Competency based modules are presented for educating paraprofessionals to work with severely and multiply handicapped persons. Objectives, suggested learning activities, and performance criteria are listed for six modules (sample subtopics in parentheses): human growth and development (prenatal influences); orientation to disability and…

Interactive group activities help leaders make knowledge come to life for youth. Special tips for leaders to help youth acquire life skills. There is added attention to safety and subject matter throughout the series. This guide is designed for adults and older youth and includes individual meeting guides as well as a variety of information and…

The transition from school to adulthood is a pivotal time in the lives of all students. For a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), change of any kind can be challenging. A transition as momentous as this can seem daunting indeed. Thoughtful planning, good information, and open communication will help parents work with their young adult and…

The Secretary of Special Education of Puerto Rico has been searching for ways to offer appropriate special education services for young people between 13 and 21 years of age whose educational level does not allow them to benefit from current prevocational or vocational services. At present groups are being organized to offer services for…

This report deals with essential life skills for young adolescents. At present, there is a need to formally and systematically teach middle and junior high school students life skills for surviving, living with others, and succeeding in a complex society. An introductory section is followed by a discussion of early adolescent development and life…

The Occupational Therapy Independent Living Skills (Transition) Program was established to serve students with severe behavioral, learning, and physical disabilities and to serve as a setting for occupational therapist training in transition programming. This manual describes this model pupil personnel training program, which prepares occupational…

The guide presents information on technical aids that can assist children with disabilities. Information on aids, materials, equipment, and adaptation is presented for the following topic areas: the child's room (bed, chairs and tables), the bathroom (toilet); clothes (dressing and undressing); the kitchen-dining area (eating and drinking,…

This guidebook is intended to aid adult basic education teachers in the selection of audiovisual resources designed to teach living skills to low-functioning adults. The first section describes effective use of audiovisuals, preparation of a lesson incorporating audiovisuals, and lesson plan uses of media. Two audiovisual evaluation forms are…

Twenty-one papers address issues related to competitive employment of persons with mental retardation. The papers are grouped into four distinct sections having the following headings: general papers, transition from school to work, parent involvement, and behavioral training strategies. The individual papers are as follows: "Critical Values in…

Intended for adolescents, the booklet presents case studies of eight teenagers and their friends to illustrate views of ability and disability. Recounted experiences focus on attitudes and feelings of students with learning disabilities, epilepsy, spina bifida, visual impairments, mental retardation, deafness, and mental illness. Narratives center…

This book is a resource for human service professionals with detailed information necessary to start, maintain, monitor, assess, and reevaluate a program targeting independence. It describes the Whole Life Program, an interdependent apartment program combined with continuing education for adults with developmental, physical, and emotional…

This guide for teachers contains two articles and four sample lessons on teaching English as a second language (ESL). The first article presents an overview of planning an ESL curriculum which includes coping skills, emphasizing the necessity of teaching language as it is used in everyday life, not just the classroom variety found in textbooks.…

Based on pioneering work at a school in Sheffield, England, this book explores the universal issues of access and inclusion in employment and education for children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It describes the challenges educators faced in establishing and running an integrated resource room for children with ASD within…

Schools are uniquely qualified to play a significant role in preventing violence. In order to assist school officials in choosing the most successful strategies, this guide presents a comprehensive assessment of the 84 most widely used school violence prevention programs in the country. In the introduction, the extent of the problem of school…

This booklet discusses the importance to adolescents and adults with mental retardation of learning how to respond correctly to the many variations in home, work, and community activities in order to be successful in integrated settings. The difficulties individuals with mental retardation have in generalizing skills learned in one situation to a…