In the fall of 1995, Cindy Cook and her husband were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child. They were thrilled, excited and a little nervous about this new person that would be changing their lives. During a routine ultrasound around the fourth month of pregnancy, doctors noticed the walls of the baby's heart appeared thickened.…

Based on a systems theory of motor control, reactive postural control (RPA) and anticipatory postural control (APA) in children are reviewed from several perspectives in order to develop an evidence-based intervention strategy for improving postural control in children with limitations in motor function. Research on development of postural…

Computer access has become increasingly important within special education due to the increased functional independence that computers can provide children of all ages. Children with disabilities, especially, have benefited from access to computers (Glickman, Deitz, Anson, & Stewart, 1996; Judge & Parete, 1998; Swinth, Anson, & Deitz, 1993).…

This paper is about therapeutic work with David, a 13-year-old boy who, at the age of 5, was the victim of a hit-and-run road traffic accident resulting in quadriplegia. The circumstances leading to the accident and its sequelae reveal a particularly complex picture, which combines early emotional deprivation and trauma. Although cognitively…

In this article, the author shares his experience teaching production technology to special education students at Hialeah Middle School in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He has had many students who clearly had talent in graphics and design that went unrealized because of their physical disabilities. He has seen students with an enormous amount of…

This booklet explains characteristics of Marfan Syndrome, an inherited disorder of connective tissue which can be life-threatening if untreated. Medical problems affecting various parts of the body such as the heart, the skeleton, the eyes and the skin associated with Marfan Syndrome are discussed. Possible medical emergencies are identified.…

This report describes activities of the talking-book program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress, with emphasis on activities conducted in cooperation with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) library program. First, the overall NLS program in the U.S. which…

This monograph uses brief excerpts from many sources to document the history of the education and care of individuals with disabilities in India, primarily in the 19th century. An introduction describes the author's methodology in compiling and annotating the excerpts, which are listed alphabetically by locality in India. Under each locality,…

Marfan's syndrome is an autosomal dominant chromosomal disorder of connective tissue which may cause major abnormalities in the musculoskeletal, ocular (pertaining to the eye), and cardiovascular systems of the body. A description of this disorder is presented in this paper. It affects approximately .03 to .05% of the population; approximately…

The first part of this directory of National Library Service (NLS) resources for the blind and physically handicapped lists NLS network libraries and machine-lending agencies, arranged alphabetically by state. The information for each library includes its address, telephone and fax numbers, librarian, hours of operation, book and special…

This handbook is designed to assist managers of ACTION grantee programs in evaluating the degree to which the needs of persons with disabilities are incorporated into their programs for physical accessibility of buildings and facilities. After a general discussion of self-evaluation principles and accessibility guidelines, a checklist is provided…

This paper describes different products to assist students who are only able to use one hand while typing. Information is provided on: (1) access features in Macintosh and Windows95, including Easy Access (Mac) and Accessibility Options (Win95) which allow the user to press a key such as the shift key and subsequently press the letter to be…

This final report describes a federally funded project (September 1987-August 1989) which developed the "Trace Transparent Access Module," a device which interfaces with standard computers thus allowing children with physical disabilities to participate fully with nondisabled children in classrooms. The module is a small, microprocessor…

This publication presents principles of universal playgrounds, designed to maximize accessibility for all children, with and without disabilities. First, the rationale for the universal playground is given including the importance of play and the value of integration. Next current guidelines for playground design are discussed including safety,…

The purpose of this project was to design, implement, and validate a preservice training program to enable occupational therapy students to work effectively in rural public schools. The project sought to improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of these students in regard to the unique social, environmental, and educational needs of the rural…