This literature review on the importance of play in the development of children focuses on play differences of exceptional children, methods of observing and assessing play, play interventions, the use of toys and playthings, the role of nonhandicapped peers in play, the physical environment for play, and the role of adults. The paper concludes…

This book presents 50 strategies for including students with severe disabilities in regular classrooms. Introductory sections review the trend towards increased classroom integration and explain a philosophy of successful integration. The 50 strategies are each introduced by a thought-provoking quote or statistic, some general information, and…

This paper is based on a retreat in which vocational rehabilitation professionals examined their own developmental experiences in community settings and related them to their professional role. Vocational rehabilitation professionals are required to act as leaders as they facilitate the process by which people who have experienced traumatic loss…

Anthropologists have documented the importance of rites of passage rituals for marking the successful passage from one position in the social structure to another. The characteristics and importance of rituals and rites of passage to mark the transition high school to college will be presented. It is proposed that colleges and universities utilize…

This "feature issue" focuses on early intervention with handicapped children, with an emphasis on: Project EDGE (Expanding Developmental Growth through Education), an early intervention research project initiated in 1968; strategies for developing family-friendly early intervention services; and progress reports from various states and…

This case study is based on a 1988 site visit to the Orion Community, in which a group of nondisabled and disabled people have chosen to live and work with each other in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Orion's founding is described, beginning with an informal support group of professionals, parents, advocates, and members of Camphill (agricultural…

The report, one of a series describing innovative practices in integrating people with disabilities into community life, describes the Gig Harbor (Washington) group home which serves five severely retarded adults. The home is staffed by five people, two teams and the Director, with each team living in the house on alternate weeks. Topics covered…

This paper reviews recent literature related to co-worker involvement in non-sheltered community-based employment programs for persons with mental retardation. Discussion of co-worker roles is categorized into six areas: training, associating, befriending, advocating, evaluating, and information giving. Also discussed are other variables…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) program leaders in Minnesota were surveyed to contrast perceptions of programs for children age birth to 3 with those for children 3 to 6. Of the 8,550 children served in such programs, survey responses reflected 64 percent. Survey results are presented for: (1) settings--home, community, and ECSE…

Much of today's multicultural education is ethnocentric and has little apparent concern for cross-cultural contacts, our best hope in ameliorating racism. Increasingly, multiculturalism exalts particular racial and ethnic pride at the expense of social cohesion of the American society as a whole. However, the notion of a "common American…

This resource guide was compiled to provide information about including learners with severe disabilities in general education classes and school community life. The guide includes resources about successful inclusive education models and strategies, as well as materials that provide a sound rationale and empirical support for inclusion. The…

A call for new coalitions to combat the racism and mindless materialism that divides America in the hope of reaffirming a sense of purpose and a will to justice for all Americans. (EH)

The paper distinguishes American and Canadian applications of the terms "mainstreaming" and "integration" in relation to placement of exceptional children in settings which foster interaction between them and their non-handicapped peers such as regular classes in neighborhood schools. The two terms are seen to represent…

This study investigated whether dialogue journal writing between hearing and hearing-impaired writers is an effective way of developing social relations between school peers. The project involved 37 teachers of the hearing-impaired and 127 completed journals written by students, aged 10 to 18 years, with at least a third grade reading level.…

The paper describes the development and psyhometric validation of an instrument to measure co-worker involvement with employees with handicaps in supported employment settings. The Co-worker Involvement Instrument contains 10 items pertaining to physical integration, social integration, vocational integration, training, associating frequency,…