The book presents the results of a survey of the daily life and attitudes of 90 English families with an adolescent with Down Syndrome (DS). The first chapter reviews the typical development of DS children. Chapter 2 provides demographic data including schooling (94% attended schools for children with severe learning difficulties), residence (83%…

The lack of appropriate assessment tools designed for deaf adolescents and young adults making the transition from educational programs to adult life is cited as one of the most glaring deficits in the field of deafness. The Transition Competence Battery (TCB) is being developed as an assessment tool that will guide individual training decisions…

A middle school program in Phoenix, New York, was planned to provide for trainable and low functioning educable mentally retarded students in an integrated setting. Cooperation between the planning team and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation resulted in a program for 13 students aged 11 to 14 with four major areas of concentration: social…

The manual describes a program in survival skills for use with delinquent youth. The program covers the following six areas of functional competency: interpersonal relations, occupational knowledge, consumer awareness, law, health, and community resources. The skills necessary for successful functioning are listed as communication, interpersonal…

The article describes a group counseling program in Manchester (England) to prepare physically handicapped adolescents for leaving the school environment. Weekly group sessions led by a social worker and classroom teacher focused on social and life skills training, including such components as student selection of session content, role play, and…

The Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange makes available its information resources to other organizations. This document, made available in English, French, and Swahili, is one such resource. The focus of this document is a comprehensive behavior change approach that concentrates on the development of skills needed for life, such as…

This guide was developed as part of a 4-year federally funded project designed to provide services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth with deaf-blindness in Kansas. The project included a pilot project on student portfolio development that documents longitudinally student accomplishments, needed adaptations, modifications, and…

Introduces articles presenting a cross section of current research activity on preparing foster youth for adulthood. Suggests it is vital to develop a knowledge-building agenda; that research efforts be prospective and programmatic rather than ex post facto, occasional, or sporadic; and that attention be directed toward testing and evaluating…

Summarizes findings from the National Evaluation of Title IV-E Independent Living Programs for Youth in Foster Care. With respect to education completion, young parenthood, and use of public assistance, discharged foster care youth more closely resemble 18- to 24-year-olds living below the poverty level than 18- to 24-year-olds in the general…

Describes a comprehensive, 10-part program that was designed to provide both career development and work experience for secondary school students. Argues that students need the opportunity to develop as many life skills and career planning competencies as possible so that they can take advantage of future opportunities. (RJM)

Liberty High School is a one-year transitional school in New York City dedicated to helping immigrant students feel welcome, adjust to their new environment, learn to read and write in English, and become self-assured. Led by a "hands-on" principal, the school specializes in life skills and free clinic referrals. (MLH)

Studied the social networks and daily activities of children and adolescents living or working on the streets of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Found that youngsters who lived at home and worked on the street appeared to be experiencing orderly development despite their impoverished circumstances. Youngsters who lived on the streets, however, showed…

Longitudinal evaluation of a substance abuse prevention program that involved older adults mentoring adolescents, community service activities, and school-based life skills education. Surveys of low-income 6th graders who participated in intervention, curriculum only, or control conditions indicated that mentoring resulted in significantly fewer…

Analyzes the impact of teen pregnancy on the education of Black adolescents. Examines the scope of the problem, its social context, and its consequences. Discusses several effective approaches to teenage pregnancy prevention, including sex/family life education, school-based health clinics, life skills instruction, school retention, and…

Compared competence of children and adolescents from two-parent families (N=201), one-parent families (N=89), and stepfamilies (N=55). Found that children in stepfamilies, compared with other groups, had lower reading ability, impulse control, and self-esteem, while children in two-parent families had lower level of everyday skills performance.…