Chronic absenteeism and truancy are pervasive problems that may lead to tremendous adverse outcomes for students. All states have compulsory school attendance laws, and school districts have established compulsory school attendance policies. Principals and truancy officers are tasked with meeting the state-mandated policy to reduce chronic…

This article adds to an ongoing conversation in gerontology about the importance of training and involving older people in research. Currently, the literature rarely distinguishes between the one-off involvement of older citizens in research projects and the development of research groups led by older people that sustain over time as well as the…

Parents of children with severe disabilities face many challenges. They must adjust to the changes in family dynamics, educational decisions, and the long-term implications of the severity of the disability. This action research project provides a detailed look into the lives of four families of children with severe disabilities. The parent…

This article draws upon, but also critiques, activity theory by combining analysis of how an activity theory derived research intervention attempted to address both everyday work practices and organisational power relationships among children's services professionals. It offers two case studies of developmental work research (DWR) interventions in…

Applied Bronfenbrenner's social ecology model to families that include a member with a developmental disability and who are making the transition from institution to community. Presents an overview of the model as well as a discussion of counselors' use of it in providing services to families in this situation. (RJM)

Based on his experiences as the leader of Vermont's Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and a transition researcher, the author describes why transitions from institutional settings to less restrictive ones are often unsuccessful. Also offers suggestions, including wraparound, for reversing this problem. (Author/MKA)

This article illustrates the feasibility of using the public agency caseworker (even if inexperienced) in a treatment role to deal with a child's adjustment to separation. (CS)

Rural America has been experiencing dramatic changes and is becoming an increasingly diverse society. To explore the process by which rural schools define and work towards change, case studies were conducted on two rural schools that have established unusually strong links with their communities. Information was collected by personal interviews…

This report describes the outcomes of a Wyoming program that provides host families for individuals with developmental disabilities. Host families work with certified Medicaid providers of home and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities and provide residential habilitation to an adult who is accepted as a member of…

Profiles rural single-parent father family through three case study surveys. Focuses on fathers' adaptation to change, their use of outsider resources, and specific needs. Suggests services be seen in context of common rural economic stress. Suggests approaches and social services for these and other rural families. (TES)

The authors discuss the problems of children's foster care in Lithuania in the context of European dimensions. The article consists of two parts. The first part presents the main changes in the children's care system in Lithuania. The first part reveals the discussion of the paradigm of children's foster care in both the Western and Lithuanian…

This module is part of a training program for foster parents and foster care workers offered at Colorado State University. The module's learning objectives address: (1) the organization of a social services foster care system; (2) the functioning of human systems and the rules governing their operation; and (3) the difficulties complex systems…

This handbook is designed to assist instructors in training human service workers who come into contact with older adults. The 250 case studies are actual cases collected by research staff in the field. Suggestions are offered for a variety of methods the instructors may use in presenting the cases. Recommendations are made for forming working…

This is a continuation of "Funding of Assistive Technology to Make Work a Reality" (Work and AT), Article # 3 in this Policy and Practice Brief Series. This article will review the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a particular emphasis on how the ADA can be used to ensure that a person with a disability has…