This commentary discusses the successful partnership between the parents and the school in addressing the challenging behaviors of a 9-year-old boy with severe disabilities. Stages of the successful partnership and characteristics of behavior support plans that have good contextual fit are described. (Author/CR)

This paper discusses the concept of "primal landscapes" as a way of conceptualising the interactions between children and the environments they grow up in. The paper discusses this concept drawing on empirical research conducted in the field of human geography on how people learn about their environments. The research employed a…

The article reports from a qualitative study of family group conferencing in Wales. Family group conferences are meetings of extended family networks that are convened in order to plan for a child's care and welfare. They are an attempt to enable families to have a greater say in welfare decisions and often particularly encourage children's…

This paper introduces a special issue focusing on the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance. Traces the history of the development of the National Agenda, and lists the seven major strategic targets of the Agenda. (PB)

In children's mental health, collaborative, team-based individualized service planning is most commonly known as wraparound, and has become one of the primary strategies for improving services and outcomes for children with the highest levels of need. We report on analyses of data gathered at 72 wraparound team meetings from communities around the…

Recruitment of participants is a long-standing practice for many programs serving children and families, although the way in which it is approached varies greatly. This volume is presented as a practical tool for practitioners to use in systematizing their recruitment efforts. Section 1, "Reaching Diverse Families," contains an…

During the past few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of children in foster care, with foster care that is provided by relatives accounting for a substantial part of the increase. At the same time, there has been a shift in thinking in the field of child welfare, from viewing placement with a relative as a last resort to…

The family of a child with cancer is faced with special adjustment problems that must be confronted, including guilt, anger, and a desire to retain a sense of normalcy. (MB)

Reviews essential components for collaborating with families, the fourth target of the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance. Describes two programs that have successfully integrated families into all aspects of their work, and provides recommendations are for enhancing collaboration…

This paper examines factors associated with meaningful family involvement in program planning for community residential services for individuals with mental retardation. It is argued that personnel in placement settings are often ambivalent about more family involvement. Guidelines for involving families at every stage both before and after…

Interviews with 62 families who had placed their children with mental retardation in residential placement reflected high involvement with their children, with 81% of families visiting monthly. There was marginal evidence for a lessening of involvement over time. Family involvement was most strongly related with facility characteristics,…

A survey of 105 mothers of children with disabilities assessed grandparent support, helpfulness, and involvement. Respondents' mothers were the most likely of the four grandparents to have provided every type of support and were regarded as the most involved and helpful. Affectionate solidarity between the adult generations predicted support.…

Families provide the building blocks for the development of healthy, happy, competent children. The purpose of the present study was to identify and interview healthy families of children who were deaf. The researchers were interested in identifying factors that contribute to families' health as well as in collecting suggestions for other families…

Responding to disruptive or troubled pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) remains a highly topical issue. The challenges these children present relate to wider issues of continuing political concern: the perceived declining discipline in schools; school and social exclusion; the limits to inclusion for children with special…

A mental health program in the schools is described which uses a nurse trained in mental health, with the support of a psychiatrist, to coordinate a mental health team and act as a liaison between the school and the health professionals, to assess referrals and arrange team meetings to plan interventions. (JMF)