A study of the social environment in special schools for the deaf is reported in this publication. The problem was to deinstitutionalize the dormitory environment, and to stimulate an involvement in the surroundings and a sense of personal pride in the children. Research was carried out at the Ontario School for the Deaf, Belleville, with a group…

To identify learning program needs and to make recommendations for quality control and expansion of programs for the mentally handicapped in institutions, four facilities were studied. Detailed questionnaires and visitations were used to obtain the information. The major findings were that learning programs in Minnesota State Institutions are…

Surveys the development of community education and efforts to adapt this approach to the Israeli educational system. Assesses the potential for integration between community schools and group care institutions for children. Reports that Israeli community education favors program over process; educational objectives over social problem objectives;…

The U. S. Court of Appeals ruled that District of Columbia schools had not followed procedural requirements for the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The Texas Supreme Court upheld the "no pass-no play" rule that requires students participating in extracurricular activities to meet academic criteria. (MLF)

This digest uses a question-and-answer format to address some issues in the possible choice of a residential school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The importance of the residential school experience in the context of Deaf culture is addressed, as are other issues such as characteristics of students attending residential schools and…

The Oak Hill School Model was developed to secure the best plan for educating, training, and developing a life program for the multihandicapped person. The handicapped individual's full potential is developed in the least restrictive environment. The group home program teaches self-help skills and is an alternative to the institution. (JN)

Teachers from a residential school (n=30) and a public school district (n=13) that serve children with visual impairments read scenarios of children with various eye conditions and abilities, and chose a primary literacy medium for each child. The teachers differed in their attitudes toward the use of braille. (Author/CR)

A study investigated perceptions of 12 adolescents with visual impairments regarding support they received from teachers for their emotional and learning needs in both residential and mainstream schools. Participants perceived they were not receiving support for their learning needs when interactions with teachers deviated from what they wanted or…

This article lists information on Canadian schools and programs enrolling children and youth with deafness or hearing impairments. It contains a directory listing alphabetized by province, then presents a chart that provides information on programs, including whether it is a residential program, the enrollment, services offered, and communication…

Changes in adolescents' perceptions of the family as they adapt to residential schooling were studied for 51 residential and 57 nonresidential tenth graders in a school in Israel. No differences in the perception of family climate were found between the groups, suggesting no change with the individual's act of leaving. (SLD)

The responses of two experts in the field of visually impaired education to a recent council position paper address aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, alternative placements, local school district versus residential school placement, supportive integration, and a rationale for the maintenance of both special and regular…

The article provides recommendations to personnel at residential schools for children who are blind and visually impaired, concerning (1) the impact of the difficult child (erosion of trust, increased demands on personnel); (2) the difficult child as policymaker; and (3) the role of consultants in helping the residential school and the difficult…

A survey of 128 parents of hearing-impaired children enrolled in residential schools for the deaf found that many parents were not given information about placement options or were dissatisfied with the information. The paper examines reasons for residential placement, parents' views of the advantages and disadvantages of residential placement,…

This study of 53 deaf adolescents at a residential school and their parents found that parents who used total communication had children whose self-esteem scores were higher than those of children whose parents used an oral-only method of communication. A positive relationship was also found between student self-esteem and reading level.…