Describes ways in which parents and professionals are working together to ensure that goals related to family support are translated into policies, programs, and services in the care system for children and youth with serious emotional disorders. Features a parent organizing project in Wisconsin. (RJC)

The first National Conference for Parents of the Handicapped (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1980) is summarized. Contents of 11 workshop presentations are described, including parents' roles as advocates, parental concerns, the influence of diet on behavior, genetics, in home respite care, legal issues, and parent coalitions and organizations. An…

This paper examines issues of special needs advocacy in an international context and describes BRUSH (Brussels Support for the Handicapped), an advocacy organization in Brussels, Belgium. The possibility that advocacy is a culturally determined concept is raised. BRUSH is a group of families from the international community of Brussels who provide…

The author describes the Parent Advisory Council for Exceptional Children of Baltimore City, an urban center program designed to increase active parental participation through formal and informal training which emphasizes Black student/parent rights and due process. Parents participate in a 6 week intensive training program with activities…

This study sought to determine if parents of gifted and talented learning-disabled children differed from parents of other gifted/talented children in their expectations of educational programming and parent-school relations. Subjects included 265 parents who were members of The Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County (Maryland) or…

A wide range of information pertaining to foster care and the role of foster parents is presented in this handbook. The nature of and the need for foster care are discussed briefly. Specific information is presented on the relationship of foster children to their parents, the court, their custodian and their guardian, and the process of becoming a…

This article discusses recent developments in the status of local, statewide and national advocacy groups and networks of parents of children with behavioral, mental and emotional disorders. Several groups of each type are described, along with lessons learned through experiences of local groups. Contact numbers for listed groups are offered. (PB)

The Parent Leadership Program team that created and facilitated a Local Liaison Learning Group between September 1998 and November 1999 gathered in mid-January 2000 to discuss what they had learned. The Learning Group was thought of by the Parent Leadership Program team as an applied research setting for investigating the conditions that support…

This article discusses cooperation between parents, family members, and professionals in advocacy efforts on behalf of students with emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders. Tips for parent-advocates and experiences of statewide parent networks are offered, as well as lessons and potential pitfalls experienced by professionals. (PB)

This packet consists of eight brochures which comprise a National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) program in parent education. Designed for parents of elementary school children, the brochures can be used at PTA meetings, for parent discussion groups or by individual parents interested in specific aspects of child rearing. Each brochure discusses…

Intended for parent and other advocacy groups interested in studying the quality of local public special education programs from a consumer perspective, the packet of information (in looseleaf format) provides an organized way of collecting information, reviewing it, and drawing conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the local program.…

Materials have been assembled in these appendices to provide practical help to Community Advisory Committees (groups composed of parents, handicapped pupils or adults, professionals, and interested citizens). Materials are grouped under the following headings: (1) Legislative Fact Sheets, (2) Parent Handbooks and Pamphlets, (3) Newsletters, (4)…

Discusses the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the opposition of representatives of the disability community to proposed amendments relating to disciplinary procedures for children with disabilities. Provides a summary of the debate between general education organizations and the disability community. (CR)

This directory contains information about 214 organizations that offer support, information, and other services to parents of seriously emotionally handicapped children and adolescents in the United States. The directory listings were compiled from information obtained through a 1985-86 survey of parent organizations conducted by the Families as…

This annotated reading list, directed at persons concerned with the needs of children in foster care, groups materials according to subject matter and special audiences. The booklet also includes job descriptions for four kinds of foster parents (temporary, emergency, specialized and permanent), outlining requirements and responsibilities for each…