Current approaches to instruction of students with autism and severe behavioral disorders are reviewed, specifically the behavioral framework and the community adaptation framework. In contrast to such approaches, which overemphasize teacher control over student behavior, a facilitative approach to enhancing students' communicative competence is…

This text is designed, through the use of a developmental framework, to support effective work with students with behavior disorders and students who have behavior disorders and additional disabilities. Presentation of developmental theory, case studies and illustrations explain many puzzling aspects of problem behavior and outline appropriate…

This report describes the discussion and outcomes of a series of regional meetings on barriers to student learning that brought together leaders representing national, state, and local agencies. The report discusses the lack of an explicit policy framework for comprehensive integrated approaches to student learning. Factors that get in the way of…

This book explains essential features of special education that are important for interdisciplinary communication and effective teaching. Part I introduces the reader to historical and instructional foundations of music in special education. Major topics and developments in the field of special education, important terminology, and curricular…

A plan for increasing effective student writing skills was developed and implemented. Subjects were students in a regular first-grade class, a fifth-sixth grade behavior disorder (BD) class, and a seventh-eighth grade self-contained educable mentally handicapped (EMH) class, all of whom exhibited inadequate writing skills. Evidence for the…

This monograph provides information on identifying children and youth who could benefit from social skills instruction, highlights strategies for teaching social skills, and presents ideas for reinforcing social competence. After a chapter that introduces the issues, Chapter 2, "Social Competence," defines social competence and discusses…

This pamphlet discusses the legal protections for employees with psychiatric disabilities, and analyzes the decisions of federal and state courts in cases where employees who claimed a psychiatric disorder challenged an employment decision under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or state law. It…

This paper discusses the results of a study that examined the mental health needs of 796 adolescents who interacted with four types of service sectors that typically function as gateways to mental health services (education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and primary health). Prevalence estimates collected from the youth themselves were compared…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that examined the mental health referral patterns of youth referred to a public sector mental health system as the result of a judicial consent decree. The study included two samples of youth ages 13-17 from the entire state of South Carolina. The first group included incarcerated youth recruited from…

In the absence of immunity, courts have held schools and school personnel liable for personal injury by a student with a disability that resulted from negligent failure to provide a reasonable safe environment, failure to warn of known hazards, or failure to provide adequate supervision. Case law is presented to demonstrate the extent that school…

This book, prepared in response to a request from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, reviews the published literature on positive behavior interventions and uses this database to provide four main content areas for research. Positive behavior support (PBS) is defined as an approach for dealing with…

This paper reports on the first year's results of a screening procedure used to identify kindergarten and first grade children at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD) is a three-stage, multiple-gated procedure for mass screening to determine whether a child should be referred for…

An educator of special education teachers reflects on his childhood, the current conservative political movement as it affects people who are poor or disabled, the current inclusionary reform movement in special education, and how to best serve youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. General education is seen as inherently inadequate to…

Effects of a school-based program to prevent antisocial behaviors that could lead to conduct disorder were assessed among 34 target students and 15 role-model peers in urban Head Start programs. Target students showed patterns of social interaction that began to mirror those of role-model peers, while nonparticipating control group students…

The use of response cards during classroom review sessions was examined in an earth science class of 23 secondary students, 8 of whom had learning disabilities, mental retardation, or behavior disorders. Results indicated achievement of higher test scores by all students, including those with disabilities, when students had used response cards in…