A mother recounts how her kindergarten-aged daughter (who has severe cerebral palsy and is quadriplegic and nonverbal) is able to participate in mainstream school life with the assistance of an electrically powered wheelchair, an electronic speech output device, and a computer. (DB)

This article presents an interview with a mother using a new mobility curriculum with her 4-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy. The physical supports or prompts used in the MOVE curriculum are designed to facilitate the use of mobility skills, not to replace them. An overview of the curriculum is provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

This paper summarizes the recent advances achieved by research in the area of developmental disabilities, and discusses directions for future research in this area. Approximately 8 to 10 per cent of the pediatric population suffers from one or more developmental disabilities. The most common of these are learning disabilities, which include some…

In extensive interviews, an augmentative communication user with cerebral palsy (age 25) reflected on the effectiveness of devices designed for her during her school career. Among emergent themes were a disproportionate emphasis on "device usage" over "speech usage," allowing professionals to dominate the decision-making…

The parents of a wheelchair-bound nine-year-old child with cerebral palsy and little speech or communication ability describe the role of electronic technology in improving the child's life in the areas of mobility, communication, and education. (DB)

Comments on a study that reported the positive effects of a neurobehavioral intervention approach on motor skills of young children with cerebral palsy. Concludes that, in its current form, the neurobehavioral approach is only an initial step toward developing new methods for addressing challenging developmental concerns. (CR)

In this article, the mother of a young child with cerebral palsy discusses how she worked with service providers to help organize efforts to educate church volunteers so that her daughter could participate in her regular child toddler class along with her sister. Classroom adaptations are discussed. (CR)

In a letter to her six-year-old's kindergarten teacher, a parent discusses the child's (who has cerebral palsy) use of communication devices for expressive language and ways in which the teacher can help the child adjust and learn in such areas as "wait time," spontaneous conversation, and peer relationships. (CB)

Parents describe how the Disabled Students' Program at the University of California-Berkeley supported their daughter with cerebral palsy in pursuing an independent college career. Two vignettes describing college students' (with muscular dystrophy and physical disabilities) adjustment at Boston University are presented. (CB)

This response to Parette et al. concerning the use of degree of involvement (DOI) in determining appropriate related services for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities proposes a standard for using limited resources judiciously based on the principle of "only as special as necessary." (DB)

A case study explores the attitudes, opinions, and concerns of the parents of a cerebral palsied adolescent (as well as the views of the affected public and private school administrators) concerning the decision to allow their son to move from a private to a public high school environment. (JW)

Comments on a study that reported positive effects of a neurobehavioral-intervention approach on motor skills of young children with cerebral palsy. Discusses problems associated with contrived research situations and urges researchers and practitioners to join together to design and investigate the effects of new interventions. (CR)

This booklet presents excerpts from interviews with siblings (ages 10-28) of persons with a range of handicaps, including Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, deafness, autism, seizure disorder, genetic disorders, and mental retardation. It is arranged in order from the youngest person interviewed and continues through…

Studies of the degree of involvement (DOI) and its relationship to therapeutic intervention effectiveness and related services for young children with cerebral palsy were reviewed. Three dimensions of DOI: (1) brain damage and mental retardation, (2) functional motor ability, and (3) emotional disturbance and behavior problems were reviewed. The…

Maintains that parents of a handicapped child, for example, a child with cerebral palsy, are "walking a tightrope." Successful intervention with the disabled child in the classroom is possible only when there is strong teacher-parent communication. This position is illustrated by an account of a parent's personal experience. (BB)