This article describes a new curriculum for reversing self-defeating tendencies in secondary level youth with disabilities by building skills in areas such as communication, self-understanding, creative thinking, and problem solving. The curriculum, Self Determination: The Road to Personal Freedom, focuses on development of eight skills. (DB)

This position statement reviews the history of the transition concept; defines it; identifies components of transition planning; and considers issues important in the delivery of transition services, including a focus on student preferences, inclusion of the student with disabilities within regular school programs, and provision of community-based…

When college courses and classrooms are consciously designed to foster self-evaluation, critical shifts occur in student autonomy and responsibility. Three elements that transform the school experience into meaningful learning include encouraging student "ownership" of their work; promoting reflection on that work; and creating a sense…

The Enabling Practices Scale was developed to measure the level of empowering practices used by employment organizations serving individuals with disabilities and was tested with 127 Australian parents who have adult children with intellectual disability. Factor analysis revealed three factors: comfort with parent-staff relationship,…

Research in the fields of management, leadership development, and human development is reviewed. The research suggests that the quality of an individual's personal life, the effectiveness of his/her professional work, and the lasting public value of his/her social contribution are contingent upon a coherent sense of personal integration and…

This paper describes an approach to assessment in which university students create a comprehensive and analytical summary, called the self-assessment schedule, of their learning in a given subject. The application of the schedule in postgraduate courses is discussed, and the views of staff and students are reported. (Author/GLR)

This study of an adult with severe mental retardation and severe physical impairments found that the subject learned the cause-and-effect relationship between her voice commands and resultant action controlling environmental devices, differentiated various vocalizations for different environmental actions, and experienced positive affect when she…

This study analyzed a program to involve six institutionalized adults with mild mental retardation in their transition to community living. The program involved interviewing to determine their community living lifestyle preferences, identifying strongest preferences, and teaching subjects to obtain preference availability information from group…

Compares African Americans' manifest dream content with dreams of Anglo-American and Mexican American peers. Some dream elements that were examined included emotions, environmental press, achievement outcomes, and social interactions. Comparisons indicate that African Americans perceive themselves more strongly as victims of their fate rather than…

This study assessed the demographic and diagnostic characteristics, problem behaviors, self-care skills, community living skills, domestic expectations, and program goals for personal competence of 336 persons with mental retardation living in a national sample of 181 foster care and small group care settings. Overall, substantial independence in…

A program of intervention called therapeutic tutoring to help underachievers is described. Intervention centers around students' loci of control, through a process of identifying areas in which students feel empowered and relating academic experiences to these areas. Academic exercises based on Monopoly, cricket, rugby, soap operas, field hockey,…

This study assessed the Resident Lifestyle Inventory for congruent validity, test-retest reliability, and social validity using 19 severely disabled adults in community-based residential facilities. Results indicate the test is psychometrically acceptable and accurately used by residential programs. Support staff also consider it useful for…

This study evaluated the Consent Screening Interview, which assesses the ability of adults with developmental disabilities to give direct consent for community residential placement. Interviews conducted with 17 adults with mental retardation and a control group of 8 individuals indicated that the instrument differentiated between those subjects…

A national survey of 235 directors of programs offering Bachelors of Social Work found that sources of personal, structural, and institutional power were important predictors of power for middle managers in academic settings. Results also direct their programs and manage departmental resources. (Author/MSE)

Studies the influence of parenting style and parental involvement in schooling on academic achievement at the secondary level. Finds that parental acceptance, affective support, supervision, and granting psychological autonomy contributed to school achievement. Indicates that parents retain substantial influence over their adolescent's school…