Ena Vazquez Nuttall

Survey of current practices in the psychological assessment of limited-english-proficiency handicapped children

Abstract This article discusses current psychological and educational assessment practices used with elementary school limited-English-proficiency (LEP) children, as revealed by a nationwide study of 21 local education agencies (LEAs) that had LEP handicapped children mainstreamed in bilingual education classrooms. Data were obtatained through telephone and personal interviews of bilingual and special education directors, inspection of documents, and site visits. The testing approaches most frequently used with LEP students were the common culture approach (which relies on nonverbal measures) and translated tests. In many of the LEAs, translations were done while testing was in progress. An average of 12 psychological, language, and educational tests were used with each LEP child. The assessment instruments used were not normed on LEP populations. Only a third of the LEAs studied were incorporating multicultural pluralistic approaches in their assessment procedures. The professionals involved in the assessment of LEP children were the same as those used for English-speaking children except that they were bilingual. Most of the LEAs reported serious shortages in bilingual assessment personnel. LEAs have tried to cope with this problem in various ways, including the use of trained or untrained interpreters, the use of central teams or contracted professionals, and the use of nonverbal tests administered by nonbilingual personnel. However, many children remain to be assessed, and LEAs have been forced to establish priorities.

The Only Child Grows Up: A Look at Some Characteristics of Adult Only Children.

There is considerable empirical and anecdotal evidence of negative stereotypes of the only child. The only child has often been characterized in terms of such traits as selfishness egotism dependence loneliness and unsociability. Research on young children has in general failed to find such characteristics related to the only-child status. This study was designed to extend knowledge about only children by examining a group of adults in terms of a number of important life outcomes. Data were obtained from a sample of 537 white intact married couples residing in middle to upper-middle class communities near Boston. In the sample 70 wives and 62 husbands were only children. Compared with other first borns with siblings and with individuals of higher birth orders only children were found to have higher educational levels higher occupational status smaller families and to be more secularly oriented. Female onlies were more likely to be working to have planned their families before marriage and to have been more autonomous in deciding to work. The three groups did not differ in terms of perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. They were also similar in their social activities and in the ways their children viewed them as parents. The data thus do not support the notion that only children are emotionally or personally handicapped by their lack of siblings. (authors)

Child-Spacing Effects on Intelligence, Personality, and Social Competence

Summary The effect of child spacing and family size on intelligence, personality, and social competence were studied in 533 suburban, middle class children in large (five or more) and small (two-child) families. Spacing was measured as to the next oldest sibling (Space-Old) and to the next youngest (Space-Young). Spacing measures were trichotomized into three categories: close (18 months or less), medium (19 to 30 months), and distant (more than 30 months). Standardized intelligence scores, the Test of Effective Academic Motivation, the Cattell High School Personality Questionnaire, questions about their participation in clubs, level of occupational aspiration, job orientation, and other personality scales were used. In corroboration with the Zajonc and Marcus model, the more closely spaced younger child was found to be less intelligent. However, these closely spaced children were also found to belong to more athletic teams, to be more interested in getting a job, and to be more ambitious occupationally. ...

Views of the Family by Chinese and U.S. Children: A Comparative Study of Kinetic Family Drawings.

Abstract Family drawings of 106 Chinese (Peoples Republic of China) and 92 U.S. elementary school children are compared. Chinese children depicted parents and grandparents in their drawings more frequently than did their U.S. counterparts. This pattern of drawing on the part of the Chinese reflects their tendency to perceive themselves foremost as members of nuclear and extended families. In contrast U.S. children expressed a greater sense of individualism and of independence from their families. Watching TV and studying were the most frequent activities for the Chinese, posing for portraits and playing for U.S. children. This greater emphasis on studying reflects the fact that Chinese teachers demand more homework than their U.S. counterparts. In summary, the drawings reflect social values and norms of the two cultures.

Parent-Child Relationships and Effective Academic Motivation.

Summary Among 233 boys and 300 girls, all teenagers, it was found that traits related to achievement from the Test of Effective Academic Motivation were related to parent-child relationship factors from the Childrens Report of Parental Behavior Inventory. For both sexes, parents who were perceived as being more Acceptant and as using less Hostile Psychological Control tended to have children with higher achievement traits. This was especially true for the traits of Obedient and Law Abiding, Works Hard and Effectively, and Ambitious. For boys, but not for girls, parental Firm Discipline was also associated with these achievement traits. There were no statistically significant differences in the correlations observed between same-sex and opposite-sex parent-child relationships and the achievement related traits.

A Longitudinal Study Predicting Heroin and Alcohol Use Among Young Puerto Ricans

Substance usage patterns obtained in 1975 by interview were predicted from data collected in 1968 by questionnaire from 657 young Puerto Ricans residing in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Parental correlates of drug use among young Puerto Rican adults.

A study was conducted by interview with 635 young Puerto Rican adults in Puerto Rico. Half of the sample were selected as high risk of heroin involvement, half as low risk. Parent-child relationships and parental usage of alcohol and cigarettes were related to five indices of heroin involvement. For boys, maternal acceptance was negatively associated with having ever tried heroin. Higher levels of maternal control were associated with lesser heroin use, never having tried heroin, less knowledge of heroin-related vocabulary, and fewer friends who had used heroin. Being the mothers favorite child was associated with less approval of heroin use. For boys, paternal acceptance was related to less knowledge of heroin vocabulary. Higher levels of paternal control went with less heroin use, less knowledge of heroin vocabulary, never having tried heroin, and few friends who used heroin. Paternal discipline was related to fewer friends using heroin. For girls, maternal control was associated with less knowledge of heroin vocabulary, maternal discipline with fewer friends using heroin, and being the mothers favorite child went with low heroin use, low approval for heroin use, and few friends using heroin. For girls, paternal acceptance and paternal discipline were associated with fewer friends using heroin. Maternal smoking and drinking were associated with increased usage of heroin for her son.