Individuals of color with disabilities and/or their family members need access to services and supports that will assist them with daily life and a way to advocate for these services. Disability organizations, whose core mission is advocacy, have had difficulty attracting and maintaining persons of color with disabilities or their family members…

Recent prevalence rates for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are now estimated at about 1 in 110 children in the U.S. Increases in public awareness and research funding in response to the growing numbers of children and adults with this disorder have led to numerous important scientific advances over the last several years. Nevertheless, because…

From the nefarious achievement gaps, to the racial isolation in increasingly segregated schools; from the digital divide that results in kids not having access to computers, to the poverty gulf that results in kids not having homes; from boys' reading difficulties and girls' problems with math, to the disparities among rural, suburban, and urban…

Strong school and family ties have long shown success in influencing positive child development and lasting academic success. While a multitude of programs exist to help facilitate the school-family connection, one program in particular, Families and Schools Together, or FAST, stands out as an effective prevention program that is suitable for a…

Because family literacy programs are new, the definition of such programs and program models are still evolving. Broadly speaking, two criteria differentiate family literacy programs from other literacy programs: (1) the program is conceptualized around the concerns of the family as a unit; and (2) there is, at minimum, an implied educational…

This article describes Families Play To Grow, a new program of family play and recreation activity sponsored by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation. (PD)

This document contains the text of the welcoming address given by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare at the White House Conference on Families. The address emphasizes the importance of the family and delineates the family assistance measures taken by the federal government during the Carter years. (JMB)

A synopsis and family discussion suggestions are provided for the NBC-TV production of Snowbound, a story of two teenagers lost in a blizzard. (STS)

The paper contrasts two assumptions about the nature of autism and discusses their implications for parent services. A deficit model of parental pathology and definition of the parent as patient is seen to lack empirical support. Growing recognition of biological etiology is discussed and alternative definitions of the parent or family as focus…

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)

A summer in-home signing program augments signing courses and attempts to reach more families and more family members. Secondary and postsecondary deaf students live with families for brief periods, helping parents, other family members and neighbors develop signing skills. (Author/CL)

A communication program for four families with a hearing-impaired child integrated positive communicative dimensions with issues related to this population. Findings indicate that the program had beneficial effects including improved awareness skills, the ability to label feelings and skills, increased perceptions of family cohesiveness, and…

Head Start provides comprehensive education and family support to over 15 million children living in impoverished environments in the United States. Surveys and canvass calls were used to ascertain the extent and nature of contact that Head Start staff have with parents with disabilities. Responses from Head Start programs in a six-state region…

This guide presents useful research findings and best practice information about developing parent and family involvement programs. The first chapter focuses on reporting research findings on parent involvement and highlights pertinent findings on how parent involvement benefits students, parents, teachers, school quality, and program designs.…

Home Start programs, designed to provide child development services to children in their homes, are located in 15 states. (DS)