This annotated bibliography provides approximately 100 summaries and evaluations of documents, published from 1979 to 1995, on personal assistance services (PAS) for individuals with disabilities. Studies and articles were selected for inclusion based upon their capacity to inform the development of PAS models, including conceptual, policy, and…

This paper describes implementation of a transition program which resulted in the successful movement of eight young mentally retarded adults from a segregated residential setting to a supervised apartment program in the community. The youth and their families visited the apartments and jointly made the decision to participate in the program. They…

This guide was developed to help counselors and teachers infuse career education into the elementary school curriculum in Missouri. The guide is organized in eight sections. The first section introduces the idea of career education, traces its history, and lists the Missouri core competencies and key skills related to vocational education. The…

Interviews with 28 Hispanic and Black former foster youth in Los Angeles County (California) found that emancipating from foster care placed individuals at risk because of a lack of education, marketable skills, or general living skills. Relationships overshadowed skill development in participants' memories of independent living programs.…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

This resource guide is designed to bring together information and resources on career preparation for students with disabilities in Florida's schools. The intended audience includes special and vocational teachers and administrators who have an interest in improving outcomes for students with disabilities within their districts. Chapter 1…

During a 1-year period, a study investigated the contributions made by 3 literacy-based supports (support circles, cognitive compensatory tools, and cognitive enhancement tools) to the lives of 5 young adults, aged 16-34, with FAS/FAE (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects). Four of the five subjects had IQs (intelligence quotients) above…

This resource for life skills activities for adolescents with special needs covers aspects of interpersonal relationships, communication skills, academic and school skills, practical living skills, vocational skills, problem-solving skills, and lifestyle choices. Included are 190 illustrated activity sheets with related exercises, discussion…

This curriculum guide is the first step in a total home and family life curriculum revision in the state of Washington aimed at helping students solve problems and study issues that have an impact on home and family life. The guide contains two model, nonsequential, comprehensive courses that may be adopted or adapted by school districts. The…

The passage from childhood to adulthood is a passage for families as well as individuals. As young people with disabilities move from their teen to adult years, they and their families experience many growing pains in common with all families at that stage of life. In addition, there are often milestones, questions, concerns, needs, and challenges…

This handbook offers guidelines to help parents prepare adolescent children with chronic illnesses or disabilities for independent management of their health care needs. In each chapter, guidelines for handling transition issues are presented in the context of the experiences and reactions of actual parents. Each chapter concludes with a summary…

Intended for individuals losing their sight and for families of these individuals, this guide presents methods of performing basic tasks of daily living, addresses common feelings and fears, and offers suggestions for additional help. An introductory chapter outlines how to use the guide. Subsequent chapters address the following topics: (1)…

This research brief reports on selected findings from a longitudinal study conducted at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. The study identified the postschool status of young adults and adults with moderate and severe disabilities, and changes in that status over time. Specifically, this study examined the postschool…

This book is written to assist the reader in understanding current thinking in the field of learning disabilities (LD), as well as current practices in that field. Part I describes the characteristics typically associated with LD, and includes the following chapters: "Neurological Basis of Learning Disabilities" (Richard M. Marshall and George W.…

This paper uses personal profiles to highlight major events across the past five decades that have affected the lives of individuals with mental retardation and their families. Each of the scenarios provided represents a creation of prototypical families, communities, school climates, issues, and social attitudes during a particular decade.…