Based on a study of the differences between the way regular and special education teachers handle classroom transitions, this discussion suggests seven steps special education teachers should take to aid students in classroom transitions. A list of 24 different transition cues is included. (JC)

Instructions and illustrations support this discussion of learning activities designed to remediate deficiences and build skills in balance and/or motor skills for mildly handicapped students who may not have access to physical therapy or adaptive physical education. Appropriate for both regular and special classes, activities include arm…

Emphasizing use of the mnemonic aid as a tool toward the large educational objective, this article discusses the memory problems of learning disabled students, suggests appropriate selection and use of musical mnemonics, and encourages development of original mnemonics (e.g., using rhythmic speech or writing new lyrics to popular tunes). (JC)

Gestural cueing may be used successfully with children who do not require exposure to a sign or total communication approach. Emphasizing cueing in both the training and generalization phases of language learning, this article discusses specific learning activities, the effect of motor components on language, and procedures for using gestural…

Both senior volunteers and learning disabled preschool children benefitted from the Grandparents Read to Me Project in Lakewood, Ohio. Seniors rarely missed a session and the children began to select books over toys during free time and ask their parents to buy books and read to them at home. (CB)

Results of a case study designed to test the hypothesis that acting-out students would exhibit less disruptive behavior when grouped with "well-behaved" peers than when grouped with disruptive peers indicated that placement with well-behaved peers significantly reduced disruptive behavior, suggesting that grouping is an effective and nonintrusive…

Asserting that the biggest mistake educators can make is to set themselves up as experts vis-a-vis parents as amateurs, Barbara and William Christopher emphasize the importance of continued education for the autistic individual and relate their experiences with the educational community as they sought help for their autistic son. (JC)

Relationships among teachers, exceptional children, and their peers should be considered when determining causes of misbehavior and the strategies to correct them. Checklists outline possible teacher and student behaviors which contribute to student misbehavior, and such interventions as independent, dependent, and interdependent group…

The Optimal Learning Environments model, a center-based intervention approach for infants and toddlers with severe handicaps, has five basic components: (1) environments designed for severely handicapped young children; (2) use of microcomputers in instruction; (3) a transdisciplinary consultant-therapist approach; (4) individualized curriculum…

The article describes a model of paraprofessional placement in special education. The process involves four steps: (1) assessing needs and skills; (2) comparing role expectations; (3) resolving differences in perceptions of teacher and paraprofessional; and (4) writing individualized job descriptions. A list of resource materials for training…

A test on child development and parenting knowledge (with accompanying cassette) was developed and field tested with mildly mentally handicapped secondary students. (CL)

A "Father's Day" was created to promote fathers' participation in a preschool class for physically handicapped and developmentally delayed children. Planning and actual implementation are described along with suggestions for making the day a success. (CL)

Two educators describe the changes in a severely retarded, multiply disabled 12-year-old resulting from a functional curriculum approach. Assessment of his life needs and skills produced a new curriculum with emphasis on age appropriate interests. (CL)

Two activities are described which simulate for educators, papraprofessionals, parents, and students, learning problems encountered by students with special educational needs. The activities, modifications of Simon Says and Around the World, emphasize auditory processing skills and mental mathematical computations. (CL)

The article describes the procedures and variables involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating timeout with exceptional students. Among steps considered are defining the target behavior operationally, analyzing situations, and determining type of timeout and supervision. (CL)