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This study compared the knowledge and skill levels of urban and rural special education teachers across 13 emotional and behavior disordered (EBD) competency areas. Fifty-eight graduate students enrolled in special education courses at California State University at Fresno completed the Emotionally and Behaviorally Disordered Teacher Competencies Assessment, which measures teachers' perceived proficiency levels in 13 areas of competence. Approximately 58 percent of the students were employed as special education teachers under emergency credentials and 17 percent possessed a professional special education credential. Fifty-five percent were employed in urban school districts, while 42.6 percent were employed in rural school districts. Results indicate that both rural and urban teachers felt they were most skilled in managing the learning environment, instructional content and practice, and cultural and linguistic diversity. The lowest scores in knowledge proficiency for both teacher groups were related to transition, professional and ethical behavior, and community resources. Rural teachers indicated that learner characteristics and vocational competencies were their lowest skill areas, while urban teachers indicated that professional and ethical practices and monitoring and evaluation were their lowest skill areas. Although there were no significant differences between rural and urban teachers' competencies, this study indicates that special education teachers, in general, do not feel they have reached a level of mastery when working with EBD students. (LP)

This paper discusses differences between the Hmong culture and American culture and resulting implications for provision of special education services. The Hmong population in the Fresno County (California) area has consistently grown since 1977, reaching approximately 26,500 in 1990. The major reason that Hmong refugees settled in agricultural Fresno is that, both in China and later in Laos, agriculture was their mainstay. To insure survival, many of their legends and folklore focus on getting along and surviving within a majority group, while maintaining their independence and identity. The Hmong have cultural values and beliefs strongly rooted in ancestor worship, animism, and group reliance. Young Hmong children are held, carried, and allowed to develop in their own time. In contrast, American children are encouraged early in life to be independent and are expected to develop according to established developmental time tables. Additionally, religion and superstition play a big role in daily Hmong life. Traditional religious values are tied to the clan shaman and trained herbalists. The shaman's practice of medical and psychological diagnosis and treatments that leave marks on the skin can be misconstrued as child abuse. Because of language barriers and the Hmong belief that a child's current functioning is all that a child is capable of being, it is difficult to explain to parents the distinctions between a child's potential to perform and actual performance. This paper suggests that the coordination of a multidisciplinary assessment is critical to the eventual success of Hmong students with special needs. Additionally, the assessment and the individual education plan must consider critical cultural issues. Body marks from traditional healing practices are illustrated. (LP)

Describes a Wyoming summer institute that provided intensive training to regular educators on theory, concepts, and techniques for working with emotionally disturbed children. Program evaluation revealed that the institute was successful in training regular classroom teachers to meet the needs of emotionally disturbed children. (LP)

Three groups of visually impaired children--10 with rubella, 7 with retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), and 9 with blindness other than rubella or RLF--were observed for stereotypic behaviors. Ss were observed in four different environmental settings: classroom/instruction; mealtime activity/breakfast, lunch, or supper; physical education/movement activity; and unstructured leisure time. Findings suggest that sterotypic behaviors are not related to lack of vision but rather to the etiology of the condition and presence of additional handicaps. Rubella children performed a larger variety of stereotypic behaviors (primarily autistic-motility behavior) than did Ss in the RLF group. Environmental setting had a great impact on the manifestation of stereotypic behaviors among those SS who performed them, with unstructured leisure time appearing to invite more stereotypic behaviors among rubella children than classroom and physical education/movement activity. The relationship of neurological involvement with stereotypy was considered. (CL)