings in developmental psychopathology, psychiatric comorbidity, and psychopharmacology in school mental health programs to enable early detection and primary prevention of emotional and behavioral disorders in students. A response stresses the need for a multidisciplinary approach.…

Six teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders were observed during reading instruction and interviewed. Three teachers provided some reading instruction that was documented as effective and designed to meet students' needs. Controlling student behavior through isolating students, providing extensive time for worksheets, and negative…

This paper identifies specific classroom management strategies for children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that have been supported by research, and offers evidence that these strategies are not being effectively implemented in classrooms. It suggests that classroom management strategies in experimental studies may not match the…

This article reflects on the gap between research and practice and three approaches that might be used to promote evidence-based strategies: increasing awareness; improving teacher training; and mounting a focused research agenda. A response echoes the need for research-based practice and discusses the benefits of teacher education programs…