Reviews concepts and practices in the enhancement of peer relationships among young children in the context of play experiences with particular emphasis upon the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. Examines definitions and typical developmental patterns of social competence and offers some best-practice guidelines based on…

Presents information to facilitate ideal family involvement in early intervention. Strategies for conducting family assessments while building collaborative partnerships with families are presented. Characteristics which produce effective collaborative partnerships are reviewed, and the reality of working with families is presented through two…

This paper discusses assessment of autistic and deaf-blind children with such severe difficulties in communication that they are often labeled as untestable and subsequently misdiagnosed as severely to profoundly mentally retarded. It urges nonintrusive assessment and appropriate intervention as the most relevant procedures for helping this…

Research and literature on resilience characteristics are reviewed for applicability to individuals with learning disabilities. The lack of agreement in defining or describing resilience is noted and risk factors for a lack of resilience are identified. Strategies which successful, resilient individuals use are identified, with suggestions for…

This paper discusses research on cooperative learning, shows how it can help meet student needs in heterogeneous classes, addresses how to overcome potential problems, and offers implementation guidelines. It also provides a framework for initiating cooperative learning in ways that reduce or eliminate resistance. (Author/JDD)

This article describes common forms of relaxation training that can be used with at-risk or exceptional students in remedial, special education, or regular settings. In addition to reviewing salient research assessing the effects of relaxation training on reading achievement, attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, self-concept, stress, and…

The strategies instructional approach developed at the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities is described. The approach teaches students strategies in the academic, social, motivational, and executive functioning areas that will enable students to meet content learning demands and modifies instructional environments…

Problems are identified in adapting findings of laboratory-based cognitive instruction to mainstream classes. A metacognitive instruction model called Process-based Instruction (PBI) is then described. PBI recognizes the importance of interactions between student, teacher, and curriculum content and involves assessment, orientation, strategy…

Under the National Curriculum in the United Kingdom, children with learning difficulties will need to use transfer skills for various cross-curricular themes. To promote transfer, the use of cognitive strategies is recommended, including perceived similarity, analysis of the learning context, expert scaffolding, and detailed planning of practice…