This invited commentary includes observations about the article "Building Local Capacity for Training and Coaching Data-Based Problem Solving with Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Teams," published in the July 2011 issue of the "Journal of Applied School Psychology." In this article Newton and colleagues present an interesting field…

This article presents a family-centered perspective in rehabilitation of individuals with cognitive-communicative impairments following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The approach focuses on capacity rather than dysfunction in families and includes family members as collaborators in rehabilitation. Suggestions for understanding family responses to…

This final paper in the journal's special issue on educational intervention research for students with learning disabilities stresses the importance of cohesion and coherence in instruction across the curriculum. Emphasis is on the task of intervention teams to consider when, and for whom the various teaching models are appropriate. (Contains…

The field of behavior analysis has not learned how to develop interventions that rely on positive reinforcement for all participants, including the normal adults who implement them. Thus, the field has not learned how to avoid evoking countercontrol. Establishment of collaborative relationships with the people targeted for help is suggested. (JDD)

The article examines assumptions associated with prereferral interventions of consultation and informal problem-solving teams with at-risk students. Critical analyses of the benefits and limitations of both the consultation and informal problem-solving team approaches are offered, and alternative conceptions of prereferral practices are then…

The typical school system lacks an adequate support system for helping teachers resolve student problems. This paper describes one organizational innovation, the intervention assistance team (IAT), which is a formal group of teachers and other educational personnel who meet at the building level to recommend solutions to specific instructional…

This keynote address discusses the importance of having a dream, or shared vision, of the future of individuals with severe disabilities within society. A dream of a social environment that encourages and enables communication with individuals with severe disabilities is proposed. A plan for turning that dream into reality focuses on effective…

The report examines the nature of multidisciplinary teams in identification, treatment, and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Reviewed is the operation of three types of multidisciplinary teams: hospital based programs, interagency programs, and state mandated multidisciplinary teams. The bulk of the document is composed of appended material,…

The article traces the background and history of occupational therapy and special education as they relate to the birth to three-year-old population, focusing on the meeting of the two professions and the development of mutual respect and partnership out of initial resentment and misunderstanding. (Author/JDD)

Issues that impact on the ability of behaviorists to be effective in solving social and community problems are discussed, including use of legislative initiatives to bring about behavior change, sustaining interventions with local resources, and the possible rewards from employing collaborative methods in behavioral research. (JDD)

This paper describes how the movement of students with severe disabilities to more inclusive settings impacts on the team process, particularly with regard to the development, implementation, and evaluation of communication intervention. First, the characteristics of transdisciplinary teams as they operate in more inclusive settings are described,…

Predicated on the knowledge that effective communication among medical personnel and patients is fundamental to the achievement of successful health care delivery, this paper addresses the practice of chaplain intervention on behalf of the patient in primary care to enhance physician-patient interaction. First the paper defines culture (in the…

This paper expresses concerns about implementing the behavior analysis values for community intervention expressed by Stephen Fawcett in EC 602 711. Concerns include inclusion of participants in selecting research goals, methods, and outcome measures; research impact on public policy; tension between research requirements and research settings;…

This article presents several rationales for improved recordkeeping and contracting between speech-language therapists and parents or students. Contracting, therapy, and recording are conceptualized as inseparable, interrelated components of a holistic approach to student improvement. Employers, funding bodies, and accrediting bodies need to…

Background information is provided on gifted students with learning disabilities and/or physical impairments. The need for collaborative interventions to meet the needs of these students is discussed, viewing collaboration as personal interaction, as the interaction of roles, and as interinstitutional interaction. A collaborative/consultation…