Limited empirical and clinical-experiential studies support the view that a reading disorder indicates that relationships within the family are upset and that it contributes to the stability of the family system. Family treatment attempts indicate that reading problem families avoid change by extruding the helping person through devious maneuvers.…

Data from surveys in 1967 and 1972 indicate that: (1) broken homes are more highly associated with "family" offenses like truancy and running away, than with other types of juvenile misconduct; and (2) some types of misconduct are strongly influenced by the number of absent biological parents and the presence of a stepparent. (Author/MJL)

The home environment of a hearing impaired child should be viewed in terms of six variables: academic aspirations and expectations, language use and development, stimulation to explore and discuss ideas and events, academic guidance and support, family's work habits, and parental integration of the hearing impairment into the home. (CL)

Presents a typology of family environments based on multidimensional assessments of a representative sample of community families. Identified seven family types. Found family differences in environmental stressors and coping resources affected family members' levels of functioning. Discusses clinical and research applications of the typology.…

Describes the findings of oral history interviews done with parents of children studied in the Berkeley Guidance Project, an ongoing, longitudinal study of child development. Forty-seven parents of children born in 1928-1929 were interviewed to obtain recollections of the social and familial contexts in which their children were raised. (AM)

Staff of the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services concluded that the objective of family reconstitution was not appropriate to the entire client population being served. Family characteristics are reported that present obstacles to the goal of reunification of sexually abusive families. (Author/RH)

A total of 284 fifth- through eighth-grade children evaluated themselves, their mothers, fathers and families. Children from "happy" families evaluated themselves and their parents significantly more favorably than those from "unhappy" families. Children from intact families evaluated their parents significantly more favorably than those from…

A causal cognitive model illustrates that joint influence of home environment with cognitive and affective entry constitute the antecedent conditions for observed learning rate. The quality of instruction defines entry behaviors. As conditions of learning improve, the time necessary for learning decreases and the degree of learning increases. (RL)

The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) underwent a generalizability study examining the consistency and stability of scores. Canonical correlation and principal components factor analysis indicated that the organization of environment changes over the first two years of life, and the amount--not type--of stimulation is…

Examines the relationship between cognitive functioning (as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) and the symbolic play levels of Down's syndrome children. Symbolic play level was more highly correlated with mental age than with chronological age. Performance on the Infant Behavior Record was also highly correlated with symbolic…

A longitudinal investigation was made of the relationship between home-environment processes when children are between 3 and 5 years of age, and children's classroom behavior in the primary grades. Comprehension showed the largest number of significant relationships with early environment variables. (Author/GK)

Our culture discourages male friendships by taboos against intimacy and vulnerability, homophobia and competition. Men need to learn to communicate more honestly, become more involved with their home and children and be more open to changing sex roles. (JAC)

Based on a study of 231 families, it is held that when the amount of time fathers have available to spend with their children is considered, fathers' involvement with their children is equal to that of mothers'. (Authors/GC)

Examines the present and future capabilities of microcomputers for personal use, and discusses the requirements for such individualized systems, including software and hardware considerations. A glossary is provided, and 31 references are cited. (FM)