Stress and burnout contribute significantly to the shortages of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). At the request of the Utah State Office of Education, the researchers measured the stress levels of 97 school-based SLPs using the Speech-Language Pathologist Stress Inventory. Results indicated that participants? emotional-fatigue manifestations, instructional limitations, biobehavioral manifestations, lack of professional supports, and total stress were significantly below that of the original national sample. However, of the 48 survey items, participants? responses indicated more stress in three specific areas, namely, case load size, salary, and the use of prescription drugs. Caseload and salary have been identified in other studies as major sources of stress for SLPs. No significant differences in stress were identified with the type of school district (rural and urban), number of years? experience, or number of students served. Efforts to reduce stress levels of SLPs should be aimed at increasing supports, reducing caseloads, and increasing salaries.

Background: Worldwide, 78,000 children develop type 1 diabetes annually with European cases increasing every year. In the United States, 215,000 children under 20 years of age have type 1 diabetes and over 6.5 million adults with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes need daily administration of insulin. Misunderstanding the complexity of diabetes management on the part of health care providers can affect their attitudes and negatively affect patient outcomes. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore family nurse practitioner and undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of diabetes management while using an insulin pump in order to more effectively prepare them to understand the complexities of diabetes management faced by patients with diabetes and, therefore, provide better patient care.
Methods: Nurse practitioner and undergraduate students, who participated in a week long diabetes simulation experience, were asked to participate. Consents were obtained allowing analysis of journals detailing their experiences. The journals were analyzed for common themes according to qualitative methodology.
Results: Three themes emerged from the data: 1) handling self-management issues, 2) living with an insulin pump, and 3) gaining an appreciation for those who live with diabetes. Self-management subthemes included making dietary changes and monitoring blood glucose levels. Making dietary changes included carbohydrate counting, eating a balanced diet, and not snacking all day. Issues related to the monitoring of blood glucose levels included the pain of poking their fingers, difficulty getting enough blood, forgetting to check blood glucose, and not wanting to check blood glucose in front of people. Living with an insulin pump subthemes included learning where to wear the pump, having the pump get in the way, interfering with daily activities, including changing clothes or using the bathroom, interfering with intimacy, and having to change the needle site. Subthemes of gaining an appreciation for those who live with diabetes included having empathy for patients related to complying/not complying with treatment regimes, understanding the inconveniences of required lifestyle changes, and obtaining support from others having the same experience.
Conclusions: Diabetes requires many lifestyle changes. Study participants cited an increased understanding of the hassles and inconvenience of living with diabetes, particularly dietary changes, monitoring blood glucose, and living with an insulin pump. Undergraduate and graduate nursing students caring for patients with diabetes would benefit from a similar simulation experience in order to gain an understanding of the complexity of diabetes management and learn ways to help their patients. Nursing faculty should consider implementing a similar simulation experience in their curriculum.

Results of three focus groups identifying issues facing educators who advocate for special education students are presented. Findings indicate that special educators regularly advocate for students with special needs but believe that there are risks, both personal and professional, associated with advocacy. Additionally, participants suggested that training was needed in the areas of special education law, communication skills, collaboration and conflict resolution, and teacher advocacy. Participants felt a need for support in their advocacy efforts from school administrators and professional organizations.

AIM: To explore if young people with higher and lower levels of metabolic control of type 1 diabetes have different perceptions about their lives and illness. BACKGROUND: Adolescence through emerging adulthood is a developmental stage made more challenging when the person has type 1 diabetes. Little research has investigated if individuals with high and low levels of metabolic control in this age group perceive their disease differently. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive. METHODS: In this study, 14 participants, ages 11-22 years were interviewed in 2008 about their perceptions of living with type 1 diabetes. Through a process of induction, major themes were identified. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Participants with high and low metabolic control levels reported similar themes related to reactions of others, knowledge about type 1 diabetes, and believed healthcare providers used authoritarian interactions. However, high metabolic control level participants believed type 1 diabetes would be cured; had negative initial responses to being diagnosed; rarely received parental support in managing their diabetes; and were negligent in self-care activities. Participants with low metabolic control levels did not believe a cure was imminent or have negative responses to being diagnosed; received parental support in managing diabetes; and were diligent in self-care activities. CONCLUSION: Nurses should give information to young people with type 1 diabetes beyond initial diagnosis and help and support this age group learn appropriate ways to manage their disease, develop positive relationships with healthcare professionals, and participate in interactions with others their age successfully managing type 1 diabetes.

