For many years, those who work in the mentoring field have wondered how they can extend the impact of their programs beyond the benefits experienced by young people they serve. There has been an increasing desire within our field to harness the power of mentoring to enable the youth served in a program to not just grow individually, but to…

Self help groups involving the cooperative efforts of professionals and hearing impaired persons are discussed and issues in their development highlighted by the example of one such local group. (CL)

Individuals with autism successfully participated in a group musical activity involving a handbell choir. Described is the teacher's role in introducing students to the bells, assigning appropriate bells to each ringer, selecting the music, and directing the choir. (JDD)

Problems and needs specific to learning disabled (LD) adults are examined, and considerations for planning events for LD adults are discussed. Four questions are addressed: Does the event really meet their needs? How can one attract their attention and get them there? What kind of structure should one provide in an event? and How can one meet…

Planning a monthly social event for developmentally disabled adults is described in terms of such concerns as facilities/insurance, transportation, staffing/volunteer coordination, entertainment, rules and regulations, finances, toileting and incontinent participants, medical needs, refreshments, alternatives to dancing, and dance theme variation.…

Components of assertive behavior are described with suggestions for enabling the visually impaired person to develop these skills. The underlying concepts of assertion training are explained along with specific techniques for use in schools or rehabilitative settings. (Author/CL)

The participant's manual for a national teleconference (January 23, 2002) provides materials on innovative independent living programs, especially the Mental Health Peer Support Project. Introductory material includes the conference agenda, information about the trainers, and information about the sponsoring organizations, the Independent Living…

Explores how marketing recreation and physical activity programs for females might be undertaken based on the growing body of research about female involvement in recreation, sport, and leisure. The paper addresses product, place, price, and promotion, discussing females as people who represent a growing market segment with unique characteristics.…

The author outlines steps for organizing a successful workshop. A planning checklist and flow chart are included. (SJL)

A PlayDay is a day designed to draw attention to a range of play activities, while providing an opportunity for children, families, members of the community, and teachers to share in physical and mental challenges without facing the pressure of winning or losing a game. PlayDays can range from massive park events for thousands of children and…

An increasingly popular economic development tool to improve the success rate of new firms is the small business incubator. These are buildings in which a number of new or growing businesses can locate and operate at a much lower overhead cost than in conventional space where market rates prevail. Incubator facilities are characterized by access…

A model for employability development is introduced to improve employability assessment and planning programs in rehabilitation and educational settings. The major components of an employability assessment and planning program are vocational choice, job acquisition, and job retention. The model offers strategies for empowering the consumer and…

This booklet explains the concept of a community exchange system (CES), or barter system, for the exchange of goods and services and describes how to set one up. The booklet is concerned only with nonprofit, voluntary organizations. The booklet is organized in four sections. The first section introduces the community exchange systems idea and…

The monograph synthesizes findings of the Vocational Training and Placement of the Severely Handicapped Project (VOTAP) and offers recommendations for further research and development. Chapter 1 presents the theoretical model that describes the dimensions upon which the task of developing research and development recommendations could be…

An increasingly popular economic development tool to improve the success rate of new firms is the small business incubator. These are buildings in which a number of new or growing businesses can locate and operate at a much lower overhead cost than in conventional space where market rates prevail. Incubator facilities are characterized by access…