This article synthesizes policy and intervention options for youth with disabilities based on recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. To frame findings from both reports, we utilize a life course approach. This approach is important as…

The Maine Community College System (MCCS or "System") is comprised of seven colleges, nine campuses, and six off-campus centers that are located within 25 miles of over 90% of Maine's population. The colleges offer one-year certificate and two-year associate degree programs that are designed to lead to direct employment or transfer to a…

Educational and vocational rehabilitation programs both have key roles and responsibilities in improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Both entities must be involved in creating opportunities for students to develop skills and knowledge to prepare for careers in the 21st Century. To help facilitate understanding and promote…

Public Law 99-457 extended the landmark Public Law 94-142 legislation to include early intervention for infants and toddlers with or at-risk for development of developmental disabilities. Currently over 300,000 infants and toddlers and their families in the United States receive services through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities…

The field of early childhood intervention for infants and young children with disabilities or delays has a rich history that spans many disciplines of practice. Both legislation and research has provided a foundation for how services are delivered to this population, and there are several recommended practices that govern service delivery to this…

An information base on interagency collaboration which can be used to direct the development of training strategies for persons involved in the design or operation of interagency endeavors is described with particular reference to P.L. 941-42, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. (Author/SB)

The amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004 reiterate the significance of producing real postsecondary education, employment, and independent living outcomes. However, current employment data continue to show widespread unemployment and very limited access to inclusive community environments and…

An unanticipated effect of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) is that fewer students may be receiving related services now than before its passage. Among the factors leading to the reduction in services is the political, fiscal, and professional independence of the schools and other governmental agencies. (SB)

This report provides guidelines for Client Assistance Programs (CAPs), established to assist applicants and clients of programs and facilities funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This report developed out of a study to provide information to increase cooperative approaches of benefit to both programs and clients and to create training…

The transition of children between the two programs of Public Law 99-457, serving children aged birth through two and age three through five, can impact on state administration and local agency administration of the programs. Recommendations are provided for facilitating the family's and child's transition and ensuring continuity in services.…

A work group convened by the Director of the U.S. Office of Maternal and Child Health examined the need and opportunity for a continuum of care to serve vulnerable populations of pregnant women and infants, and made recommendations for improving linkages among the various services needed by these mothers and their infants. Barriers to linkage…

The executive summary reports on a project to determine the prevalence of disability among American Indians, to identify special problems of American Indians related to vocational rehabilitation, and to survey the extent of cooperative efforts among programs conducted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The summary contains the following…

In this assessment of federal legislation and programs affecting coordination of services to people with disabilities, actions are addressed which can lead to a more comprehensive and coherent service delivery system. Past coordinative efforts have attempted to resolve problems occurring at both the policy level and in program administration.…

This policy brief identifies and describes the provisions of the proposed regulation describing the responsibilities of a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency to design and operate the state VR program as an integral component of the statewide workforce investment system, as envisioned by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The…

Twenty-eight local interagency coordinating council (LICC) coordinators were surveyed on their perceptions of the implementation of early intervention legislation. Participants reported positive local impact in the areas of family-centered services and service coordination, improved childfind, funding, networking, and developmental outcomes.…