Although many authors have identified guidelines in the evaluation and subsequent selection of contemporary children's literature, few have studied how individuals with mental retardation and autism (MR/A) are depicted in children's literature. Dyches and Prater (2000) took a unique approach in creating evaluation guidelines based not only upon general literary standards, but also with regard for the portrayal of individuals with disabilities (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Leal, 1999). Based on the Dyches and Prater guidelines, characterizations and plots in eligible children's books published during 1997 and 1998 were evaluated. Twelve books are discussed in detail, in terms of each guideline. The results showed that there was inconsistency in the books, in terms of the themes that emerged: (a) characterization and positive portrayal, (b) relationships, (c) changes in characters without MR/A, and (d) changes in characters with MR/A. Special topics that were present in the books are also discussed: schooling, recreation, and residence. The characters in the books were portrayed as making more choices in their lives, and were educated in more inclusive settings, than characters in books in an earlier study by Prater (1998). The conclusion highlights the use of this study as the basis of an international award for children's literature that includes characters with mental retardation and/or autism.

Authors of this qualitative descriptive study interviewed 21 adolescent siblings of children with Down syndrome (DS) who also had additional health problems rated as requiring extensive care by parents. Analysis revealed positive/negative aspects of the experience; however, participants emphasized the positive rather than negative experiences and focused more on the fact that the child had DS rather than health problems requiring additional care. Most said they would not change anything about their experience and did not believe the child with DS would ever live independently. They did, however, acknowledge their family was affected by the caregiving needs of the child which often required extra vigilance or specific care depending on the health problem. Information gained can help improve understanding of adolescent sibling perceptions about living with a child with DS who also requires additional care because of ongoing health problems so more appropriate and individualized nursing interventions can be provided.

Thirty-one adults with type 1 diabetes participated in this qualitative study to explore reasons why they were willing (had an open attitude) or unwilling (had a closed attitude) to disclose diabetes-related information to others. Participants (61.3% female, mean age 38.48 years, mean duration of diabetes 21.94 years, 100% white) answered open-ended questions about living with type 1 diabetes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded to identify major patterns that emerged in the data. Reasons for open attitudes included support from others, confidence and feeling comfortable, feeling normal despite diabetes, seeking to educate, and feeling that it was not a major concern to share information with others. Reasons for closed attitudes included fear of discrimination, misunderstanding from others, embarrassment and shame, and feeling that it was not a major concern to share information. A higher number of participants reported open attitudes after diagnosis than at initial diagnosis; a lower number of participants reported closed attitudes after diagnosis than at initial diagnosis. Professionals should consider effective forms of type 1 diabetes–related education to reduce diabetes misconceptions and discrimination against diagnosed individuals. This may help individuals feel more open and willing to adhere to and seek assistance with their diabetes-related self-care.

A study investigated perceptions of five junior high general-education teachers and three special education teachers participating on a collaborative inclusion team. Both general and special-education teachers were positive about the inclusion and the teaming and believed the arrangement provided a rich learning environment for students with disabilities.

Successfully working with children with special needs is a unique challenge — but so is effectively working with their parents, siblings, and other family members. This helpful and engaging first edition text helps the reader understand every aspect of collaborating with and communicating with families of children with disabilities, from offering skills and strategies for success, to outlining the legal and ethical implications of educators’ work with special needs families.

