Report on Viewtron, first commercial videotex service in the United States, includes its multifarious services, subscription base, management by Viewdata, and failure to succeed as quickly as was expected. Explanations for this shortfall are discussed, and based on a review of the entire system, recommendations are made for boosting sales.…

Block parent programs that provide homes where children can seek help in case of emergencies as they go to and from school are described. Programs in Phoenix (Arizona), Detroit (Michigan), and the states of Oregon and Kansas, emphasize cooperation with local law enforcement agencies. (PP)

Describes a continuum of services to families in their homes to prevent the necessity of child placement. Presents four categories of services--general case management, the comprehensive social worker, the in-house team, and the intraagency team--to aid families who demonstrate psychological difficulty and resource deficits. (Author/JAC)

Describes a peer counselor training program for five older adult volunteers. Presents suggestions for advertising, screening, program format, and development of practica, and examines the role and helpfulness of the peer counselors who provided in-home counseling services. (JAC)

A parent training program which is highly effective in the treatment of child noncompliance and other behavior problems of 3- to 8-year-old children is described and data on the program's effectiveness are presented. (PHR)

Cost effectiveness of the program cannot be accurately determined. Assessment is based on actual self-care rather than proving poverty. A flexible approach is taken toward disability level and family support. States should keep community care flexible and available at acceptable cost. (JAC)

Assessed effect of changes in minimum number of activities of daily living (ALD) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) limitations, types of help, and duration of disability required on size of population potentially eligible for home care benefits. Only 411,000 elders met restrictive disability criteria; over 4 million would qualify…

Information on a national survey of 643 home visiting programs serving families with children under 3 years of age is presented. Data include family characteristics, purpose of home visits, services provided, organizational structure, the conduct of home visits, home visitor employment and training, and program evaluation efforts. (Author/DB)

Applied behavioral-systems family therapy model to lower socioeconomic status juvenile offenders. Compared 27 delinquents, court-referred to in-home time-unlimited family therapy, to 27 lower-risk delinquents who received only probation. Examined number and severity of offenses during 30 months following group assignment. Found delinquents in…

Examines a whole language "school" run by 14-year-old Bryan Sans of New Rochelle, New York, describing the after-school and weekend activities that he organized for his younger siblings and neighborhood children. (MDM)

The Partners in Learning Take Home Computer Program, which began in New Mexico in 1989 to extend the learning environment into the home, distributes 200 computers to families. Results of the program include a 90% rise in parent to school contact; parental involvement in schoolwork; and increases in reading and math scores. (JMV)

Interviewed 179 caregivers of hospitalized patients and studied discharge decisions to examine factors associated with willingness to continue in caregiving role after hospitalization of relative with dementia. Caregivers initially undecided about discharge plans were likely to seek placement for patients with more severe cognitive impairment,…

This paper addresses several major ethical issues faced by early intervention home visitors in their helping relationships with clients: maintaining a client focus, client independence, honesty, confidentiality, limits of intervention, and termination. Examples of home visiting dilemmas from two early intervention programs illustrate the issues. A…

Describes different home-schooling options available to children with disabilities. Services of a special-education consultant are reviewed, along with services of the Home School Legal Defense Association, an umbrella school that provides consulting services to home-schooling families, and a public school home-instruction program. (CR)

This project evaluated the effectiveness of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren (TEACCH) home program intervention model for young children with autism, which encourages parents to be active, ongoing co-therapists. The 11 children in the treatment group, compared to the control, improved…