Two parallel studies surveyed 80 California school districts and 72 families regarding the needs of children with chronic illnesses, the types of illnesses and school services, perceptions of and barriers to services, strategies for overcoming barriers, and fears and concerns of children with chronic illnesses. (Author/JDD)

Iowa young adults with learning disabilities (n=737), behavior disorders (n=59), and mental disabilities (n=142), all graduates of resource room programs, were surveyed concerning adult adjustment. Results are reported in terms of marital status, living arrangements, competitive employment, unemployment, postsecondary education, and comparison of…

Measures of the social and academic competence of 73 children with learning disabilities in grades 3-6 indicated that subjects differed from children without disabilities on virtually all indexes of academic competence, regardless of social status. Most social differences were linked to the child's peer status, independent of disability.…

This study, which explored the feasibility of using extant national data to study implementation of special education programs, examined the relationships between (1) state-level fiscal and demographic variables, and (2) identification rates and cumulative placement rates for certain categories of special education students in 1976, 1980, and…

Survival analysis was used to examine and follow the career paths of 6,642 special education teachers hired in Michigan and North Carolina between 1972 and 1983. Educators most likely to leave teaching included those serving students with speech, hearing, or vision disabilities; teachers with high test scores; and teachers paid comparatively low…

This commentary points out the need for a working definition of "appropriate education" so that parents of children with disabilities have realistic expectations and educators know what is expected of them in providing services. Educators must ensure that court actions do not make "regular education" children second-rate citizens. (JDD)

This commentary outlines the unique features of the profession of special education, such as its emphasis on the individual; teamwork with other school-based professionals; and the influence, both tangible and intangible, on children's development. The editorial concludes that there is "just enough wonderful" each day to encourage teachers to…

The history of the terms "punishment" and "aversive" is traced, and the influence of inconsistent usage and negative association associated with these terms is analyzed. A conceptual framework is presented to guide the choice of an alternative terminology for behavior reduction. (Author/JDD)

This article argues that curriculum-based assessment and direct instruction are not models of assessment and instruction for human learning but isolated sets of measurement and control procedures. The paper advocates holistic understandings of assessment that directly emerge from human aspects of learning and teaching and from understandings of…

A survey of 46 states found that about half the states are using or studying special education teacher competency tests. The paper analyzes survey results by specific content areas being tested, including basic knowledge, identification and characteristics of special needs students, processing skills, assessment, learning theory, teaching…

Forty-seven elementary and middle school students, most with learning disabilities, used a computer-assisted instruction program which rapidly presented seven pieces of information or one which cumulatively presented smaller information "chunks." Both groups worked to mastery level successfully, but the cumulative group spent one-third the time,…

This article comments on a paper by Mitchell Yell (EC 221 141) which asserts that five common law principles of suspension and expulsion retain their significance after the Supreme Court's decision in Honig v Doe. The article examines factors impacting on placement of students with disabilities, including litigation; federal regulations; and…

This paper responds to a commentary (EC 600 331) on a previously published paper (EC 221 141) discussing the Supreme Court's decision in the Honig v Doe case and its impact on suspension and expulsion of students with handicaps and on student placement. The paper responds to arguments presented in the commentary and notes misconceptions about the…

This commentary examines at-risk students who are seen as in danger of losing control of their lives because of external loci of control and society's lack of coherent self-control. At-risk students are considered to be suitable candidates for intervention as much as students with more conventional disabilities. (PB)

This article illustrates the theoretical and empirical basis of cognitive strategy instruction and compares this basis to major principles of constructivism. Illustrations of self-instructional and other cognitive strategy instruction models are presented in the areas of reading comprehension, written language, and memory. Maintenance,…