Timely and thorough, Working With Families Of Children With Special Needs takes a close look at the individual needs of different families, including families struggling with aging special needs students, families with diverse backgrounds, and families with differing perspectives on special needs education. In addition, the text provides the reader with an array of helpful learning tools and aids.

As many children first encounter individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) through characters in children’s literature, these individuals must be depicted authentically. Using descriptive analyses, we evaluated 38 books written for children and adolescents (11 picture books, 17 chapter books) for their portrayals of characters with developmental disabilities, comparing the portrayals against those published in three previous studies. All books considered were eligible for the 2018 Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Data were analyzed regarding personal portrayal, social interactions, and exemplary practices. Results indicated that most characters portrayed have ASD (80%) and the majority are male (65%). Generally, characters with DD are portrayed positively and realistically, but many remain static throughout the stories. They engage in positive social relationships and are included in integrated settings. Implications for educators, authors/publishers, and researchers are provided.

Parent perceptions and attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities into general classrooms have been mixed. In this qualitative study, the parents of 17 students with learning disabilities and 1 student with behavior disorders were interviewed following the first year of a junior high inclusion pilot program based on teacher and student collaborative teams. Twelve response categories are identified. Parents recognized personal attention for students and positive attributes of teachers as strengths of the program and increased student self-esteem as a positive outcome. The results indicate that the majority of the parents were supportive of the program and wanted it to continue.

Adults who have lived much of their life with type 1 diabetes have learned lessons that can benefit health care providers (HCPs), families, and young people who live with the condition. This study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the challenges of growing up and living with type 1 diabetes from adults who have experienced those challenges and to recommend strategies for parents, caregivers, and HCPs who work with children or adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Thirty-five adults with type 1 diabetes participated in this qualitative study consisting of two in-depth interviews with each participant. Six themes emerged: 1) It’s not who you are, 2) Don’t let it limit you, 3) Get involved in diabetes support groups, 4) It’s going to be OK, 5) Teach them; don’t scare them, and 6) Don’t single kids out. Through hindsight and the more mature perspective of adulthood, study participants were able to share valuable insights that could inform the efforts of those who work with or care for younger people with type 1 diabetes.

Educational professionals agree that traditional preservice preparation has been inadequate in preparing educators to teach culturally and/or linguistically diverse students. Reasons for this lack of preparation are generally identified as an insufficient number of diverse teacher candidates and poor infusion of culturally competent practices across programs. Most universities and colleges have responded to these needs, but neglect the need to improve faculty members’ own cultural competence. We present the journey taken by one traditional special education teacher preparation program to increase the number of diverse candidates enrolled, infuse cultural diversity competence across the program, and improve faculty members’ sensitivity and appropriate responses toward cultural differences.

In order to discover if differences or relationships exist between religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships, 111 parents raising a child with a disability (CWD) and 34 parents raising typically developing children independently completed self-report questionnaires assessing religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships. Parents raising typically developing children scored higher on private and public religiosity and marital satisfaction than parents raising a CWD; mothers scored higher on religiosity variables than fathers. Mothers’ ratings of spirituality and family type (disability or typically developing child) predicted their ratings of marital conflict. Higher spirituality and raising typically developing children were associated with higher ratings of marital satisfaction for both mothers and fathers. However, spirituality also moderated the relationship between private/public religiosity and marital satisfaction only for fathers. This information helps improve interventions for families raising CWD and adds to the literature on the interplay of religiosity/spirituality/marital relationship.

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to use photography to capture important symbols in the lives of 17 siblings living in families raising a child with Down syndrome (DS). The siblings used disposable cameras to take photographs over a two-week time period of what was important to them. Content analysis discovered the photographs could be categorized into two major categories: people/non-people. Photographs in the people category included snapshots of family members and friends. Photographs in the non-people category were of important objects (toys, books, electronics), animals (domestic and non-domestic) and buildings (house, school, church). Stories about the photographs reflected experiences siblings had with people/non-people in the snapshots, as well as everyday activities. Results validate the importance of gathering data from children using qualitative methods and confirm the use of photography as one of these methods.

