Health care professionals working with the elderly have opportunities through research and clinical practice to shape public policy affecting the older driver. This article describes DriveWise, an interdisciplinary hospital-based driving assessment program developed in response to clinical concerns about the driving safety of individuals with…

Although sharing many of the identified difficulties associated with autism, Asperger's syndrome (AS) is widely believed to differ in the domain of linguistic deficit. While researchers may disagree in detail about the language and communication performance of pupils with Asperger's syndrome, there seems to be general consensus that such…

This longitudinal study used piece-wise growth curve analyses to examine growth patterns in oral reading fluency for 1,991 students with speech impairments (SI) or language impairments (LI) from first through third grade. The main finding of this study was that a diagnosis of SI or LI can have a detrimental and persistent effect on early reading…

The national agenda for early intervention for young children with disabilities has been articulated through the early childhood programs under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Part B and Part C of the act address states' responsibilities in creating and managing systems of services. Part D of the act supports research, innovation,…

This final report details the outcomes of a 3-year project involving children with severe disabilities (ages birth-6) designed to: (1) determine the effectiveness of specific therapeutic intervention techniques on the development of basic motor skills in young children with severe and multiple disabilities; (2) explore the relationship between…

The effect of a combined teacher-parent behavior management program on inappropriate behaviors in the school and in the homes of five preschool handicapped children is evaluated. The teacher/trainer collaborated with the parents to select a target behavior (finger chewing, cup throwing, screaming, spitting, hand licking) for each child. Training…

The Alberta Education study of student attitudes toward the handicapped described existing levels of student awareness and attitudes about handicapped persons and determined in 134 Alberta schools if attitudes could be changed through classroom presentations. The effectiveness of two programs were evaluated--Program 1, a handicapped person…

The effectiveness of the Dallas, Texas Project KIDS (Kindling Individual Development Systems) on the developmental progress of 17 developmentally delayed and physically handicapped children (aged 18 months or less at pretest) was studied, and the accuracy of projections of children's progress made by professionals was investigated. The Bayley…

The study evaluated the effects of extended year (summer) programming with 36 multihandicapped students (ages 7-16). Data collected indicated that students enrolled in summer programming acquired new skills, and that acquisition was additive to skills acquired during this regular year. (Author/JW)

Five components were identified as crucial to the success of the mainstreamed peer tutoring program (selection, training, matching, supervision, and communication with/support for the regular classroom teacher). Data provided support for the conclusion that the on task behavior of tutees improved significantly as a result of the program. (SB)

Described are the development, evolution, and creative art activities of a summer camp for handicapped, learning disabled children--Learning through Creative Arts With Handicapped Children--in Ashville, New York. (KC)

The article discusses the purposes of early screening for disabilities and examines some of the issues involved in implementing a successful program. Weaknesses in existing procedures are discussed and programs existing in the Canadian provinces are mentioned with brief reference to some existing practices in the lower mainland. (Author/CL)

Two students (ages 7 and 8) who were totally blind with profound motor impairments and mental retardation were provided with optic microswitches. The use of optic microswitches for simple hand responses, combined with the availability of pleasant stimuli for the responses, proved successful with both students. (Contains 9 references.) (CR)

A review of 10 studies that utilize the behavior chain interruption strategy (BCIS) to teach communication skills to individuals with severe disabilities found that BCIS has been successfully applied to individuals across a wide range of ages and levels of disability, including learners with multiple disabilities. Generalization concerns are…

A study evaluated a program for reducing job coach assistance provided for three individuals with multiple severe disabilities. Workers were taught additional skills or the environment was modified to allow assistance reduction. Work activity and quality continued at a high level for each worker, although productivity decreased. (Author/CR)