This paper identifies four key issues in the implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) to provide services to young handicapped children as required by Public Law 99-457. These include sensitivity to cultural diversity, family assessment, intrusiveness, and establishing family outcomes. A typology of family outcomes which…

The article describes Louisiana's approach to implementing Individualized Family Service Plans, including four model formats developed by early intervention service providers and families of young children with disabilities. Formats differ in the way the required elements are expressed, allowing application to the unique characteristics of…

A family-focused intervention model was implemented with 16 families having young children (birth to 3 years) with moderate or severe disabilities. Individualized Family Service Plans were formulated and implemented, resulting in high levels of parental satisfaction, accelerated rates of progress by the children, and acquisition of functional…

This study compared three written surveys intended to help identify family strengths and needs during the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process. Subjects were 48 mothers of children enrolled in early intervention programs and 25 program providers. Mothers tended to prefer written surveys to personal interviews and rated the surveys'…

Areas crucial to the development of "state of the art" curricula for gifted students are discussed, including differentiation, emphasis on both process and content, interdisciplinary and individualized formats, balance between acceleration and enrichment, and comprehensive and articulated curriculum structure. (DB)

Both general education and the structure and process of specialization on the undergraduate level must be reformed in relation to each other to strengthen curriculum and practice of liberal learning. Reform could mean either redistributing the time allotted in the undergraduate curriculum or tying general education to specific student interests.…

Proposes the Program of Human Inquiry as a framework for joint student-faculty portfolios by graduate students and faculty advisors. The program consists of four components: (1) acknowledgment of what one brings to graduate studies; (2) a plan of study, (3) a record of rigorous negotiated "avenues of inquiry," and (4) ongoing discussion of values…

An assessment and intervention process for use by occupational and physical therapists working in schools is described. The process addresses discrepancies between performance and expectations, establishment of goals and objectives, determination of needed services, determination of service delivery setting, and provision of efficient and…

This study analyzed the impact that the use of Person Centered Planning (PCP) had with 10 transition-age students receiving special education services. Interviews with students, parents, and educators indicated that PCP training was associated with various indicators of service provision as well as higher satisfaction with the planning process.…

The NIMH Healthy Living Project (HLP), a randomized behavioral intervention trial for people living with HIV, enrolled 943 individuals, including women, heterosexual men, injection drug users, and men who have sex with men from Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, and San Francisco. The intervention, which is based on qualitative formative research…

This study examined (a) the main effects of professional development on the quality of postsecondary goals in employment and postsecondary education/training, (b) the main effects of student and teacher characteristics on goal quality, and (c) whether professional development moderated the relationship between the impact of these characteristics…

Middle and high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are increasingly being taught in general education settings. This guide reviews common characteristics associated with autism and provides teachers with practical tips and strategies for supporting their students with autism in the classroom setting. It is also designed to…

This book is a guide to the development of Individual Transition Plans (ITPs) for students with disabilities. It includes 37 sample ITPs for students with a wide variety of disabilities. The first four chapters describe the formatting necessary for designing the transition planning document and then describe each of the 10 goals, which range from…

Recent literature notes a significant increase in students being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yet, no uniform testing protocol exists. It is vital for students and educators that a unified testing process be created and established. This study investigated which ASD testing instruments were currently used in Southern California…

This Issue Brief, an update of "Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway" by Gregg Vanourek, is part of NACSA's Cyber series, which addresses issues in policy and practice that concern authorizing online schools and blended learning. It aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of online…