In June this year, Wellesley High School became a focus of attention worldwide, following a graduation speech made by a teacher at the school. Departing from the traditional rhetoric of such ceremonies, English teacher David McCullough told the assembled graduates that they were neither special nor exceptional, but may well believe they were…

Written by a dyslexic adult woman, the paper recounts the author's troubles in a special class and in her interpersonal relationships. Current progress in a program of individual educational therapy and the benefits of same are described. (DB)

The future for the learning disabled is bright, because of increased public awareness, early intervention programs, progress in brain research, emphasis on learning disabilities in teacher training institutions, and willingness by many learning-disabled adults to discuss their struggles. A bibliography of the author's books, articles, pamphlets,…

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

A less aggressive treatment strategy is proposed in the area of children's voice disorders. Speech clinicians are urged not to be over-zealous in imposition of their own voice standards. The potential threat that vocal pathologies hold for children's larynges is felt to be largely over-rated. (Author/JDD)

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)

Responding with strategic empathy to the traumatic stories students share with us provides an opportunity to break down an elitist binary between teacher and student. Joyce Carol Oates's novel "them" can serve as a cautionary tale for understanding the dangers of disregarding student trauma. (Contains 2 notes.)

Considers some of the fanatical beliefs that may possibly lead to a nuclear holocaust in the not-too-distant future, shows how dangerous these ideas are, and suggests that one of the best ways to minimize this kind of absolutistic and dogmatic thinking is through the psycho-educational approach pioneered by scientific counseling and psychotherapy.…

The roles of teachers and therapists, when dealing with troubled students, are clarified. If an art teacher is not trained as an art therapist, he or she cannot assume responsibility for addressing the emotional needs of these types of students. (RM)

Describes cognitive restructuring, a refined and systematic method for treating anxieties such as communication apprehension. Contrasts cognitive restructuring with systematic desensitization, traces the development and research in support of this method, and details the procedures involved in its implementation. (JMF)

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)

Social dramatics is a therapeutic and educational program that can act as a mirror to reflect images of the self in action with others. It is the modality for experiential learning to correct social dysfunction by providing models for imitation, opportunities to practice and develop individual forms from that model, and risk free environments for…

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 relationship of play and language to development of the sense of self is examined. The value of playful, affectively charged interchanges between caregivers and children is highlighted, and guidelines are established to determine a child's level of development. An intervention model is proposed for children developmentally delayed in terms of…