A definition of mental retardation is presented to clarify perceptions of what should happen to persons with mental retardation after identification and program placement. The definition refers to the need for specific skill training and the development of independence. A rationale and six corollaries to the definition are discussed. (JDD)

A personal viewpoint on the many characteristics of instruction available through the foundations of education is offered. Through a combination of theory and practice, individual consciousness should be raised to an understanding of the forces that have created the existing society and determined an individual's place in that society. (JD)

Explored role of adolescent's perception of family environment and its relationship to underachievement. Normal ability underachievers and matched group of achievers completed Family Environment Scale. Identified four variables that distinguished between achievers and underachievers: moral-religious emphasis, achievement orientation, family…

A new model of service provision for college students with disabilities is proposed. The model focuses on the campus as an environment where all can be empowered to assist students in meeting their own disability-related needs. Suggestions for making the transition to such an environment are offered. (MSE)

This article describes amendments of the 1992 Rehabilitation Act Amendments which address choice and self-determination for people with disabilities. It also considers barriers within the vocational rehabilitation service system that prevent many individuals with severe disabilities from choosing integrated employment. (Author/DB)

Adults with mental retardation (n=392) involved in self-advocacy groups completed the Life Choices Survey. Findings indicated that this group indicated more choice opportunities than most adults with mental retardation and that total choice availability varied with level of disability and type of living arrangement but not by age or gender.…

Israeli adults (n=52) with intellectual disabilities who resided in community apartments were found to be more independent and to experience more choice-making opportunities than group home residents (n=68). The groups did not differ in age, gender, or level of intellectual disability, suggesting that the variation between groups is probably…

Parents (n=280) of young children disabled or at risk assessed help-giving practices of early intervention/human services program personnel. Sources of variation in parents' assessment were related to differences in program models and not parent or family characteristics, and differences in parents' personal control appraisals were attributable to…

This article considers how liberatory theory (related to critical theory, postmodern thought, and constructivism) can be applied to debates in special education. Liberatory pedagogies encourage oppressed peoples to define for themselves their situations and to define actions that will be liberating. (Author/DB)

Students (n=457, ages 8-21) with learning disabilities or emotional handicap were assessed on self-perceptions and perceptions of home and classroom contexts. Students' achievement and adjustment were able to be predicted from the motivationally relevant variables of self-perception and perception-of-context. (Author/JDD)

This paper questions the claim of the Warnock Report (a report on special educational needs by Great Britain's Department of Education and Science) that educational aims are the same for all children. The paper discusses the place of knowledge in the educational aims, preparation for personal autonomy, distinction between autonomy and…

This article describes the development and pilot testing of a curriculum to teach rape prevention and self-defense skills to visually impaired women. As a result of the course, five visually impaired women improved their physical self-defense skills, self-confidence, and problem-solving ability in hypothetically dangerous situations. (Author/DB)

Examined associations between the quality of the interparental relationship and the success of 68 family triads (mother, father, preadolescent son) in solving family problems. Parental agreement on child rearing issues facilitated problem solving, whereas strong parental coalitions inhibited problem solving. The latter result may be attributed to…

Guidelines are presented for individualizing daily schedules or routines to reflect better the preferred lifestyles of persons with severe handicaps. Four dimensions that can be systematically manipulated to address challenging behavior are presented, including timing of routines, form of the activities, pattern of succession of activities, and…

The study found that the actual coursework of 19 medical students following an individual study program deviated considerably from both the requirements of the traditional curriculum and the actual coursework followed by 302 students in the traditional program. Independent study students most commonly eliminated selected formal clerkship or…