If six degrees of separation is all that is needed for anyone to find anyone else, and if three clicks can find almost anything on the World Wide Web, perhaps analyzing how social networks form and connect people to each other offers a useful way to reconsider how the rehabilitation profession pursues job placement and employer development. Social…

Study design: A systematic review of the literature. Objectives: To investigate community participation of persons with an intellectual disability (ID) as reported in empirical research studies. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted for the period of 1996-2006 on PubMed, CINAHL and PSYCINFO. Search terms were derived from the…

In this article we examine the views of multi-professional service providers on the provision of Early Support for disabled children 0-3 years old from minority ethnic communities. We begin with a description of national policies relevant to this field and of Early Support before describing a national evaluation of its impact. We discuss findings…

The purpose of the current study was to examine therapists' perceptions about literacy in early intervention services. Little effort has been devoted to the incorporation of literacy into therapy services for very young children with special needs. In an attempt to understand how therapy providers view the role of literacy in their services, 168…

Professional advocacy as a means to promote occupational therapy services is discussed. Sensory integration is the focus, but the process discussed is valuable for promoting any aspect of occupational therapy. Examples of providing occupational therapy to children in a public school setting illustrate the process. (Author/KM)

This study examined utilization rates of scheduled early-intervention services for 146 infants and toddlers with disabilities. Among findings were: (1) 69% of families used most of their services; (2) child and maternal characteristics were not significantly related to service utilization; and (3) providers who were younger and closer in age to…

Based on a set of recommendations approved by the National Task Force on School Consultation, this article presents a detailed rationale and guidelines for establishing special education consultation programs. Guidelines are focused on seven critical areas: financing, referral practices, performance standards, teacher skills, caseloads,…

Staffing patterns in 123 sheltered workshops in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are described through measures of professional density, and are related to varying organizational characteristics. Shops with no professionals serve fewer clients than those with professionals, and very little professional time is available per client. An…

The Ministry of Education (MOE) funds a range of specialist education services for children and young people with special education needs. To ensure consistent quality service provision, generic Specialist Service Standards have been developed through a collaborative process involving representatives from the broad range of special education…

During the past 10 years, the Technical Assistance Development System's (TADS) staff and advisory board members along with 500 other people have provided consultation services to model demonstration programs and state education agencies that help young handicapped children and their families. Consultants are usually located through a sponsor or…

Professional roles in early childhood special education (ECSE) are expanding beyond traditional frameworks of direct service, to include consultation services, program planning and evaluating, and marketing. Potential dangers of role conflict and role overload are noted. (Author/DB)

This guidebook was developed for early childhood administrators and consultants who provide services to support the integration of children with disabilities into preschool classrooms. It provides practical information on finding and hiring the best consultants, unraveling the special education and third-party payor resources that support…

Designed to assist disabled students and professionals working with them to become aware of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the fact sheet details how to access and utilize the education-related services of this federal-state funded program. Following a description of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), the fact sheet provides information on:…

Mental health, behavioral, and process consultation models are described as three theoretical approaches to the practice of school-based consultation. Drawing from each of these models, an ecological model of consultation is offered as a conceptual umbrella for planning entry, assessment, intervention, and evaluation activities with handicapped…