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Parents who are knowledgeable of special education are more likely to engage in their child's education. Parents seek information about special education from a number of sources including State Departments of Education (SDEs). However, little is known about the web-based special education resources SDEs provide to parents. We sought to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of SDE websites and special education resources. Two-thirds of SDEs provided special education resources in a parent-designated section of their website. The number of resources provided varied greatly by state and the majority of resources were specific to conflict/dispute resolution. Future research should explore how information provided can best support increased parental knowledge to improve parental engagement. Limitations and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential care has been criticized for its high cost and limited research evidence. While recent studies and reviews of the literature suggest that a number of evidence-based practices are being implemented in residential care settings, more research is needed to develop and test empirically based practices that can be successfully implemented in residential care. In this article, we offer a promising strategy to address this issue: a long-term research partnership between a large service provider agency and a university-based research center to conduct a program of research which has resulted in translation of evidence-supported practices into service provider programs, contributions to the science of residential care, and training opportunities for young applied scientists to specialize in this important work. This evolving program of research includes four core applied research topic areas in which this collaboration has had some ongoing success: program and practice implementation fidelity, therapeutic process factors, aftercare, and psychotropic medication use. We suggest that this type of long-term collaborative research partnership is an approach for others to consider for conducting research that informs effective residential care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study conducted to compare parent and family teacher ratings of perceptions of aftercare services for youth. Participants in the study included parents of youth undergoing treatment in a residential Treatment Family Home (TFH), and family teachers working at the TFH. The study concluded that large number of differences were identified between family teachers and parents, due to which treatment providers should increase communication between them.

The prevalence of weight problems among youth in general and youth in out-of-home care has been well documented; however, the prevalence of obesity/overweight among youth with high-incidence disabilities in more restrictive settings, such as residential care, has not been assessed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of weight problems in 245 youth with learning disabilities or emotional disturbance at entrance to residential care. Youth intake files were examined to evaluate the association between youth demographic characteristics, medical conditions, prior placements and placement settings, medication usage, and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems and clinical weight problems. Findings revealed that over one half of the youth were overweight or obese {50.6%), and weight problems were associated with gender, medical conditions, and age. Study limitations, future research efforts, and treatment implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, there has been an increased need for the development and use of psychometrically acceptable measures to assess the behavioral and emotional strengths of young children served in statewide preschool and Head Start programs. One measure developed to address this need is the Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS), which is a strength-based instrument designed to evaluate the behavioral and emotional strengths of preschool children aged 3 to 5 years old. In a previous study with a nationally representative sample, researchers found that (a) the items of the PreBERS can best be described by a four-factor structure model (Emotional Regulation, School Readiness, Social Confidence, and Family Involvement), (b) the subscales and total measure have highly acceptable levels of internal consistency, and (c) differences were obtained for levels of strength for preschool children with and without disabilities. The findings of this investigation replicate these previous results with a national sample of children (N = 962) enrolled in Head Start programs. Confirmatory factor analysis and analyses of internal consistency and criterion validity provide support for the use of the PreBERS with children served in Head Start programs. Study limitations and implications are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This review examines interventions intended to improve the literacy functioning of adolescent students with emotional and/or behavior disorders. Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria and included a variety of interventions designed to affect a variety of literacy areas, including spelling, writing, and reading fluency. Findings from these studies indicate that, overall, several different intervention types produced increases across areas of literacy functioning. However, both participant and setting characteristics were poorly described and were not representative of the population with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. The lack of research on interventions to increase adolescent literacy limits the generalizability of the results to a broader population. Considerations for practice implications and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for academic failure. Although studies have evaluated the effects of medication on academic outcomes, the literature on non-medication interventions has not received equal attention. This review examined 41 studies that evaluated the impact of non-medication interventions on the academic functioning of students with ADHD. The findings revealed that a broad range of traditional and nontraditional interventions has been used to improve students' academic outcomes, yet systematic lines of research were clearly missing. Moreover, important demographic and descriptive information, such as participant characteristics and classroom settings, were often poorly defined and generally did not reflect the current population of students with ADHD. Despite some indications of promise, significant limitations in the literature allow for few conclusions about intervention effects and generalization. Further systematic research is needed to determine which academic intervention methods hold the most promise for children and youth with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As prevention and early intervention opportunities for young children at risk of emotional disturbance (ED) increase, questions regarding the effectiveness of these programs for specific subpopulations of children have emerged. To date, few investigators have examined young children entering early school prevention/intervention programs to determine if clear subpopulations can be identified, and if so, which characteristics are most distinguishing. This study examined the risk factors of 140 kindergarten and first-grade students, identified by teachers as at risk of ED, to determine if distinct profiles exist. Cluster analysis procedures using teacher, child, and parent reports of family, academic, and social/emotional data revealed five distinct clusters: Parent nominated (n = 24), Elevated risks (n = 43), Primarily behavior (n = 25), Primarily academic (n = 27), and False positives (n = 21). Validation techniques revealed that the five clusters were distinguished by clear profiles, which differed across level of severity (i.e., high or low levels of risk per domain) and primary focus of risk (i.e., academic, social/emotional, or familial). Similarities and differences across cluster groups, possible implications for targeted prevention or early intervention programs, study limitations, and directions for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current recommendations for the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) call for a multimodal approach including a combination of medication, behavior modification, school accommodations, and ancillary services. One method that has been proposed as an effective and efficient means for increasing students' attention and academic productivity is self-regulation. This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of the literature on the use of four self-regulation interventions (self-monitoring, self-monitoring plus reinforcement, self-management, and self-reinforcement) for children with ADHD. Combined effect sizes for these four treatments were greater than LO for on-task behavior, inappropriate behavior, and academic accuracy and productivity, indicating that self-regulation interventions are effective for children with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review conducted a comprehensive examination of the current state of the literature on the academic status of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The authors examined the literature to assess (a) student characteristics, (b) placement settings, (c) academic subject areas, and (d) measures used to assess academic achievement. Second, when possible, the functioning level of students was examined. Third, trends in the research over the past 4 decades were assessed. Although several investigators have researched the academic status of these students, significant limitations exist in the research, including incomplete reporting of student information, inadequate research on specific academic skill sets, and limited numbers of studies assessing students served in general education settings. Implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which assessed the outcomes of a supplemental daily Direct Instruction reading curriculum and fluency building program on reading skills of students at risk for emotional disturbance and reading deficits. Academic status of students with emotional disturbance; Details of the intervention research; Importance of direct instruction to reading skills of students.