Early intervention services for very young children and their families under P.L. 99-457

This article addresses early intervention services for children, birth to kindergarten age, who experience developmental deficits and delays that may later be identified as learning disabilities. P.L. 99-457 is briefly reviewed with a focus on elements that emphasize family-centered practice. Vignettes are presented to illustrate interventive strategies that promote parent empowerment, and parent-professional and interagency collaboration.     

Repeat abortion

A reanalysis of the repeat abortion experience of New York City residents during July 1, 1970 to June 30, 1972 is undertaken on the basis of a probability model that generates repeat abortion ratios as a function of assumptions about fecundity, contraceptive efficiency, and exposure lengths. Tested are three hypotheses put forward by Daily et al. in a 1973 analysis: (i) the low repeat abortion ratio of .0245 is attributable in part to underreporting of registered induced abortions as repeat ones; (ii) a major part of the rise in repeat abortion ratios, from virtually zero to six percent over four consecutive six-month intervals, is explainable in terms of the rising volume of exposure time to risk of repeat abortion relative to the stream of initial abortions; and (iii) the higher abortion ratios of women in their twenties compared to those of older or younger women is ascribable to “differences in fecundity and intercourse frequency.” Support is found for the first two hypotheses, and a mixed outcome for the third.     

Health Behavior Change and the College Personal Health Class: A Multifaceted Approach

Abstract

Both the literature review and the results of a behavioral change project conducted at the University of Oregon indicate that health courses can bring about positive lifestyle changes when behavior is made a focus of the class. A multi-faceted behavioral intervention strategy was developed and used with 433 students enrolled in personal health classes during the fall term, 1983. At the end of the term, 23% of the students reported they were 100% successful in obtaining their desired behavioral changes. Another 40% reported they had just missed their goal. Overall, it appears the intervention was highly successful. More research is needed to validate the approach.     

Commitment of Private and Public Agency Workers to Child Welfare: How Long Do They Plan to Stay?

ABSTRACT

Method: Child welfare professionals completing training to work in foster care were asked about reasons for taking their child welfare position, commitment to their agencies, and commitment to child welfare. Analyses compared responses from new public agency foster care workers (N = 100), public agency workers making lateral transfers to foster care (N = 64), and new private foster care workers (N = 105).

Results: Private agency foster care workers were less committed to their agencies and to child welfare and more likely to have taken the position because it was the only one available.

Conclusions: The practice by public child welfare of outsourcing foster care services to private agencies needs to be evaluated. This practice may not benefit children in care and may create organizational problems for agencies.     

Social Network Analysis for Analyzing Groups as Complex Systems

ABSTRACT

The introduction and application of social network analysis, a method seen as superior to experimental or single-system research design for showing group change, examined group dynamics and change over time using a hypothetical example of an Internet group for gays and lesbians. Rather than utilizing traditional definitions of independent and dependent variables, the analysis utilized hypothetical data with nodes or individuals, ties, and the relationships they formed. The recently developed computer program NodeXL provided diagrams and statistics that demonstrated node and tie variation and individual and group development over time. Discussion demonstrated the utility of such diagrams for research and practice.     

Transcending Nations

While the literature on 'transnational advocacy networks' is beginning to unfold in different world regions, little attention has been given to cross-border organizing strategies that occur within borderlands as regions.In these spaces,networks can flourish through kinship, personal friendships, organizational coalitions, and official bodies. This article argues that cross-border organizing is a variant of 'local politics,' but that it presents far great obstacles than either transnational strategies or typical local politics due to multiple political institutions and ensuing complexity and accountability problems. At the US-Mexico border, other challenges emerge given economic poverty, limited civic capacity, and bi-national inequalities. This article provides a conceptual framework to compare cross-border organizing experiences with and without an institutional shroud that legitimizes activists'claims,exercises authority, and distributes resources.     

Maintaining the Gains: What Worked in the Year after Brief Family Therapy

Brief family therapy, including single session therapy, is widely used to provide a timely and responsive service for children with emotional and behavioural problems. However, there is surprisingly little information about how these children and families fare in the longer term. The brief family therapy program described here was directed toward children with problems of moderate severity. Child Behaviour Checklists (CBCL) were completed by parents before, three months after, and twelve months after therapy; 110 parents also participated in semi‐structured telephone interviews twelve months after therapy. Parents' CBCL ratings showed a significant decrease in children's problems after therapy, which were maintained over the subsequent year, although some children continued to experience difficulties. Parents generally found brief therapy a helpful experience. Ways to strengthen the preventive possibilities of brief therapy work will be identified at both a practical and conceptual level.