ABSTRACT:

This article provides a case study (focus on an eighth-grader with autism) within a case study (focus on an urban middle school) in terms of the implementation of positive behavior support (PBS). Information is provided on the characteristics of three key components of schoolwide PBS-universal support, group support, and individual support. For each component, information is presented on policy, assessment, and intervention in terms of an evolving approach to schoolwide PBS with descriptions of how the components were implemented at the middle school with a particular emphasis on the eighth-grade student. The authors conclude with implications for practice in terms of assessing current resources, providing professional development, and intensifying universal support within urban schools to address some of the complex issues associated with poverty.

In keeping with the previous Families SIRG special issue, the call for papers was very broad and there is no particular theme beyond the description of new quantitative or qualitative data on families of children or adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Thus, in the papers published here, we have a fascinating range of material with variation along a number of dimensions. First, there is variation in research method showing how different approaches can be used to study questions relevant to understanding and supporting families of people with IDs. There are two qualitative and  quantitative methods, several surveys and a study using secondary analysis of a large dataset. Second, there is variation according to the location of research teams indicating the health of research in this field internationally. In this issue, we have five papers from Australian groups, five from the USA and two from Europe. Third, the family members studied include parents and siblings. Finally, researchers have addressed a very broad range of factors that might affect family members' well-being and experiences. These include: lifespan and transition issues, socio-economic variables, ethnicity, behaviour problems, personality variables, and marital relationships.We believe that this collection of papers helps to represent the range and quality of research relating to families of people with IDs, and hope that the research findings are of interest to readers of the journal. These papers clearly underscore the central role that families play in adjustment of individuals with IDs and the need to include them as partners in management. In addition, it is clear that families deserve research and practical attention in their own right. We would like to thank the authors who submitted their work for the special issue, reviewers who gave of their time to provide comments on submitted papers, and to JIDR and Blackwell's editorial staff for their support in the preparation of the special issue.