The consequences of bullying are both widespread and severe. It disrupts learning, threatens school safety, and poses long-term emotional repercussions for bullies, victims, and bystanders. Although multiple strategies have targeted bullying, bullying must be understood within a social contextual framework beyond the bully-victim dyad. Davis and Davis (2007) emphasize the importance of focusing on the broad base of bystanders, strengthening this vast majority of students to speak up and take an active stand against bullying. To this end, bibliotherapy is recommended as a potential tool to address these factors and to create positive, supportive, and inclusive classroom environments. Although frequently used by mental health professionals as an activity aligned with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and play therapy, bibliotherapy is also recommended for teachers and parents as a teaching aid to address social skills and normal developmental challenges. Grounded in principles of CBT, bibliotherapy supports classrooms in promoting and modeling desired social interactions. In turn, the majority of children--bystanders--will be empowered to actively take a stand against bullying. Reading carefully selected bully-themed literature and participating in related discussions and activities strengthens core prosocial messages and builds classroom unity against bullying. Additionally, stories help school psychologists and teachers initiate important classroom discussions about friendship, kindness, and conflict resolution. (Contains 12 resources and 5 online resources.)

Parents of children with disabilities are at risk for high stress and low marital quality; therefore, this study surveyed couples (n = 112) of children with Down syndrome (n = 120), assessing whether respite hours, stress, and uplifts were related to marital quality. Structural equation modeling indicated that respite hours were negatively related to wife/husband stress, which was in turn negatively related to wife/husband marital quality. Also, wife uplifts were positively related to both wife and husband marital quality. Husband uplifts were positively related to husband marital quality. Therefore, it is important that respite care is provided and accessible to parents of children with Down syndrome.

Special education faculty members at Brigham Young University voluntarily participated in a four-year professional development program centered on increasing their cultural responsiveness. The program was particularly needed at the time given the recent increased cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) in the local schools and the university’s acquisition of a grant to support CLD teacher candidates completing the special education and English as a Second Language (ESL)/bilingual licensure programs. Overall professional development goals included preparing all special education faculty to (a) become educated in the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE) standards, (b) be knowledgeable about current issues in multicultural special education, (c) identify and infuse cultural competencies into courses and fieldwork, (d) be trained is ESL observation techniques, and (e) become familiar with and respond appropriately to the unique needs of CLD teacher candidates. Faculty committed to 16 hours of professional development each year. Activities included guest presentations by faculty internal and external to the university, faculty discussion groups, interviewing the CLD teacher candidates, and observing in ESL classrooms, among other activities. During the fourth year, faculty designed individual professional development plans with self-selected goals and activities. At the end of the fourth year the faculty members were interviewed regarding their perceptions of these experiences. Generally they found them to be very valuable with the teacher candidate interviews having the most impact. Additional future steps include reviewing course syllabi and observing university classrooms to ensure the knowledge gained is being implemented, followed by observing the cultural competence of teacher candidate graduates in K-12 classrooms.

Here’s practical help for mastering the process of developing and writing quality individualized education programs (IEPs). This best-selling, essential resource includes step-by-step instructions backed by examples, practice, and feedback to help users gain the critical skills and knowledge they need to write effective IEPs, meet the standards of IDEA, and ultimately plan for students with disabilities. Guide to Writing Quality Individualized Education Programs includes an easy-to-understand summary of IDEA 2004; a workable organization of the IEP process into seven manageable steps; explanations, modeling, practice, and feedback for mastering each step of the process; and a brief procedural summary at the end of each step.

