Of the nearly 7,000 rare diseases identified by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), only a few hundred currently have treatments. The development of therapies for rare diseases is often hampered by the special challenges of conducting the needed studies for rare disease drugs and medical devices, such as small numbers of patients and the fact…

Military families with autistic children are often confronted with a very particular set of challenges. Autism, a neurological disability that causes difficulty with behavior, communication, learning, and social interaction, can create enormous stress on a family--stress that is magnified when one spouse is away for extended periods of time, when…

Statements of seven national organizations (Muscular Dystrophy Association, Spina Bifida Association of America, National Easter Seal Society, International Association of Parents of the Deaf, American Foundation for the Blind, Down's Syndrome Congress, and the National Society for Autistic Children) about raising community awareness of issues…

Suggestions concern how parents can help get their handicapped daughters involved in Girl Scouting. (KW)

The annual directory of organizations includes approximately 300 national organizations, professional associations, and government agencies listed by handicapping condition or state, and about 60 private schools serving individuals with handicapping conditions, listed by state. (DB)

The Statement of the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA) explains SB as a malformation of the central nervous system, reports the formation of SBAA in 1974, explains SBAA's emphasis on local chapter organization, and describes SBAA services, including a bimonthly publication, public education efforts, and research validation projects. (GW)

Summarized are the organization and activities of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. (KW)

Statements are presented from four national organizations regarding their efforts to raise community awareness of issues affecting individuals with disabilities, and an editorial titled "Action for the '80s" addresses the issue of including disabled individuals in all aspects of family and community life. (SBH)

This annual directory lists approximately 70 national organizations offering information and advocacy to professionals and parents of children with disabilities, national organizations for 85 specific disabilities and conditions, 35 federal agencies, organizations serving 17 professions, and parent training and information centers for each state.…

Services provided by the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America, Inc. are briefly noted. (CB)

National toll-free numbers of organizations that provide assistance to people with disabilities and their families are listed. The list, which includes approximately 100 organizations and government agencies, is categorized by specific disabilities and also by such topics as computers, career counseling, second opinions, and travel. (JDD)

Thirty national recreation organizations serving individuals with disabilities are listed, along with addresses and telephone numbers. Sample recreational activities covered include Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, various wheelchair sports, skiing, golfing, and horticultural therapy. (JDD)

The directory lists information and advocacy service agencies, parent-governed national organizations for specific disabilities or conditions, government agencies, federally funded parent training and information projects, professional organizations, and other organizations that provide assistance to parents of children with disabilities. (JDD)

Serving as a reference for parents and professionals who live and work with disabled children, this resource section lists state directors of special education, national disability-related organizations (United States and Canada), parent coalition groups, government agencies; professional organizations, a calendar of annual meetings, and a…

The Association for Children with Learning Disabilities encourages a Regular Education/Special Education Initiative as a system of integrated planning, delivery, and evaluation of the effects of services to disabled children. Specific recommendations regarding the development of pilot projects and competency training for school personnel, related…