A follow-up study of 268 adolescents was conducted to determine predictors of disabilities. Parental traits were more accurate predictors of adolescent status than the child's own behavior from birth to 3 years, whereas child-centered skills assessed at 4 and 7 years of age were better predictors than familial factors. (Author/JDD)

Four preschool boys learned to conduct self-assessments of their independent work behavior and compare their ratings with teacher ratings. The treatment produced immediate and substantial improvements in child behavior, and it was possible to systematically withdraw each treatment component while maintaining a high level of appropriate child…

In this comment to a paper by S. Braaten (EC 210 835), in which the Regular Education Initiative (REI) was described as a "patent medicine" for students with behavioral disorders, it is argued that such students are not misidentified or inappropriately placed and that the REI has been misinterpreted and may work. (JDD)

This rejoinder to EC 230 272 defends the original paper (EC 210 835) and argues that the critique reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of the Regular Education Initiative, the inclusion of students with behavioral disorders in reform proposals, the seriousness of the problems of these students, and the nature of patent medicine. (JDD)

Lack of an agreed-upon definition for the Regular Education Initiative (REI) represents a significant obstacle to coherent debate. Three interpretations of the REI exist: merger of regular education and special education, partnership between regular and special education, and full integration of all children into regular classrooms. (JDD)

A review of the literature on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) from 1975 to 1989 identifies three phases (a normative phase, an analytic phase, and a technology reaction phase), and reveals a history of IEPs' inadequacies and passive compliance, in contrast to the original intent of Public Law 94-142. (Author/JDD)

The paper outlines the rationale and development of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and its empirical support; summarizes two reading models (Chall's stages of reading development and LaBerge and Samuels' model of automaticity); and discusses how CBM, with its use of oral reading rate measures, and the reading models may validate each other.…

Entry-level university programs (N=449) in eight disciplines were surveyed concerning students' preparation to provide services to young children with disabilities and their families. Although considerable variability was found across disciplines, the average student receives little specialized information concerning either the infancy period or…

Timeout use was found to be low to moderate for the majority of 88 severely behaviorally disordered students in an elementary school self-contained program. Little evidence was found of a relationship between timeout use and academic achievement. In contrast, measures of school absence, in particular truancy, were correlated with poor academic…

This study of the story composition abilities of 46 students (aged 11-14) with learning disabilities found that subjects had a rudimentary knowledge of story form, but this knowledge was less developed than that of their nondisabled peers. Subjects also had greater coherence problems in their writing and were less fluent writers. (Author/JDD)

The educational, employment, and community adjustment outcomes of 106 special school graduates with severe physical disabilities were examined. Most graduates continued with college or training programs. Many expressed the need for more intensive guidance counseling, additional job skill training, more help with transportation, and more access to…

The out-of-seat behavior of a highly disruptive 4 year old with severe disabilities was substantially reduced using differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior. The boy's in-seat behavior expanded from less than a minute to 20 minutes. The providers' use of physical restraint decreased to near-zero levels, and the boy's appropriate toy…

This critique discusses conceptual and practical issues raised in a paper by D. Marston (EC 210 837) on choosing the most technically adequate graph for measuring progress on individual education plans. The critique argues that the Standard Behavior Chart is a technically adequate and useful measurement tool. (JDD)

This article responds to a criticism (EC 231 964) of a paper that discusses graphs for measuring progress on individual education plans (EC 210 837). It notes that the type of chart used is not a major issue; the important point is that teachers repeatedly gather data on educationally relevant tasks and evaluate intervention effectiveness. (JDD)

This study of 6,007 males born in northern Finland in 1966 found that 6% acquired a criminal record between 15 and 22 years. A higher than average delinquency rate was found among those with lower socioeconomic status, especially when combined with low intelligence. Family social problems had a greater predisposing effect for delinquent behavior…