Prevalence reports indicate approximately half of all children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a mild form of the disorder such as high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified. These disorders are referred to collectively as high-functioning autism spectrum disorders…

This article discusses the authors' experience in working with young offenders who are leaving care in Ireland. It first presents a brief discussion around one agency called St. Xavier's which the authors have had connections with over the past decade. The main aim of St. Xavier's is to deliver individualized programs of care, education, and…

This book addresses the basic issues that require resolution in the design of an effective, comprehensive independent living program for adolescents who are moving out of foster care placements. It provides recommendations for improving the delivery of services and encourages adoption of certain policies and practices to improve conditions…

This paper discusses the design of a program by the Nashville (Tennessee) Center for Independent Living (CIL) to train consumers with disabilities in employing, training, supervising, and firing personal attendants. The program, supported by the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities (DD) Planning Council, provided an opportunity for program design…

The Experience Corps for Independent Living is a volunteer service program designed to expand the independent living services available to frail elders and their families. Five first-year projects were able to serve a critical mass and promote community linkages. Three had active leadership development programs. (JOW)

This report resulted from a qualitative research site visit to the Madison Mutual Housing Association and Cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin. The agency was selected due to its reputation for inclusive efforts to provide housing to a broad constituency including people of differing abilities, ages, income levels, and ethnic backgrounds. The Madison…

This case study describes the recent development of two housing co-ops "Courtyard" and "CHORD," in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) that are inclusive of people with disabilities, that is, the co-ops were developed by people with disabilities, their families, and friends. Focus is on components utilized in the planning and development…

Queen Alexandra College of Further Education for Blind and Partially Sighted in Birmingham, England, is one of six rehabilitation centers to be involved in an initiative aimed at improving the training of disabled people as part of the HELIOS (Handicapped People in the European Community Living Independently in an Open Society) program.…

This report describes the development of integrated community services for people with severe disabilities by Job Path, a New York City agency which currently provides services to approximately 250 people. A current emphasis of the agency is increased consideration of the individual's life outside of the work setting. Critical factors in the…

This document summarizes the plan of New York's Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) to reform its system of service delivery. It first describes activities begun in 1989 to improve the accessibility of vocational rehabilitation services to people with disabilities. The plan then details…

This study analyzed a program to involve six institutionalized adults with mild mental retardation in their transition to community living. The program involved interviewing to determine their community living lifestyle preferences, identifying strongest preferences, and teaching subjects to obtain preference availability information from group…

This report describes the mission and programs of Developmental Services of Strafford County, Incorporated, one of 12 area agencies serving people with developmental disabilities in New Hampshire. The report specifically examines the agency's activities in the area of supportive living. It highlights the lives of four people, describes the two…

The Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Berkeley, California, is described as a mecca for the disabled since 1972, when a coalition of severely disabled people founded the Center with the goal of integrating disabled people into the community-at-large. The CIL's mission is to create and maintain independence for disabled people through…

This databook for the final report of the 10-year plan to redevelop services for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia, presents results of three studies. The major study provides a functional profile of people with intellectual disabilities living in State-run institutions (Residential Training Centres) or attending…

The relationship between housing and family well-being and self-sufficiency are explored in this paper's three major sections. The first section provides background information on the relationship between housing and the physical and social well-being of individuals and families and describes the major federal housing initiatives that have been…