The new edition features the latest information and references to help readers as they work through the process in such areas as:
Recognizing and referencing IEPs for a variety of disabilities, genders, and grade levels.
Basing IEPs on required state or core curricula.
Phrasing goals that address standards, while also meeting the needs of students performing below-grade level.
Understanding the role of Response to Intervention in addressing needs in the general classroom.
Learning how the No Child Left Behind Act affects high-stakes testing for students with disabilities.

Ideal for teacher candidates, in-service educators, parents and other IEP team members, the guide can be used for whole group instruction, out-of-class assignments, or as independent study.

Increasing numbers of students in U.S. schools are at greater risk of school failure because of social, economic, and family stress factors. Teachers can use literature as bibliotherapy for both children and adolescents to create a safe distance, allowing them to deal with sensitive issues related to these problems, as well as to teach social skills that can then help prevent school failure. In this article, the authors present a 10-step process for implementing bibliotherapy in the classroom and provide a sample of juvenile books that could be used in bibliotherapy.

Newbery books represent quality literature that has a profound social-emotional impact on its readers, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty-one Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975–2009 were identified and portrayed 41 main or supporting characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using the Rating Scale for Quality Characterizations of Individuals with Disabilities in Children’s Literature. Results indicate the representation of Newbery characters with disabilities is not proportionate to the current U.S. population of students with disabilities. Further, racial representation portrayed in these books is not representative of the students receiving special education services. Trend analyses indicate that overall the portrayal of characters with disabilities is increasingly positive. School personnel are encouraged to select appropriate books for their instructional or bibliotherapeutic purposes. Authors are encouraged to include dynamic, exemplary, and memorable characters who are representative of today’s school population of students with disabilities.

Using family systems theory as a theoretical framework, we investigated direct and indirect associations between type of disability, caregiver burden, and sibling relationships with structural equation modeling. We recruited 172 families raising typically developing children or a child with a disability. Participants volunteered at meetings and workshops for families of children with disabilities and were also recruited through snowball sampling. Mothers and fathers independently completed self-report questionnaires on caregiver burden and perceptions of the sibling relationship. Mothers experienced higher levels of caregiver burden than fathers. Parents of children with autism reported higher levels of caregiver burden than parents of typically developing children. Mothers of children with Down syndrome and multiple disabilities reported more positive sibling relationships than mothers of typically developing children. Mothers' and fathers' perceptions of caregiver burden were negatively related to their perceptions of the sibling relationship. Caregiver burden mediated the relationship between having a child with autism and positive sibling relationships. Results indicate the benefits of using a systems framework in examining families raising children with disabilities. Future research should focus on interventions for families of children with disabilities that help alleviate parental burden and foster positive sibling relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study was to explore the meaning of being a sibling using Parse's human becoming perspective. Twelve children between 5 and 15 years of age with a younger sibling with a cleft lip and palate or Down Syndrome participated. Through semi-structured interviews and the use of art, children talked about their experiences. Major themes portrayed the complex and paradoxical nature of being a sibling. The themes also revealed that having a sibling with special circumstances includes some unique opportunities and challenges. The finding of this study is the descriptive statement, being a sibling is an arduous charge to champion close others amid restricting-enhancing commitments while new endeavors give rise to new possibilities. Implications for nursing are discussed in the context of understanding being a sibling.

BACKGROUND: Past research focused on the effects of raising a child with autism spectrum disorder on families. However, most research examined parents' perspectives rather than siblings' perspectives. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive design was to use photo elicitation to capture perspectives of siblings living with a child with autism spectrum disorder.
METHODS:
Fourteen siblings (nine male) of 13 children with autism spectrum disorder received disposable cameras with 24-27 colour exposures, and were asked to photograph what was important to them within 2 weeks. After developing snapshots, investigators interviewed siblings about their photographs, and used open, axial and selective coding to determine photograph categories and subcategories.
RESULTS:
Two major categories were found: people (family members, non-family members) and non-people (personal items/objects, animals, buildings, scenery). Interviews about photographs reflected experiences siblings had with people/non-people in the snapshots and their normal everyday activities. Most photographs revealed family life and activities any sibling would experience whether or not they lived in a family raising a child with autism spectrum disorder.
CONCLUSIONS:
Photo elicitation facilitates communication between children and health-care professionals, and provides information about living with a child with autism spectrum disorder from the sibling's perspective. This information contributes to our knowledge base and allows development of specific intervention plans for siblings of these children.

