Reviews literature on handicapped children and their families, particularly parents. Early studies reported devastating effects of handicapping conditions on families, resulting in certain myths. More recent studies reported less devastating effects. Research regarding several such myths is examined. Providers of professional services should…

The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) is a national study of the characteristics, experiences and achievements of students with disabilities in elementary and middle school. This report presents results of data (mainly surveys of and interviews with parents) on more than 12,000 students with disabilities, ages 6-12, selected…

The Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Service, is one of sixty-four Centers for Excellence in Disability Education across the nation. It is an inter-disciplinary organization that promotes full participation in rural life for individuals with disabilities. The Rural Institute accomplishes this goal by…

A study conducted a nationwide evaluation of 15 residential camp programs designed for children, youth, and young adults with mild to severe disabilities. The study involved 2,184 campers (ages 7-19) with disabilities and was undertaken to further validate evaluation instrumentation, evaluate residential camp programs for children with…

This document defines the role and responsibilities of Missouri's vocational preparation teachers as they work with disadvantaged and handicapped students in vocational education programs and offers advice on how they can fulfill their role and responsibilities. Following the introduction is the questionnaire used in a survey of vocational…

Parents have a major influence on their children's attitudes toward work and life. Handicapped youth, who have more difficulty than other youth in making the transition from school to work and adult life, have a special need for parental guidance. Parents can play key roles in transition, especially in the areas of career exploration, job search…

This monograph synthesizes the research literature on transition from school to work and independent living for handicapped youth. The emphasis is on handicapped youth, but general literature is included where appropriate. The first part presents a short series of dramatized vignettes, based on fact. Summaries and syntheses are then provided on…

The report describes achievements of a 3-year program designed to teach career and life skill objectives to moderately and severely handicapped youth through arts strategies. Activities are summarized for each project year, beginning with hiring staff and identifying personnel and students at model sites (year 1); providing inservice training…

The guide provides daily living experiences built around topics of interest to limited English speaking students in special education programs. Units are organized around eight themes: (1) at school; (2) living at home; (3) community, communication, and travel; (4) clothing and seasons; (5) shopping and food; (6) health, hygiene, and safety; (7)…

This booklet is intended to aid driver education instructors and supervisors to develop a program of driver education for physically or mentally handicapped persons. The guide is organized in five sections. The first section introduces the concept of driver education for the handicapped, and relates its history, philosophy, objectives for a…

The Camelot Behavioral Checklist, developed by Ray W. Foster, allows the evaluator to identify specific training objectives for an individual. This document contains a list of materials which may be used in the amelioration deficits determined through use of this checklist. The intent of the publication is to offer a listing of items that may be…

The purpose of this paper is to explain how origami can be used to foster life and academic skills in struggling students in rural schools. At-risk students often lack the social, behavioral, study, self-management, academic and life skills to face their daily challenges. This paper describes: (1) benefits of origami and its integration into…

This curriculum guide is intended to provide students (with and without disabilities) in grades 3-6 with career awareness instruction integrated with instruction in personal and social skills, reading, writing, and mathematics. Introductory materials present the program's philosophy, including instructional goals, student performance goals, and…

A three-year study examining the effects of 15 resident camp programs on over 2,000 disabled campers ages 7-21 indicates that campers made notable achievements in both affective and recreational skills, that positive gains in personal development carried over to the home and community settings, and that increased independence was the predominant…

The assessment of interests, skills, and needs of handicapped students related to work, home, community, and leisure should begin at a very young age and be closely connected to a functional curriculum. A framework for developing a community-wide interagency career assessment process is described. (Author/DB)