In this article, the author offers his critique on Holburn and Cea's notion on "excessive positivism" that person-centered planners are overconcerned with scientific verification and logical proof. The author believes that Holburn and Cea's notion blurs the important messages they have for person-centered planners by leading toward a debate about…

Meeting the challenge of providing supported living for people with developmental disabilities calls for new relationships among people receiving support, those providing support, and families. The focus should be on assisting people with developmental disabilities to establish a sense of place, security of place, and effective personalized…

Fifty-four adults with developmental disabilities living independently in three different communities were interviewed about their social interactions during seven consecutive days. The study concluded that a satisfactory level of integration was not occurring when judged by subjects' interactions with persons without disabilities. (Author/DB)

This paper explains why social work practice does not seem to play as strong a role as other professions in enhancing the dignity of lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. Social workers are urged to give the same validity to case management of individuals with disabilities as has been given to improving services to poor people.…

A man with a developmental disability discusses the self-advocacy movement, the cruelty of stigmatizing labels such as "mentally retarded," and the need for greater involvement in professional organizations such as the American Association on Mental Retardation. He proposes a joint conference with a self-advocacy organization. (DB)

A woman with a developmental disability discusses self-advocacy, the need for self-advocates to be involved in professional organizations, and the need for professionals and society at large to be more inclusive in their attitudes and behaviors. (DB)

This manual describes the "Friends" project, a year-long effort in Minnesota to develop methods for the staff of residential service agencies to support people with developmental disabilities in establishing friendships with nondisabled people in their communities. Six agencies around the state selected a total of 23 individuals (ages 11…

The United Kingdom literature on effects of deinstitutionalization of adults with developmental disabilities from 1980 to 1994 was reviewed. Analysis generally associated smaller, community-based residential services with improvements in user engagement, adaptive behaviors and challenging behaviors, community acceptance and integration,…

An individual with a developmental disability discusses self-advocacy, involvement with the American Association on Mental Retardation, dislike of the term "mental retardation," the need for such organizations to work more closely with people who have disabilities, and the need for such organizations and society at large to be more…

This monograph describes projects of the Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities which focus on empowerment and self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities and their family members. Individual sections address: (1) Partners in Policymaking (an intensive course to train individuals with disabilities and family…

This document presents summaries of a variety of resources concerned with the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in faith communities. Each listing usually provides bibliographic information, source and price information, and a summary or description. Following an introductory essay, the first section provides summaries of 43…

This paper compares the preferences for leisure and recreational activities of adults with and without mental retardation. In a previous study conducted by Butler (1988), 548 adults with developmental disabilities and mental retardation were interviewed with open-ended questions about living arrangement needs, competitive employment and work…

This paper describes the Pathfinders program in New York (New York), which works to facilitate the full integration of adults with developmental disabilities into workplaces and neighborhoods. The paper is organized around the question of whether students graduating from special education can find paid and volunteer work in community settings,…

This booklet is a collection of stories by people who have facilitated Personal Futures Planning groups. The groups provide an individualized, structured approach to life planning for people with developmental or other disabilities and have been implemented since 1988 in Minnesota. Introductory material describes the process, which starts when a…

This participant's manual covers "Changing Times", the second module of a four-module training program for all individuals employed in programs funded by Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Services Division. This includes van drivers, recreation workers, residential staff, administrators, case managers, secretarial/clerical staff,…