This article critically comments on previous articles that question the benefits of inclusion for students with severe disabilities. It argues for the inclusion of students with disabilities and suggests that functionality is not found in segregated classes but in one's thoughtful immersion into the complexity of community. (Contains references.)…

This report presents detailed tables on the medical expenditures of people, from young children to older adults, who are limited in activity or who need assistance in activities of daily living. It uses data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditures Survey and compares these with 1993 estimates. Tables of results are presented on: (1) total and…

Goals are presented for communication skills needed to function independently in the community. The goals, developed for adolescents/adults with severe/moderate mental handicaps, are situation-specific, outcome-oriented, and community-based. They deal with telephone use, shopping, leisure activities, traveling, banking, and going to a restaurant…

The Independent Living Project for Deaf/Blind Youth emphasized the teaching of home management, personal management, social/emotional skills, work skills, and communication skills to increase low-functioning teenagers' autonomy. The project included an independent living apartment in which a video monitoring system was used for indirect…

A group counseling approach was used to enhance the self-concept of 10 congenitally visually impaired adolescents. Group sessions focused on such topics as self-perception, assertiveness, friendship, familial relationships, and independent living skills. Evaluation found significant improvement in self-concept, attitudes toward blindness, and…

The author of "Life Centered Career Education" (LCCE) comments on reasons for the curriculum's success, what LCCE offers for the 1990s, how easy it is for a school system to implement LCCE, how LCCE can be used in mainstreamed settings, and what is needed to implement a comprehensive program like LCCE. (JDD)

This article presents early descriptive findings on youths and their experiences in the first 12 to 18 months after leaving foster care as part of the state of Wisconsin's Foster Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study. Findings suggest that the transition to independence is a difficult time for youth leaving the out-of-home care system. (Author/SD)

Objective: Despite past findings about the contribution of home care services to older users' functional ability, the effective processes and components of the services are not transparent. Such processes appear to rely on the actual use of component services of the home care program. Method: The study gathered 116 observations during 2 years…

This report presents results of analysis of data from 5,215 noninstitutionalized persons with disabilities as reported in the 1979 and 1980 National Health Interview Survey, Home Care Supplement. Results are reported for the following assistance categories: assistance in basic physical activities; frequency of help in basic physical activities;…

The newsletter presents short vignettes describing persons of different ages and disabilities, with emphasis on the technologies each person uses to cope with daily challenges. Vignettes describe a Down Syndrome 6-year-old whose learning is helped by computer access; a cerebral palsied adult whose head-controlled power wheelchair, dowel stick,…

A report on the current status of 10 adults with mental retardation who were deinstitutionalized in 1979 found all 10 still were living independently. All had stable and satisfying lives according to their own reports and those of their case managers. Case managers reported moderate satisfaction with clients' competence in the areas of travel and…

An adapted version of the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) for administration to children with visual impairments is described, noting the rewording of task instructions, addition of comments, and deletion of inappropriate tasks. Results of a pilot study with 6 teachers of visually impaired students and a field evaluation with 15 similar…

The author of EC 604 294 examines the lack of training students receive in applying problem-solving processes to novel situations and explores the development of her interest in defining and operationalizing the concept of independent living skills in individuals with disabilities, especially deafness. (JDD)

The effects of independent living training programs for 1,498 people with developmental disabilities were examined. After seven years, individuals who had received greater amounts of independent living services and improved/maintained their independent living skills were more likely to still live independently. There was no relationship between…

This study evaluated the gains in capacity and mode of performance made by 57 elderly blind persons who were clients of an independent living services program in Mississippi. It was found that the gains in capacity were significant in all areas and the gains in mode of performance were significant for 41 of the 47 skill areas that were assessed.…