Based on the Dyches and Prater (2000) guidelines, characterizations and plots in 34 eligible children’s
books published during 1999-2003 were evaluated; 36 characterizations are discussed in detail in terms of each
guideline. Results showed that, compared to a previous study (Dyches, Prater, & Cramer, 2001), characters
with developmental disabilities made more deliberate choices, were educated in more inclusive settings, were more
accepted in their communities, and served in more helping roles; and more commonly the disability was only one
of many character traits. Also a wide age spectrum was portrayed, and several characterizations represented
people from minority races or cultures. Over half of the characters with DD had autism spectrum disorders, and
almost half of those characters had Asperger syndrome.

[...] concentrating on schoolwork and completing homework are the two most common problems in school-aged children with OCD (Piacentini, Bergman, Keller, & McCracken, 2003). Because obsessions interfere with concentration, students with OCD often perform below their potential on such academic tasks as reading and computation (Adams, 2004; APA, 2000). [...] more people will read a book to help themselves than will visit a mental health professional (Norcross, 2006); therefore, school professionals should have knowledge about books to recommend to families who are living with a child with OCD.

Children with type 1 diabetes need to monitor their blood glucose and food intake, administer insulin, and participate in physical activity during school hours. School concerns for this group include school personnel, the medical directive plan, classmates, school lunches, and physical education classes. Nurse practitioners should take an active role in advocating for improved T1DM management in schools by talking with patients and their parents about experiences in school, identifying challenges and discussing possible solutions for improving diabetes management during school hours, and accessing online resources to assist patients, parents, and school personnel.

To develop independence and self-responsibility in students With autism, traditional intervention techniques have focused on the acquisition of academic learning and adaptive skills of language and communication and the reduction of behavior problems. The critical question is, Will these traditional foci of intervention Work for multicultural students With autism? These students have triple-layered problems—they are culturally different, they may be linguistically different, and they have an exceptionality that is loaded With behavioral repertoires. Apparently, these challenges make it imperative for general and special education practitioners to look for Ways to educate multicultural learners With autism. In this article, the authors present culture-specific strategies for meeting the educational needs of students With autism. In addition, they relate these strategies to current efforts to prepare teachers and other professionals to assist students and their families.

This article provides current information relevant to school social workers who serve students with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including how OCD is defined in children and adolescents, the impact of OCD on schooling, issues in identifying students with OCD, and effective interventions. The authors offer suggestions for collaboration among school personnel and families and for linking school with home. Finally, they present recommendations for educating peers of students with OCD.

Researchers suggest that video-based interventions can provide increased opportunity for students with disabilities to acquire important academic and functional skills; however, little research exists regarding video-based interventions on the academic skills of students with autism and intellectual disability. We used a multiple-baseline-across-participants design to investigate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) on the mathematics skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Four adolescent male students viewed videos of themselves on an iPad solving mathematical problems to estimate the amount of money used to pay for a given item and the amount to receive in change. Findings support a functional relationship between VSM and performance on math skills for each participant. Subsequently, the VSM was systematically faded during maintenance sessions, with little deterioration of skill. Follow-up data probes were interpreted to conclude that student characteristics may affect retention of skill. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The professional literature provides ample evidence that individuals with autism exhibit a myriad of unusual social, communication, and behavioral patterns of interactions that present challenges to their families and service providers. However, there is a dearth of quality works on multicultural issues regarding autistic spectrum disorders. In this article, we explore issues surrounding autism and multiculturalism, with the intent not to provide answers but to raise questions for further examination. We focus our discussions on two primary issues: autism within cultural groups and multicultural family adaptation based on the framework of pluralistic societies in which some cultural groups are a minority within the dominant culture. We found differences in prevalence rates across races for autism and little information regarding how multicultural families adapt to raising a child with autism. Further, students with multicultural backgrounds and autism are challenged on at least four dimensions: communication, social skills, behavioral repertoires, and culture. Future research in these areas is clearly warranted.

