The transition from school to adulthood is a pivotal time in the lives of all students. For a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), change of any kind can be challenging, and a transition as momentous as this can seem especially daunting. Thoughtful planning, sound information, and open communication will help parents support young adults…

This fourth of 14 curriculum modules in the Family and Community Services Occupational Education Modules series deals with understanding and utilizing resources, facilities, and personnel in family and community services. It is designed to help students examine resources used to help and serve clients and to become familiar with the variety of…

To study children and families who come into contact with the child welfare system, the Children's Bureau of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families conducted the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). As part of that larger study, this report provides a cross-sectional national overview of child welfare services as…

The Cultural Competency Self Assessment Instrument is designed to help child welfare agencies measure their cultural competence in agency policy making, administrative procedures, and practices, and to help them review and assess their operational and programmatic functions. The issues are organized around management principles and…

To learn what happens to children and families who come into contact with the child welfare system, the Children's Bureau of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families has undertaken the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). As part of this longitudinal study of the characteristics, needs, experiences, and outcomes…

This survey of 39 University Affiliated Program (UAP) Outreach Training Directors describes UAP outreach training efforts to improve services to people with developmental disabilities. The survey examined the influence of different staffing strategies on the structure of outreach training programs, and the degree of participation by various groups…

A year and a half after the launch of the "INEE Minimum Standards" in December 2004, a small baseline study suggested that awareness of the existence of the handbook among educational stakeholders in Uganda was low; in addition, the study found no instance of utilization of the handbook. The present report contains the findings of a…

This document consists of three separately published two-fold brochures. The three brochures provide guidelines for families of persons with disabilities to assess the level of integration efforts by local school districts and special education cooperatives. Guidelines are presented in the form of yes-no questions about administrative commitment,…

This document reports the results of a survey of resource and referral programs and their parent agencies. All the agencies were members of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. The survey instrument was a 96-item questionnaire divided into four sections: (1) staff salaries and qualifications; (2) working conditions; (3)…

An Indian child welfare agency realized the need for an HIV/AIDS policy when a diabetic child possibly exposed to the HIV virus was placed in one of the agency's licensed foster homes. A focus-group interview process was selected for policy development because this method appeared to parallel the Native American cultural approach toward consensus…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to ascertain key characteristics of the nanny industry in the United States by surveying a representative sample of nanny agencies across the country. A total of 24 agencies that place in-home care providers, or nannies, with client families were surveyed through a telephone interview method. Data…

The report describes first year activities of a National Scope Supported Employment Demonstration Project which included a survey of supported employment providers (N=605) to define approaches used, impediments, and best practices. Among findings were the following: vocational rehabilitation facilities and developmental centers together provided…

This brief paper offers an inventory to help implement change strategies and achieve person-centered planning for people with severe disabilities. The inventory is intended to examine use of 12 resources that facilitate change and increase the chance of good outcomes. A visual display of the model on which the inventory is based is provided first.…

The Colorado Adult Needs Assessment Project was conducted in order to develop factual, up-to-date information about the educational and occupational needs, interests, and attitudes of adults in the state. The findings will be used for planning improvements in the broad area of adult and vocational education. Information was gathered from employers…

The manual is designed to provide educators, parents, and severely handicapped students in Santa Clara County (California) with a guide to a 4-year transition process. The process has four components: transition foundation (basic skill development from birth to age 21), transition process (planning and implementation of training and other services…