This paper identifies a rationale for leisure education for young adults with mental retardation and outlines the structure, content, and evaluation strategies of a leisure education model. The leisure instruction is intended to instill self-determination, leisure appreciation, self-awareness, decision making, social interaction, knowledge and…

Occupational social skills are defined and their importance is highlighted. Four ways to develop appropriate training are offered: adapting commercial general social skills programs, adopting commercial social skills programs with an occupational focus, developing a program based on SCANS, and developing a program based on ecological assessment.…

This booklet sets out guidelines for the education of children and young people with severe to moderate mental handicap. Chapter I, "Where To Begin," discusses play, its importance for the child, how to assess the child through observation of play, and finding the child's developmental level of play. Chapter II, "Areas of Development," examines…

A teacher in a school for students with moderate learning difficulties and a secondary school teacher exchanged teaching responsibilities, to identify potential problems for students and teachers when mainstreaming is carried out. Discussed are the impact of class size, teaching styles, knowledge-centered learning, scope of curriculum, scheduling,…

The Peabody Reintegration Project utilizes curriculum-based measurement (CBM) to help integrate pupils with mild and moderate disabilities into mainstream math instruction. CBM is seen to be particularly relevant to a transenvironmental programing process involving environmental assessment, intervention and preparation, promoting transfer across…

Twenty-two authors contributed chapters to this collection of best practices in the education of students with mental disabilities. Section One, "Critical Issues for Consideration," contains six papers: "'New' EMRs" (Donald MacMillan); "Curricular Orientations" (James Patton and Edward Polloway); "Applying Curriculum for the Instruction of Life…

Targeted at special education teachers/special population instructors, work experience coordinators, vocational assessment personnel, and guidance counselors, this guide examines the relationships among career development, transition, and self-determination for students with disabilities. The guide uses a question-and-answer format to identify and…

This paper reviews service delivery models used with learning-disabled adolescents and proposes two alternative models of services. Components of an effective program include intensive basic skills instruction, explicit instruction in coping skills, successful completion of classes required for graduation, and planning for postgraduation life. (PB)

This transition model, called Guiding Education toward Adult Roles for Success (GEARS), provides a comprehensive framework from which transition services and programs can evolve. Three components of transition services are considered: transition partners, the transition process, and adult outcomes. After an introduction, the report's second…

This article describes a comprehensive transition program for students with mild disabilities. The program revolves around a classroom-based employability skills curriculum taught over a semester's duration. Four program components are addressed: employability skills training, family involvement, adult agency referral, and on-the-job support. (CR)

The Community-Based Services Work Adjustment Program provides vocational assessment, work adjustment training, social adjustment training, extended sheltered employment, transitional/supported employment, and competitive job training and placement through on-the-job training at natural community work sites. The program serves mentally retarded,…

This book is a "how-to" volume on implementing a career ladder program for challenged youths in transition from school to adult life. It presents an approach to career exploration, training, placement, and ongoing development that coordinates career-oriented activities with classroom activities. The core of the program is the community classroom,…

Physical education is a direct service which should be provided to all students with mental disabilities. Instruction in physical education should be guided by a comprehensive plan which outlines long-term goals and sequential objectives leading to attainment of these goals. The Achievement Based Curriculum model serves as an example of such a…

This article defines self-advocacy, examines differences between high school and college settings, describes key components in a college-based self-advocacy curriculum, and highlights the primary responsibilities that students with learning disabilities face in making self-determination a reality in college. (DB)

The Occupational Therapy Independent Living Skills (Transition) Program was established to serve students with severe behavioral, learning, and physical disabilities and to serve as a setting for occupational therapist training in transition programming. This manual describes this model pupil personnel training program, which prepares occupational…