Ten multihandicapped high-school students in the Dayton (Ohio) Public Schools were trained using a curriculum of independent community social skills, focusing specifically on restaurant skills, travel skills, shopping skills, self-care skills, and skills for visiting a business or government agency. The students made weekly trips into the…

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…

The functional skills activity, "On Your Own," provides an opportunity for adolescents with mild disabilities to apply cognitive and academic skills in the program's four phases (choosing a career, finding an apartment, furnishing the apartment, and learning to budget) involve direct instruction, hands-on activities, small-group discussions, and…

Children with autism cannot be taught independent and responsible behavior in the way that most "sociable" children are taught, due to their deficits in social interaction and communication. Children with autism must first build trust in order to feel secure and to be able to concentrate on learning new skills and behaviors. Environmental supports…

This curriculum guide, based on the position that career education is a major focus of the educational program, is designed to assist students with disabilities to become productive workers and independent adults. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the history and importance of career education for children with disabilities. The features of career…

The article describes the modification and implementation in Saint Bernard Parish (Louisiana) of the Adult Performance Level Curriculum with mildly handicapped secondary students. Major skill areas are coordinated with areas of functional competency, with the goal of achieving competency in 42 specific areas of adult life. Field experiences…

In the education of individuals with autism, it is crucial that programming focuses on developing a repertoire of lifetime skills. Information on an individual's strengths to use in educational planning can be gathered from standardized instruments, from observation in natural settings, and from interviews. It should be kept in mind that the…

Part of a series that provides practical resources to transition personnel on topics essential to the process of preparing individuals with disabilities for adulthood, this manual focuses on transition issues related to students with visual impairments. Chapter 1 discusses the nature of visual impairment and reactions to visual impairment. Chapter…

Functional curricula are intended to facilitate the development of age-appropriate skills that are essential for participation of individuals with autism within a diversity of integrated environments. When one is considering which skills to teach, the longitudinal process of promoting increased independence throughout life must be considered, and…

This guidebook provides behavioral-instructional strategies for teaching essential personal safety skills and promoting overall well-being to persons with developmental disabilities. Case studies demonstrate these strategies in practice, and detailed curriculum goals are included to guide intervention efforts. To ensure that learners both…

This sourcebook was developed to assist in systematically integrating persons with autism into the community. It offers practical methods and considerations in assessing student and family interests and needs, assessing community resources to meet the needs, and assessing students in community sites. Based on the assessments, individual student…

This resource paper provides information about postsecondary programs for young adults with substantial learning disabilities and other special needs. The introductory section gives the characteristics of the population and components of selected educational and training programs which seem to be successful. The resource guide then provides…