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For children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional disorders and their families, education about their disorders and the treatments is an essential component of a comprehensive approach to their care. Education can encourage active participation in treatment, enhance adherence to treatment regimens, and provide patients and families with important coping skills. Thus, the Children's Medication Algorithm Project (CMAP) incorporated a psychoeducational program into the medication algorithm created to improve treatment of children with ADHD and/or depression in the Texas public mental health sector. This article describes the process by which a comprehensive educational program was developed in partnership with parents and advocates. The final program is described, as well as a pilot study to examine the feasibility of implementation in four community clinics. KEY WORDS: pshycoeducation; education; major depressive disorder; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Children's Medication Algorithm Project; treatment algorithm.

The effects of feedback on the acquisition and retention of mathematical fact series by elementary school students classified with mild mental retardation was examined in 4 studies. Immediate feedback was provided by either an educator or the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF AT), at the end of a test series by a review of correct solutions (delayed feedback), or for control purposes, with a Scantron form. Reductions in errors and inaccurate perseverative responding during intervention periods were higher, and the repetition of errors during maintenance test was lower, when feedback was provided by an educator in Study 1. These results were replicated and extended in Study 2 to the operation of subtraction. In Study 3, the concurrent presentation of both forms of immediate feedback was more effective than the presentation of either form separately. In Study 4, the adjunctive value of the IF AT to facilitate the teaching-learning process was established, with higher levels of independent learning and retention demonstrated when the IF AT was available. The IF AT, as a simple paper and pencil tool, can assist the educator through the provision of individualized performance feedback and the encouraging of students to continue responding while simultaneously promoting independent learning., The past 20 years have witnessed considerable changes in educational policies and practices related to instruction of students with learning difficulties (Hitchcock & Noonan, 2000). The number of students with [...]

An adolescent female with multiple handicaps and a long history severely disruptive behavior participated in a functional assessment linked directly to specific revisions in her school curriculum. During Phase 1, reversal designs were used to test hypotheses pertaining to antecedent and curricular influences on problem behavior. During Phase 2, a multiple baseline across afternoon and morning time periouds demonstrated that the curricular revisions were effective in eliminating severely disruptive behavior and increasing on-task responding. Data also showed that inappropriate 'psychotic' speech was reduced and appropriate social interactions were increased. Follow-up results showed that the changes were maintained throughout the school year. Questionnaire data provided social validation of the procedures and outcomes. The finding are discussed in relation to their implications for functional assessment, individualized curricula, and positive programming for students with disabilities and serious behavior problems. DESCRIPTORS: functional assessment, curricular revision, problem behavior