One of the significant results of the 92nd and 93rd Congresses was the statement in the Conference Report: H.R. 8395 clarifying the roles to be played by the federal state grant-in-aid program for vocational rehabilitation. The Conference Report states that the order of selection be modified to require serving first those individuals with the most…

Evaluation of the 1-year program for approximately 25 seriously emotionally disturbed older adolescents involved a review of the program design (objectives and organization), the planning process, interviews with staff, and analysis of data about student progress. Interviews were conducted with 11 staff members to elicit information on such topics…

This guide promotes the use of natural supports to assist individuals with severe disabilities. The first two sections review the development of natural supports in the workplace, including changes in perspectives on the role of persons with disabilities, utilization issues, and the definition of natural supports. A seven-step process reflecting…

This article describes the communication development program of a cooperative association of 55 Illinois school districts, which provides special education services for children and adolescents with low incidence disabilities including severe communication disorders. It examines the program's philosophy, principles, and practices; its authentic…

Two studies replicated and refined a program for evaluating and improving residential treatment services during group leisure periods in living units for persons with severe developmental disabilities. Results indicated that provision of leisure materials and interaction with clients decreased maladaptive client behavior. The monitoring system…

Discussion of transdisciplinary activity-based assessment for young children with multiple disabilities focuses on application of assessment results to program planning for inclusion of these children in typical early childhood classes. Assessment steps are detailed and a sample assessment protocol is included. A case study is used to illustrate…

This case study demonstrates the effective use of functional assessment, with a 13-year-old student with autism functioning at a level of severe retardation. The process involved identifying and defining target behaviors (clothes touching and tearing), gathering information, forming and verifying the hypothesis, and implementing an intervention.…

This document contains California's guidelines for serving students with severe orthopedic impairments in the public schools. Elements characteristic of well-designed programs are described in the guide's three chapters, and each description is followed by a series of questions for program evaluation. The first chapter addresses approaches to…

This publication addresses one of the significant and critical characteristics of an effective rehabilitation counselor: the awareness of the various kinds of strategies and information that are available to him and the client for decisionmaking. Five sections are included after the introductory section, which briefly discusses evaluation of…

Guidelines for assessing the current language skills of a language-delayed child and increasing the child's level of communicative competence are provided, based on experience at the Environmental Language Intervention Project at Macquarie University's Special Education Centre in Australia. The program is organized around five sequentially ordered…

This monograph explores the development of comprehensive systems of care for severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. It is intended as a technical assistance tool for states and communities interested in improving services and as a review of the state of the art for developing systems of care. A generic model of a system of care…

The importance of well-planned, meaningful assessments is emphasized in planning effective educational programs for severely communicatively impaired individuals. Assessment and evaluation are defined, and key provisions of Public Law 94-142 and Public Law 99-457 are outlined. Several issues to be considered in establishing effective…

Project TTAP (Technology Team Assessment Process) demonstrated a functional technology assessment model that can be used to ensure that children from birth to 8 with moderate to severe disabilities receive a thorough team assessment and follow-up consultation focused on individualized technology applications. Team-based procedures were developed…

Ten papers on the vocational training and placement of severely disabled persons are presented in this monograph. The titles are as follow: "Project Employability: Toward Competitive Employment for Severely Disabled Individuals"; "Vocational Evaluation of Severely and Profoundly Retarded Clients"; "Considerations in…