The work group report identifies three priority areas for improved community services for disabled adolescents: (1) service systems deficient because of lack of consumer orientation, integration, access to services and systemwide planning, (2) inadequate leadership, and (3) lack of adequate accountability. (CL)

Examined whether a community-based habilitation program focusing on normalization and individual goal setting was effective in enhancing levels of independence in teenagers with spina bifida. Subjects (N=14) participated in an eight-week summer program. Results suggested the program was effective with the greatest strength being support and…

The article reports on the organization and implementation of a "Special Needs Awareness Month" in Quincy, Massachusetts. Noted are the heavy involvement of parents in the multiagency planning committee, and the resulting citywide displays, publications, programs, and publicity on children with special needs. (DB)

If education is an inalienable right for children and young people with disabilities, securing employment plays a key role in their inclusion into adult life. A broad study was conducted to analyse the transition between the end of compulsory education and the beginning of employment in young people with disabilities in the Autonomous Community of…

The workbook is intended to help people working on a community level to secure services for handicapped children. It assumes that the reader already has gathered data to determine gaps in the community's existing service system and that a list of needed services has been identified and prioritized. An introductory section examines what is meant by…

The outcomes of a two-pronged "real-world" learning project, which aimed to expand the views of pre-service teachers about learning, pedagogy and diversity, will be discussed in this paper. Seventy-two fourth-year and 22 first-year students, enrolled in a Bachelor of Education degree in Queensland, Australia, were engaged in community…

Collected in this working paper are summary descriptions of 17 innovative community action programs designed to prevent child abuse. These programs were developed by individuals, community groups, hospitals, and/or state chapters of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, as well as by other groups and organizations. Located in…

Discussion of a survey on non-governmental organizations involved in community-based rehabilitation for people with disabilities focuses on differences between collaboration in industrialized and less developed countries; resource dependency; and structural characteristics of organizations that influence their interactions. The limited public…

The purpose of this study was to examine the social participation of young children with disabilities in inclusive preschool programs. One hundred forty-three preschool-aged children with disabilities were observed in classrooms representing four organizational contexts: community-based, Head Start, public school, and blended. Children's and…

This monograph presents principles and insights drawn from interviews and scholarly sources on the development of friendships between persons with disabilities and the nondisabled. Vignettes at the end of each chapter illustrate the chapter's principles. The first chapter looks at why friends are important and discusses intimacy and affection,…

The paper examines the Work Health Organization's (WHO) community based rehabilitation (CBR) scheme currently being field tested in a number of countries and examines also the usefulness of the WHO/CBR manual "Training Disabled People in the Community." The development of alternative CBR schemes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America since…

Directed toward parents of handicapped children, this brochure defines five major categories of sexual exploitation under Washington State laws: rape, attempted rape, incest, indecent liberties, and statutory rape. Changes in child behavior that may signal victimization are discussed, as well as immediate and long-term action that parents can…

Preparation must begin with disabled teenagers to encourage the transition to independent living. Collaboration of family, teenager, and community should be supported to offer a "REACH Program": (1) relationship with family, friends, and self; (2) expectation that community living is a goal; (3) accessibility; (4) counseling in home management and…

The article describes the principles that guide program development, the use of therapeutic and educational activities, and the components of transitional program models for disabled individuals re-entering the community following discharge from rehabilitation facilities. The role of the occupatonal therapist in successful reintegration is…

A telephone survey was conducted of eight rehabilitation organizations pursuing changeover from facility-based to community-integrated services (i.e., supported employment). This paper provides information on the experience of these organizations related to their reinvestment and agency changeover to supported employment and offers…