The experiences of Hispanos (Mexican Americans) in four Colorado school systems from 1920 to 1963 show that the presence or absence of Hispano autonomy was a powerful determinant of school success or failure. Those in control of schools determined the teaching and administrative staff, the social and academic environment, and which students were…

Two studies examined preschool teacher and child interactions regarding personal, moral, and socioconventional issues in the classroom and the development of personal concepts. Findings suggested that in both judgments and social interactions, teachers and children identified a personal domain in which children can and should make choices about…

An intervention project introduced metacognition techniques to compensate for educational deficiencies in young adults. The project, based on the Instrumental Enrichment cognitive training program, led to improvement in students' motivation, awareness of their own learning strategies, more rapid and sustained academic progress, and increased…

Examines the construct validity of the Adaptive Behavior Scale-School: 2 (ABS-S: 2) through exploratory factor analysis. Results indicate that the ABS-S: 2 is best understood as a two-factor instrument for both children with mental retardation and for those without mental retardation. The test does seem to reflect personal independence and social…

This article chronicles the struggles of a student who is profoundly deaf and his relationship with a home tutor. His rejection of offered traditional supports (such as hearing aids, employment, placement in a community college) are discussed, along with the contributions of the disability movement in shaping his view of himself as…

Comparison of what people with developmental disabilities in Wyoming and South Dakota wanted and received in programs in 1988 (N=2,927) and in 1996 (N=3,934) found that the percentage of people placed in their preferred setting rose substantially, from 51% to 84% in Wyoming and from 62% to 72% in South Dakota. (Author/DB)

The leisure ability model is based on the concepts of internal locus of control, intrinsic motivation, personal causality, freedom of choice, and flow. It uses these ideas as the basis for three service components: treatment, leisure education, and recreation participation. The paper presents examples of utilization of this model and addresses the…

Personal control exercised by 74 adults from community living settings in Minnesota were evaluated. Individuals living semi-independently exercised more personal control than did residents of HCBS Waiver-funded supported living services, who had more personal control than did those living in community ICFs/MR. Personal characteristics and…

Adolescents with chronic illness confront barriers to accessing comprehensive transition services and face developmental challenges. Interdisciplinary transition planning should address health and career-related services that promote autonomy, proaction, and family involvement. (SK)

In this study, self-determination, autonomy, life choices, and lifestyle satisfaction for 273 adults with mental retardation in different types of residence or working environments were examined. Those who lived or worked in community-based settings were more self-determined, had higher autonomy, had more choices, and were more satisfied.…

A study examined the effectiveness of an observation system developed to measure the frequency and content of leisure choice opportunities and the manner in which three participants with profound mental retardation made choices. The system resulted in an increase in the number of choice opportunities and in choices made. (Author/CR)

Examined relations among maternal depression, family dysfunction, emotional autonomy, and early adolescent adjustment. Found that among offspring of depressed mothers, higher emotional autonomy predicted increased internalizing and externalizing problems; among offspring of nondepressed mothers, higher emotional autonomy predicted decreases in…

Study examined factors associated with symptoms of depression in female adolescents. Specifically, the relationship between theoretically related measures-separation-individuation; interpersonal concerns; attachment style; parental representations-and symptoms of depression was investigated. The model developed explained interrelationships of…

This article discusses a study of children's perspectives on disciplinary conflicts with their foster parents. Most children accept parental authority, but they also defend their personal autonomy and loyalties to peers. In this study, only birthchildren told real-life stories about fierce resistance to get their own way. Fierce resistance among…

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of older people's perceptions of falls prevention advice, and how best to design communications that will encourage older people to take action to prevent falls. Focus groups and interviews were carried out with 66 people aged 61-94 years recruited from a variety of settings, using falls…