The concept and implementation of direction services, a one step center offering assistance to parents of handicapped children, are traced. Three basic functions of the federally funded direction service centers are noted: to help locate and provide access to the most appropriate resources for handicapped children and youth; to collect and…

This study examined the use of community resources and supports outside of formal infant/toddler and preschool programs for children with disabilities participating in early intervention programs in nine communities in three states (Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania). Data on community resource utilization were gathered for 16 months from…

As many as 15 million people living in rural areas report one or more long-term impairments that significantly affect their quality of life. In general, disabled people living in rural areas receive fewer services than do people in urban areas. For example, counties in Montana with the largest population centers received significantly more…

This article on the use of community resources by families of young children with special needs discusses the rationale for the use of community resources in federal legislation, strategies for building resources, barriers to the use of community resources, and recommendations for increasing the use of community resources. (CR)