The purpose of this project is to develop and to individually examine the efficacy of three different components of an integrated literacy program. No attempt is made to compare the components of the program to each other. Rather, the goal is to determine the effectiveness of each component of the program on the acquisition of the reading of…

Background: Adults with severe challenging behaviour can achieve good "quality of life" outcomes in small supported accommodation services. Yet, the research indicates that they typically experience poorer outcomes than other adults with intellectual disability. This raises questions about the degree to which research has informed…

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains largely untreated among adults with severe mental illnesses (SMI). The treatment of psychotic symptoms usually takes precedence in the care of adults with SMI. Such oversight is problematic in that PTSD in SMI populations is common (19%-43%), contributes a significant illness burden, and hinders mental…

The article offers guidelines for severely handicapped personnel preparation programs. Five areas which need to be addressed by such programs are addressed: need for the program, adequacy of resources to develop and maintain the program, staff needs and instructional integrity, program limitation, and a process for program evaluation. (SB)

A respite care program in New Jersey provides 50 families of mentally alert severely disabled adults with periodic relief. The program, which featured recreational and social activities, promotes the mental health of parents and families. (CL)

The development of effective community integration training programs for persons with severe handicaps is examined in terms of the human needs of severely disabled persons, the importance of comprehension and community-oriented training, emphasis on generalization, and consideration of individual preferences and interests. (CL)

The report presents results from an evaluation of the "Side-by-Side" program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, designed to integrate institutionalized severely handicapped high school students into the public school system. Following a brief review of the program's history and a description of the evaluation's in-depth interview approach, the program's…

The article describes a program model for meeting the needs of a widely diverse range of clients using nonaversive strategies to deal with severe behavior problems in community environments. Data from two years of implementation and follow-up designed to evaluate the program are also presented which support the effectiveness of the model.…

A coordinated home and school planning process via a transdisciplinary model is designed to serve severely/profoundly handicapped students in functional curriculum areas. Planning begins with identification of needs, constraints, and resources, and formulation of student objectives. (CL)

The frequency of the child's excess behaviors had significant impact on the nature of identified educational programing priorities, while developmental level did not. (Author/SB)

The final report documents accomplishments of a project designed to establish a full time continuing education program for severely multiply handicapped young adults. The Over-21 project was further designed to establish a widely replicable, innovative, model educational program as an alternative to the traditional "day care" focus of…

The manual is intended to help school administrators regionalize special education services. The procedures described are modeled after those of a regional effort in Maine to address the needs of moderately and severely handicapped students. Four major steps are outlined: (1) establishing communication to clarify issues, gather information, and…

Annual program plans for residents written prior to and following the implementation of the IPP (Individual Program Planning) system were rated to determine the extent of changes that resulted. More departments attended meetings, stated objectives, described intervention plans and evaluation procedures for proposed objectives, and reported…

Instructional development, particularly for the severely and profoundly handicapped, should stress the delineation of clearly stated functional goals and objectives and the use of systematic instructional strategies to facilitate the acquisition and generalization of target skills. (Author)

If chronological age appropriate and functional curricular content is to be developed, the basic components of an individualized education program (IEP) mandated by P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) must be supplemented, and instructionally defined for each severely handicapped adolescent or young adult student. (Author)