Findings revealed that a relationship existed between the principals' knowledge of and support for work-study programs, and their role performances with regard to such programs. These variables were also found to be directly related to the effectiveness of the work-study programs. (Author/DLS)

Tested the effectiveness of a three-week career development program for people (N=38) with disabilities. Program effectiveness was measured using three career decision-making instruments combined with interviews. Although no significant effect emerged across the three instruments, interviews revealed that the program enhanced most participants'…

This discussion of planning for individuals with autism using a life-span perspective considers stages and transitions across life, noting the special difficulty these individuals have with transitions; changing perspectives on disability in the United States; and characteristics of comprehensive life-span programs (sophisticated diagnoses, strong…

This case study examines how individuals construct definitions of handicapped and mainstreaming. The effect of these definitions was examined through interviews and observations of the peers, parents, and educators of a fifth-grade mainstreamed boy with disabilities. Results found that frames of reference can have a substantial impact on program…

Discusses the difficulties in conducting a case study on the attitudes and beliefs that individuals held about mainstreaming a boy with disabilities, including changes in terminology, methodological dilemmas, and discrepancies between the definitions that participants explicitly shared and observations of their interactions with the boy. (CR)

This article reviews how tutoring systems have been applied across specialized subject areas (e.g., music, horticulture, health and safety, social interactions). It summarizes findings, provides an analysis of skills learned within each tutoring system, identifies the respective methodologies, and reports relevant findings, implications, and…

Discusses the difficulties in attracting and preparing special educators in the area of severe disabilities. A University of North Carolina at Charlotte program that uses distance learning to prepare special educators to work with students with severe disabilities is described, along with the benefits of distance learning. (CR)

Discusses the movement in teacher education from a behaviorist approach to a constructivist approach. Describes the role of teachers and teacher education programs in the behaviorist tradition (teacher transmits knowledge) and in the contructivist tradition (teacher mediates ideas, constructs meaning and knowledge, and acts upon them). (CR)

A study of three children (ages 11-13) without disabilities who served as peer supports for students with disabilities in general education classrooms found that serving as a peer support had positive academic effects on the students without disabilities. Follow-up probes demonstrated that the positive benefits regarding academic engagement…

Summarizes ongoing research designed to generate new knowledge about the relative effectiveness of different approaches to the prevention and remediation of reading disabilities in children, particularly difficulties in acquiring accurate and fluent word reading skills. Preliminary results from the prevention study and the remediation study are…

This article reports the progress of 13 learning-disabled students after 1 year of planning and 1 year of implementing the "Mainstream Experiences for the Learning Disabled" (MELD) model in an urban elementary school. Students made no significant progress in reading or math and earned lower grades during the implementation year. (DB)

In 1981 the Australian government introduced a system of wage subsidies designed to induce employers to increase job offers to persons with disabilities. This article reports on the effectiveness of the wage subsidy policy and examines some supply characteristics for labor market success by the disabled. (Author/JOW)

The United States Department of Education's tenth annual report on the implementation of Public Law 94-142 contains improvements but shows overdependence on reporting numbers of students without descriptions of evolutions in service delivery, and raises questions about the effectiveness of monitoring efforts carried out by the Office of Special…

The review of the literature describes services available or recommended for students with learning disabilities at community colleges and traditional four-year colleges. Although a wide variety of services are now available, there is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness of those services. (Author/DB)

Review of published studies involving the effects of the Adaptive Learning Environment Model on special education students indicate insufficient detail for adequate evaluation of the program's impact on exceptional children. Methodological weaknesses include multiple reporting of the same data, the lack of control subjects, and inconsistencies in…