Alfred Hirshoren

Dimensions of problem behavior in deaf children.

The Behavior Problem Checklist was completed by the teachers of 192 deaf students who attended a special day school for the deaf. Three separate factor analyses were performed. Four factors that correspond to the dimensions found in earlier research and previously labeled conduct disorder, personality problems, immaturity inadequacy, and socialized delinquency were found. An additional factor labeled passive inferiority was also extracted.

Readability, Human Interest, and Completeness of 15 Special Education Survey Texts

Hofmann and Vyhonsky (1975) on the reading ease and human interest of books used in introductory courses in psychology and educational psychology, we thought it timely to assess the same factors in textbooks used in introductory survey courses in special education. Gillen (1 973). using the Flesch Reading Ease method, reviewed 34 introductory psychology texts. He found that one was rated as very difficult, 29 as difficult, and 4 as fairly difficult. Using The Flesch Human Interest method, 10 were rated as dull, 19 as mildly interesting, and 5 as interesting. For 36 introductory texts in educational psychology, Hofmann and Vyhonsky (1975). also using the Flesch methods, noted that 8 were rated very difficult, 25 difficult. and 3 fairly difficult. On the human interest score, 32 of the 36 educational psychology texts were ranked in the dull category, with the remaining 4 texts ranking in the next higher category, mildly interesting. The Flesch method (1949, 1951). used in both studies, determines reading ease through a procedure which measures length, Le.. the longer the words as measured by number of syllables and the longer the sentences, the more difficult the reading level. Human interest is determined by the percentage of personal words and sentences. Klare (1974) provides evidence for sentence length and word length as a valid measure of readability. The value of the human interest score or its converse, dullness score, in determining the interest value of the writing is open to question since scientific and academic writing style, at least in this country, tends to be quite impersonal by design. The 15 books concerned with exceptional children selected for this study include all the major books published in 1970 or later which were available to the authors and which (a) attempt a Readability, Human Interest, and Completeness of 15 Special Education Survey Texts

The Prevalence of Behavior Problems in Deaf Children.

The appropriateness of the Behavior Problem Checklist for deaf children has been established in various studies. The objective of this study was to use the Behavior Problem Checklist to assess the prevalence of behavior problems in deaf children and to compare these results to earlier studies of behavior problems of hearing and hearing-impaired children. A lesser prevalence of behavior problems was found than in some earlier studies of deaf children. Results were somewhat more consistent with past findings regarding children with no hearing problems. Comparisons by sex found, as in earlier studies, that boys tended to evidence more behavior problems than girls.

Public School and University Teacher Training Programs for Behaviorally Disordered Children: Are They Compatible?.

The findings from a survey of public school programs for behaviorally disordered children are presented suggesting that a majority considered their theoretical focus to be behavioral. If a majority of university teacher-training programs in behavior disorder also consider their primary theoretical focus to be behavioral as previous research suggested, then the two would appear to complement each other. Another portion of the survey, however, indicated that the pragmatic approaches to treatment found in public school behavior disorders programs cover techniques reflecting a wide variety of theoretical models. Consequently, there exists a mismatch which prevents maximum effectiveness in both teacher training and service delivery for behaviorally disordered children. It was concluded that university teacher training programs should reflect a more eclectic stance by carefully synthesizing assorted theoretical components into a composite which meets the diverse pragmatic demands of public school programs for behaviorally disordered children.1

Programs for Adolescents With Behavior Disorders: the State of the Art

Services for adolescents with behavior disorders are undergoing a rapid growth as a result of P.L. 94-142. A survey of programs for this population of children was accomplished, with responses obtained from all 50 states and 3 additional service units. Trends and problems in the development of services for these children are discussed.

Intercorrelations among tests of general mental ability and achievement for black and white deaf children.

The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of two measures commonly used to predict school achievement of black and white deaf children. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and the Hiskey-Nebraska Test of Learning Aptitude correlated significantly with Stanford Achievement Test scores for 23 black children but not for 36 white. Even though the groups differed significantly in WISC-R Performance IQ, Hiskey learning quotient, and in CA, they did not differ in achievement level. While the WISC-R and Hiskey appear to have some predictive validity for the black sample, the findings of no differences in achievement suggest little practical validity of these measures for grouping or placement or for making administrative or instructional decisions.

The reliability of the WISC-R performance scale with deaf children

Though the Wechsler tests are widely used to assess the intellectual ability of hearing impaired children, data on the reliability of the WISC-R with this population have been lacking. The Performance Scale of the WISC-R was administered to 59 prelingually deaf children attending a state-supported day school program. The reliability coefficients and standard errors of measurement were computed for each subtest and for the Performance Scale IQ. The results compare favorably with those found by Wechsler with the standardization sample.

Comparison of discrimination and reproduction tests of children's perception.

A test of visual form discrimination independent of motor ability was constructed and compared to a test of visual-motor reproduction (adapted from the Geometric Design subtest of the WPPSI) to determine if the two were measuring the same processes. A correlational analysis was made between the numbers and kinds of errors occurring on the two tests when administered to 42 normal 5-yr.-old nursery school children. While results indicated that children who did well on the reproduction task also tended to do well on the discrimination test (r = −.55), there was little relationship between the kinds of mistakes made on the two tests, even though the same geometric figures were involved. Implications for the assessment of perceptual ability in young children are considered.

THE USE OF THE BEHAVIOR PROBLEM CHECKLIST WITH GREEK DEAF CHILDREN IN CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH*

Abstract The Behavior Problem Checklist was completed by teachers of 127 students who attended a state supported school for the deaf in Athens, Greece. Analyses were performed which generated three, four, five, and ten factors. The biographic variables of sex and age were also included in some of the analyses to determine their effect, if any, on the factor structure. Results of the analyses were compared to analogous results for U.S. deaf children and Greek hearing children. Three factors which correspond to dimensions found in earlier research and previously labeled conduct problem, personality problem, and inadequacy-immaturity were found. Overall the Greek deaf children tended to have problem behavior patterns similar to the U.S. deaf and Greek hearing as well as other populations. It was apparent that these patterns for the Greek deaf children were largely independent of the deafness handicap and differences in cultural background.

On bandwagons and the education of the severely and profoundly retarded: A response to Reger

The authors take issue with Regers (1978) response to their position on alternatives for the education of the severely and profoundly retarded. Their position continues to be that only through seeking alternatives other than the dispersal of this population in the public schools can an appropriate education be provided.