The introduction to the special issue on pediatrics and special education notes the increased interest of pediatricians in the handicapped, increased expectations for pediatric involvement due to federal legislation, and increased awareness of the training needs of pediatricians. (DB)

Physicians, to varying degrees, are increasingly involved in diagnostic formulation, collaborative intervention, and advocacy with handicapped children. There is now a greater emphasis on family assessments, neurodevelopmental examination, medical treatments, counseling, actual collaboration, and independent evaluation. (Author)

The pediatrician may function in a variety of different interdisciplinary settings (clinical and educational) with specific roles varying from occasional consultant to team leader. As a necessary outgrowth of these changes, physicians at all levels of training are being introduced to interdisciplinary function. (Author)

The pediatrician has a primary responsibility for guiding parents through the early diagnostic phase and helping them cope with the multiplicity of ongoing and emerging medical problems that tend to arise. In addition, pediatricians can assist parents to become more confident and competent in relating to their handicapped children (Author)

Major factors which affect physician-parent communication are the physician's knowledge of developmental problems, the physician's attitude toward handicapped children, and the physician's skill in communicating with parents. (Author)

A nationwide project (Physicians Serving Handicapped Children) to provide continuing medical education to primary care physicians who provide office based health care to handicapped children is described. (Author)

The development, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum in handicapping conditions for pediatric residents are described. Issues unique to the process of resident training are considered in addition to specific content areas. (Author)

The article reports on a model of personnel preparation in which university graduate special education and pediatrics faculty members work together to train teachers about the medical aspects of educational disabilities. (Author)

Major differences between the recidivist and nonrecidivist patient groups were that, of those who were successful in staying in the mainstream, more returned to school, more had at least one biological parent in the home, fewer had had a significant family member hospitalized, and they had shorter hospitalizations prior to discharge. (Author)

The author responds to a previous article (EC 122 795) explaining and critiquing various efficiency index formulas to quantify the effectiveness of intervention in preschool program for the handicapped. (DB)

The study evaluated the effectiveness of two intervention strategies on parental contributions to the individualized education program (IEP) conference. Results indicated a greater amount of parental involvement in the conference attended by a parent advocate than those in which parents had received questions.

Ss either saw the film twice, read the script twice, or read the script and saw the film with target words stressed by the teacher in all cases. Posttests indicated that Ss who both read the script and saw the film had the greatest increase in number of words recognized. (DB)

Results indicated differing teacher expectations for the two placements regarding appropriate programing but no significant differences in the expected duration of services. (DB)

Results indicated that the teachers spoke during an average of 27 percent of the 10 second intervals analyzed, that all teachers were satisfied with the decision making process, but that only 13 percent indicated their view of the child had changed as a function of the meeting. (DB)

Three hundred regular elementary teachers in North Carolina were surveyed regarding their concerns about educating handicapped children in the regular classroom. Results indicated that teachers felt a lack of expertise in planning for individual differences and were confused as to their role and responsibilities toward the handicapped child. (DB)