There can be no simplistic model of a “good teacher” - the perception of good teaching, like beauty, lies in the eye of the beholder and depends on the nature of the interaction between teacher and student (Batten: 1993, 13).

Autistic disorders are characterised by an absence of two way social interaction, an impairment in communication and a markedly restricted range of interests. Children with an autistic disorder often appear unmotivated and are prone to under utilise important environmental cues. Consequently they are often considered to be ponderous, callous and pedantic. Although debate still exists regarding the aetiology of the condition, a number of researchers (Leslie, 1987; Frith, 1991; Baron-Cohen, 1993) have proposed that what children with autistic disorders are displaying is a lack of “Theory of Mind” which prevents them from recognising that others have their own thoughts, beliefs and emotions. A discussion on the diagnosis of the disorder, with particular reference placed on Asperger’s Syndrome, is presented. Implications for educators and classroom intervention strategies are considered.

Children who are admitted to hospital for short or long periods of time are affected by the medical circumstances in which they find themselves, but they are also disadvantaged by their inability to continue attending their local schools. In many Western countries, hospital school services are provided to meet the needs of this group of special students. This paper overviews the development of hospital school services, the role they play in the medical and educational welfare of hospitalised children, and the importance of their existence in fulfilling the social justice goal of education for all students.

Behaviour state appears to be a powerful variable in students who experience the most severe and multiple disabilities, impacting upon the effectiveness of educational interventions and ultimately the quality of life experienced by individuals with such high support needs.

Most recently, research attention has been paid to the many qualitative dimensions of behaviour state and although at an early stage, such studies have allowed for the delineation of important influencing factors in state change as well as serving to stimulate many new avenues for further research.

This discussion paper will examine, albeit tentatively, the implications of current research in this area with respect to best practice, including aspects of curriculum design and professional development. How effectively does a functional curriculum articulate with the priorities and directions suggested by such research? How can teachers and others working in this area be supported in the provision of meaningful interventions which promote and produce increases in optimal behavioural states? The paper concludes by suggesting future directions for research and practice.

Apart from Iceland, Finland is the northernmost country in the world. Geographically it is one of the largest countries in Europe, but with only five million people it is one of the most sparsely populated. Like most other western countries, Finland has undergone a rapid process of urbanisation and change in occupational structure, although this did not begin until the 1940s. Nowadays about 65 per cent of the population live in urban areas (Statistics Finland 1991).

This study examined parent influence as perceived by gifted junior high school students and their parents. The 172 parents and their children ages 12 to 14 responded to parallel versions of the Parent Strengths and Needs Inventory which identified: (a) aspects of parenthood that are satisfying, (b) ways in which parents successfully perform their role, (c) the scope of teaching expected of parents, (d) difficulties with the obligations of parenting, (e) child behaviors which are frustrating to parents, and (0 information that parents need to know to function more effectively. Multivariate analysis of variance was utilized to determine the effects of generation of respondent, gender of parent, and child school performance on parent effectiveness. Analyses revealed significant main effects for all three independent variables. Interaction effects emerged for child school performance and parent gender. Implications are considered for planning parent education programs.