The McLellan County (Texas) Cooperative for Exceptional Children emphasizes vocational training in community settings as well as domestic skills through the Living in Functional Environments program. Community-based instruction improves the transition not only to employment but to independent living and community participation for youth with…

This article discusses the importance of competence in functional skills for developing the social skills, friendships, and perceived quality of life in students with severe disabilities. The need to include functional skills instruction in general education settings is emphasized and methods of providing community based instruction are provided.…

This article describes using service learning to provide inclusive community-based instruction and functional skills training to students with disabilities. The history of service learning, types of service, and components of service learning are addressed, and a case study of service learning in an inclusive classroom is provided. (Author/CR)

Purpose: We examined differential effects of cognitive impairment on each of the activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) tasks. Design and Methods: In a 3-year follow-up of community-dwelling elderly persons in Azuchi, Japan, we assessed cognition by using the Hasegawa Dementia Scale. We examined (a) the…

To investigate the feasibility of a physical exercise programme with treadmill for persons with Rett syndrome (RS) in order to promote fitness and health. A daily training programme on a treadmill was designed for four females with RS over a period of 2 months with tests performed in three intervals, at time 1, 2 and 3, 2 months apart with…

This curriculum guide, in Spanish, consists of a compilation of concepts, activities, and skills for the student with disabilities who receives services from the special education programs of Puerto Rico. Lesson plans cover the basic principles of nutrition, food handling, and food preparation for adolescents. The following units are presented…

The guide lists math objectives needed for independent living by secondary special education students. One of a series of Project CAST (Community and School Together) life skills manuals, the guide outlines basic competencies in terms of goal statements, behavioral objectives, and specialized vocabulary for the following areas: money, making…

This product consists of a manual, gameboard (with two sides), card decks (with addresses for starting point and destination), and manipulatives (four game pieces, flag marker, cut-out game pieces--people and bus). Only the manual has been processed and filmed here. This product presents a language-based approach to teaching map, transportation,…

The manual examines three teaching programs designed to help special needs young adults cope with the normal demands of living in the community. Instruction is provided in college-based and community-based facilities by a course team. Three basic programs cover communication skills, self-help, and work experience. Each program includes information…

The document reports the rationale, goals, objectives, and activities of a Bergen County (New Jersey) program to appraise students in the sheltered workshop relative to prevocational and vocational strengths and needs and to prepare students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for functioning semi-independently in sheltered…

The author states that far too little has been done about teaching handicapped adolescents the specifics of coping with stressful situations. Training should begin in childhood and be designed to be effective in a variety of settings and with many different types of people. (Author/KC)

Presented are examples of academic, social, daily living, and motor skills that might be targeted for observational instruction for students with handicaps. At each of three phases of development (acquisition level, fluency level, and generalization level), suggestions are offered on choosing what to teach and deciding how to teach. (JDD)

Guidelines are proposed for development of early intervention educational goals and objectives that reflect daily functioning skills. Guidelines are presented as questions to pose when developing individualized education programs (IEPs) and individualized family service plans IFSPs). They cover functionality, generality, instructional context,…

Nine commonly occurring activities were identified in mainstreamed kindergarten and first grade classrooms, the necessary skills for participation were analyzed, and a curriculum was developed. Evaluation of the curriculum showed that 15 handicapped preschool children learned the necessary skills, even when the instructions, environment, and task…

A survey of 37 educators in 14 Italian schools examined the roles of paraprofessionals. Results indicated that paraprofessionals were relied upon far less than in the United States and that respondents thought that paraprofessionals should work primarily on motor and self-help/autonomy skills. Most expressed skepticism about use of…