Aim. The aim of this study was to describe what children and adolescents know and want to know about type 1 diabetes, from their perspectives.
Background. Research indicates that young people?s knowledge of diabetes may minimize their health complications, because with greater knowledge they may engage in more effective management practices and adherence.
Methods. In this qualitative study, a purposive sample of 58 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes were interviewed regarding their perceptions of what they knew and wanted to know about their disease (data collection completed in 2005). Through a process of induction, major themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews.
Findings. The six major themes included: (a) Care, including both physical and emotional care, (b) Physiology, (c) Consequences, including both short- and long-term, as well as positive and negative consequences, (d) Cure, (e) Effects on the Family, and (f) Experience at Diagnosis. Themes related to the unique challenges associated with type 1 diabetes also emerged.
Conclusions. Nurses, diabetes educators, and parents should provide developmentally appropriate information for diabetes care and management, scaffolding on existing knowledge. They should provide child-centered contexts in which children and adolescents can freely ask questions about their condition and problem-solve. Programs that allow youth to develop coping skills and share experiences could also prove beneficial.

Researchers suggest that video-based interventions can provide increased opportunity for students with disabilities to acquire important academic and functional skills; however, little research exists regarding video-based interventions on the academic skills of students with autism and intellectual disability. We used a multiple-baseline-across-participants design to investigate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) on the mathematics skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Four adolescent male students viewed videos of themselves on an iPad solving mathematical problems to estimate the amount of money used to pay for a given item and the amount to receive in change. Findings support a functional relationship between VSM and performance on math skills for each participant. Subsequently, the VSM was systematically faded during maintenance sessions, with little deterioration of skill. Follow-up data probes were interpreted to conclude that student characteristics may affect retention of skill. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Although considerable research exists concerning families raising children with disabilities, relatively little work has examined the linkages between parent and sibling functioning. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the relationship between parental perceptions of family functioning and school-aged siblings' social skills and problem behaviors. A purposive sample of 78 sets of parents and their school-aged children participated. Half of the families were raising a child with a disability, and half of the families were not raising a child with a disability. Mothers and fathers completed the Porter-O'Leary Scale and Bloom's Family Functioning Measure. Teachers of the school-aged children completed a modification of the Gresham and Elliot Social Skills Rating System. Results indicated siblings of both groups demonstrate more social skills than problem behaviors, and siblings of children with disabilities were higher in cooperation and self-control than siblings of children without disabilities. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed fathers' perceptions of family conflict and external locus of control orientation, and mothers' perceptions of marital conflict predicted externalizing behaviors for female siblings of children with a disability.

Because characters with developmental disabilities (DD) in children?s books are often the first images many children encounter, their accurate and multidimensional portrayal is critical. Therefore, the depictions of characters with DD in 41 children?s books were analyzed. These books were eligible for the biennial Dolly Gray Children?s Literature Award, and were published between 2004 and 2007. Data were analyzed for four main themes, namely characterization, relationships, changes in characters, and special topics. Trends across this and two previous studies (Dyches, Prater, & Cramer, 2001; Dyches & Prater, 2005) include an increasing number of books published annually, increasing numbers of characters with DD who are culturally diverse, more positive portrayals, characters who are being more self-determined, engaging in more caregiving and teaching roles, and enjoying more inclusionary recreational activities. Recommendations for future authors and educational services providers are provided.