Autistic adolescents need direct, systematic training of social skills since major difficulties in communication, lack of empathy, and various changes during adolescence present major roadblocks to the acquisition of normal peer relationships and increasing independence. A case study approach was utilized to examine treatment effects of a social skills training program implemented with four autistic adolescent boys in a naturalistic setting. Findings based on objective measures and subjective reports indicated that each subject made gains in targeted social skills over the course of treatment. Treatment strategies such as modeling, coaching, roleplaying, one to one instruction, and in vivo procedures were found to be effective teaching techniques. Major benefits and limitations of the study were discussed.

This study evaluated the school psychologist's perception of effective models of consultation based upon referral problem and parent, teacher, and student response to treatment. Analyses of covariance determined that (a) parents' receptivity and total number of teacher contacts significantly influenced the parents' response to treatment; (b) teacher receptivity and total number of parent contacts significantly affected teachers' response to treatment; (c) students' response to treatment was significantly affected by the model of teacher consultation and the average number of minutes spent with the school psychologists; and (d) students in a Mental Health consultation group responded significantly more favorably than s tudents in Behavioral or Collaborative consultation groups.

A total of 60 school psychologists and educational diagnosticians across Texas completed a survey to identify the instruments used to screen and diagnose learning disabled (LD) students, and to identify the criteria on which the final diagnosis and placement of LD or non-LD is made. The results of this survey indicate that consistent methods and criteria are not being used for identifying children as LD within the state. Many of the instruments currently used may not be technically adequate for use with a LD population. Implications of the use of inconsistent criteria, inadequate screening and assessment measures are discussed.

Investigations of children's spatial ability have typically looked at performance on laboratory tasks, and none have examined differences between learning disabled and non-learning disabled children. The present study surveyed sixty-seven parents of third and sixth grade children about the types of spatial activities children engage in everyday. Parents of learning disabled and non-learning disabled children were included. Results provided information about the types of spatial activities children engage in and the relationships between participation and performance. Major findings included differences between learning disabled and non-learning disabled children in navigational ability and in the strategies employed in difficult or ambiguous spatial situations. Findings were discussed in terms of the influence learning disabled children's negative self evaluations have on their performance.

115 undergraduate students were surveyed to see if attributional style would be different for individuals with alcoholic parents, depressed parents, or neither factor. Subjects were sorted into the three groups based on their responses to a family history questionnaire. Each subject filled out two attributional style questionnaires, the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) and the Attributional Style Assessment Test (ASAT-II). The three groups did not differ on attributional style for interpersonal, noninter- personal, or general situations. Within the adult children of alcoholics group, subjects reported that their successes in interpersonal situations were due to their strategy and effort, rather than ability, more so than for noninterpersonal successes.

It is now known that autism is a lifelong handicapping condition. While some of the characteristic behaviors of autistic children remain unchanged in adolescence and adulthood, there is evidence that other behaviors change as a function of development. Assessment instruments for identifying autism are generally intended for use with. young children and may not accurately assess autism in adolescents. Two studies compared autistic adolescents with matched autistic children and nonautistic adolescents on two autism rating scales. The validity of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale for use with adolescents was supported while the validity of the Prescreening Checklist was questioned. The findings were discussed in relation to the age-related changes which occur in autistic adolescents.

Periodic fluctuations in women's emotions during the menstrual cycle have been a continuing topic of research and discussion. The current study was designed to determine if premenstrual syndrome conditions in female teachers have any effect on reported classroom misbehavior and infractions. Subjects were twenty-one faculty members presently employed in the capacity of teachers in a public middle school. By utilizing a teacher's daily behavioral checklist, along with student misconduct reports, the changes in teachers' moods and behavioral symptoms over the menstrual cycle were studied in relation to reported student infractions. Based on the results of this study, it appears that menstrual cycle fluctuations have no recognizable impact upon a female's classroom demeanor and her ability to discipline in a professional manner.

For many years, educators and psychologists have attempted to define the strength of the relationship between self-concept and school performance., A productive approach may be to investigate academic self-efficacy. In the present study, data were collected for students at an alternative high school on the Measure of Academic Self-Efficacy (MASE), Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR), number of weeks spent in the program, and various descriptive and behavioral measures. Correlations were computed to attempt to demonstrate that participation in an alternative program analogous to participant modeling is associated with increases in academic self-efficacy and internal attributions for educational events, and that these gains are associated with improved academic outcomes.

A comparison of contingent word and phonics drilling exercises on oral reading errors was made and the effects of a work skipping contingency on reading comprehension were examined. Five learning disabled elementary school children served as subjects. Reading comprehension increased from 30 to 50% over baseline, while subjects progressed an average of two years through a reading series. Subjects responded differentially to the two drills on oral reading errors, but the combined effects of the drills produced a 50% average reduction in errors. Pre- and post-tests of reading achievement showed increases in reading grade levels ranging from .8 to 1.5 years during the 10 week, 30 session study. Results supported the efficacy of a behavioral approach to reading remediation.

A number of authors have suggested recently that the behavioral characteristics and self-perceptions of learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children are so similar as to negate the fruitfulness of trying to differentiate between these two groups. These characteristics are quite similar for the two special education groups when they have been compared independently of each other to regular education students. In order to provide support for these prior studies, the self-concepts and locus of control of 36 learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and regular education students were compared. A significant difference was found between the LD and RE students in terms of self-concept only. No significant differences were noted between the ED and RE students. These results are discussed in relation to the somewhat conflicting results of prior studies with implications for future research.

This study investigated the level of trust of whites and self-esteem as a function of reported exposure to racial discrimination. It was hypothesized that participants reporting high levels of racial discrimination would be less trusting of whites and have lower self concepts than those reporting low levels of exposure to racism. A total of 84 undergraduates were administered three measures designed to assess the amount of exposure to racial discrimination, self-esteem and cultural mistrust. No relationship was found between extent of exposure to racial discrimination and level of self concept. However, mistrust of whites among blacks was found to be related to frequency of exposure to racial discrimination.

The present study investigated the relationship between indicators on the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test and acting-out behavior shown by 58 male and 40 female adolescents in a behaviorally oriented, alternative educational program, Acting-out behavior was measured by assessing the number of timeouts students received during their first 25 days in the program. Two Bender composite indexes were calculated--l0 emotional indicators recommended by Koppitz and 12 indicators believed related to acting-out behavior or control problems. Results found that the index of Bender acting-out indicators correlated with number of timeouts. The Koppitz index did not correlate with timeouts, suggesting lack of internal consistency. Five individual indicators correlated with number of timeouts.

Although most research has focused on adults, studies indicate that children also experience detrimental psychological effects as the result of natural disasters. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the tornado which struck Wichita Falls,, Texas, on April 10, 1979, had any negative effects on the academic performance or social behavior of school children. Three groups of students were studied: (a) victims of the tornado who suffered a significant loss, (b) observers of the disaster who did not suffer a significant loss, and (c) newcomers who arrived after the disaster. Achievement test scores, grades, and attendance over a 4-year period were studied. The overall results do not indicate significant differences among the three groups.