Purpose: Dysphagia is thought to be prevalent and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with Parkinson disease (PwPD). The aim of this study was to compare the frequencies of atypical and extreme values for measures of swallowing physiology in PwPD and in an age- and sex-matched cohort of healthy adults. Atypical and extreme values…

For decades, universities have been accommodating physically disabled students who require guide dogs and other types of service animals. Within the past several years, however, mentally disabled students have increasingly petitioned colleges with no-pet policies to permit them to bring their animals on campus because they need a companion or…

This study focused on the academic performance and use of disability support services (DSS) of students with different types of disabilities who attend a postsecondary education institution. Findings show different patterns of academic success over four semesters as well as different patterns of DSS usage. Students who requested support from DSS…

Purpose: Most assisted living facility (ALF) residents are White widows in their mid- to late 80s who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) because of frailty or cognitive decline. Yet, ALFs also serve younger individuals with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or serious mental illness. We compare Florida ALFs with…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the beliefs and skills of community early childhood lead teachers and community child care center administrators participating in Florida's Four Year Old Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) Program in five rural, north Florida counties hold regarding the inclusion of young children with disabilities…

Students with disabilities and special needs have faced challenges in accessing educational content, and in taking traditional pen-and-paper tests. How might technology improve the process, while making statewide tests truly accessible to all students? NimbleTools is the first computer-based test delivery system that incorporates principles of…

Describes the physical and developmental disability services of the Early Intervention Program, a therapeutic-educational program for parents and children from birth to 3 years who are "at risk" delayed or handicapped. Describes the facilities and the assessment, therapy, education, planning, and evaluation components. (RJC)

THIS STUDY WAS CONCERNED WITH DISCOVERY OF SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL REFERENTS TO ESTABLISH RATINGS OF PATIENT MOTIVATION FOR RECOVERY AND RETURN TO WORK. CRITERION RATINGS OF THIS MOTIVATION, BASED UPON FOLLOWUP DATA, WERE COMPARED WITH A VARIETY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT DATA OBTAINED A YEAR BEFORE THE CRITERION DATA WERE COLLECTED. STRONG PATIENT…

Reported is a survey of types of handicaps served by special programs for physically handicapped, homebound, and hospitalized children in Florida. The information represents 215 full time and hourly teachers. Types of handicaps served are listed, ranked, and number of cases given. Cerebral palsy is reported to be the most common type of handicap…

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Olympics is a project serving a twofold purpose for augmented communicators in the Broward County Public School System in Florida. While allowing young augmented communicators to build competencies in using AAC devices, the Olympics provide a meaningful extracurricular experience to students…

In this article, the author shares his experience teaching production technology to special education students at Hialeah Middle School in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He has had many students who clearly had talent in graphics and design that went unrealized because of their physical disabilities. He has seen students with an enormous amount of…

Intended for use in Florida training programs for caregivers of infants and toddlers with disabilities, this booklet describes some of the more common physical and health impairments that can affect young children. For each disability, the description generally stresses typical characteristics and special requirements. Addresses and telephone…

A survey was conducted to analyze library facilities and services in 60 Florida state institutions and to make recommendations for improvement. Included in the study are descriptions of the institutions and a report and recommendations for each library. Results of question aires and visits show that institutional library service is inadequate,…

Accessibilty features of buildings and facilities provide the opportunity for handicapped persons in the community to become more self-reliant and independent; barrier-free design can enable a person with disabilities to achieve his or her potential for contributions to society. In 1989, the Florida Legislature passed a bill mandating changes to…

One of five booklets designed to help vocational education teachers and administrators relate more effectively to handicapped students in their classrooms, this booklet discusses the labeling dilemma to stress that the information presented is very general; general traits are outlined to characterize a group. In addition, the distinction between a…