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The challenge of northern regions is becoming clearer every day. They have less to do with physical conquest of nature than with subtle social and political choices. The final response of our 'developed' and 'advanced' industrial nations remains uncertain, however. What is most remarkable may be the fact that despite different national traditions and geography, the challenges and responses are similar among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries surveyed here. The papers in this volume are each part-report and part-interpretation. Each is written by a specialist with many years of field study and reflection behind his or her comments. Each author was asked to think about current political and socio-economic issues in the north - the north of Australia, the north of North America and northernmost Europe. On 12 July 1990, all the authors spoke to their papers in a one-day forum where each could question the others. The northern public was invited to join us. The results stimulated the participants as well as many in the audience from whom we have had follow-up requests for more discussion, more information, etc. No more important role vis-a-vis the basic issues in northern life could be played by the North Australia Research Unit (NARU), Darwin.

These papers were delivered at the conference, Constitutional Change in the 1990s organised by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly's Sessional Committee on Constitutional Development from 4-6 October 1992 in Darwin. The editors have made only minor alterations, not affecting - we believe - the substance of the original papers. We have corrected typographical errors, deleted repetitions and rhetorical excursions appropriate to a conference paper but not to a proceedings, and attempted to obtain as much consistency of style and styling as possible. Most papers were written by the speakers and distributed at the conference. A few have been edited from typescripts. All papers have been shown to contributors before and after the final editing and final versions approved by them. Obviously these papers reflect a wide range of opinions and positions. Content and conclusions are not those of either the Sessional Committee, the North Australia Research Unit or the editors. Naturally, however, we are grateful to the authors for writing these papers, for the Sessional Committee for initiating the conference, the sponsors and supporters of the conference I and the Working Committee who planned the conference and the Conference Secretariat who ran the conference. In particular we would like to thank Graham Nicholson, Peter Jull, Yoga Harichandran, Nicole White and the staff of the Legislative Assembly who provided logistical support to the conference. Thanks are also due to Janet Sincock for the final wordprocessing and to Ann Webb for coordinating production.

Behavior states and related developmental and medical variables were observed during all or part of the first 4 years of life for 34 infants identified with severe cognitive and multiple disabilities. Eight infants died before 1 year of age. Extensive data were then collected for an additional group of 8 infants who were observed through the age of 4 years. Findings demonstrated emerging state profiles during this time period that were consistent with those found among older populations observed in previous investigations. Different behavior state profiles at age 4 years were indicated by several developmental skills in the first year of life. These results suggest the need for specific, early interventions with infants whose state patterns are inconsistent with optimal learning and development.

A review is presented of recent research on state behavior among children and youth with profound disabilities. A model depicting interactions of state with endogenous and exogenous variables is presented along with a discussion of the importance of state diversity potential to this analysis and considerations for investigating and understanding state organization patterns in this population. Applications of the model are illustrated through case studies of four students with profound disabilities who display different state patterns. Measurable attributes of state reveal major characteristics that define functionally profound disabilities and have important implications for intervention.

Behavior state is potentially a major variable that affects the level of alertness and responsiveness of persons with profoundly handicapping conditions. Two studies were conducted involving 50 students with severe, profound, and multiply handicapping conditions who ranged in age from 1 year and 8 months up to 21 years. In Study 1, behavior slate conditions for each student were observed across 20 sessions in classroom settings. Data were analyzed according to profile groups that reflected similarities and differences in behavior state conditions. The analyses also included short and long term measures of state stability. Results indicated that these stability measures further differentiated the profile groups. The data also showed that the students were observed to spend an average of 42% of their classroom time in slate conditions that were not judged optimal for learning. In Study 2, developmental, medical, environmental, and student characteristic data were compared statistically for the profile groups identified in Study 1. These results showed some different characteristics and conditions associated with each of the behavior state profiles. Overall results suggested that behavior state conditions have significant implications for the education and treatment of students with the most profound handicaps.

Implications of biobehavioral state measures for the assessment of students with profoundly handicapping conditions are discussed in relation to similar behaviors observed in infants and among persons recovering from severe head trauma. Data are presented showing different profiles in biobehavioral states among students with severe and profound disabilities. These profiles are compared with similar descriptions of physical and psychological functioning described in the head-trauma literature, with a discussion of similar education and intervention problems and the need for more exchange of information between special education and rehabilitation therapy for persons with severe neurological impairments. Additionally, biobehavioral state measures among persons with severe and profound disabilities are offered as a potentially valuable assessment tool with important implications for improved intervention strategies and future research directions.