Describes a young man who suffered multiple handicaps and cruel deprivations from birth, became a street person at an early age, and who, after a suicide attempt, responded well to intensive time-limited psychotherapy with a Zen approach. Includes his spontaneously written poetry which recorded his gradually reducing alienation. (SR)

A travel cane was adapted for use by a 10-year-old boy with cortical blindness, severe mental retardation and cerebral palsy affecting his left arm and leg. The Specific Adaptation Mobility Cane utilizes the affected arm to hold the cane while leaving the other hand free for trailing walls, opening doors, carrying objects, and holding handrails.…

Describes how certain relevant theoretical concepts, intervention methods, and criteria for determining therapeutic change can be useful in counseling people with physical disabilities. Argues that counselors who serve clients with disabilities ought to choose those interventions most congruent with their own theoretical orientation, academic…

This article offers an overview of factors important in positioning the child with physical disabilities including proper techniques, multidisciplinary assessment, selection of equipment, trying equipment, and ongoing team evaluation. Specific terms concerned with clinical aspects, seating, standing, and seating components are defined. (DB)

A study of 83 Australian adults with spinal cord injuries found that at least 56% had worked at some time post-injury and those who were working when surveyed had done so for an average of close to 10 years. Clerical, office, and administrative occupations proved to be the most suitable. (Author/CR)

Case studies of three adults with spinal cord injury illustrate the role of assistive technology, employment specialists, and types of workplace supports needed to enable them to secure and maintain employment. Employment specialists are able to analyze accommodation needs and help employers understand them. (SK)

Compared mastery motivation on 2 tasks for 1- and 2-year-old children--25 with motor impairment, 25 with developmental delays, and 25 with typical development, but all matched for mental age. Found that the groups did not differ on any measure of mastery motivation. (MDM)

Review of the literature on happiness, or felicitude, in people with physical disabilities considers data showing that levels of happiness may be high despite severe levels of impairment. It concludes that for both physical and intellectual disabilities, the task is to overcome stereotypes and measure health-related quality of life in meaningful,…

Purpose: States are increasingly using the Medicaid 1915c waiver program to provide community-based long-term care. A substantially greater share of long-term-care dollars supports community-based care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, relative to older and working-age persons with primarily physical disabilities.…

As Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist in Tai Tokerau, we have worked in collaboration with CCS Northland over the last two years to facilitate two day workshops for students attending mainstream schools that have moderate to severe physical disabilities. We chose venues that were community based so that the students could be out of their…

The purpose of this article is to review the literature related the development of Strattera, a nonstimulant drug for treating individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Due to the fact that a number of individuals with motor and other disabilities also have attention problems, the writers devote special attention to this…

This study investigated the relationship between perceived changes in sense of coherence from pre- to postinjury and adjustment for a group of individuals with spinal cord injury. It was hypothesized that after a spinal cord injury, an individual's belief that he or she had significantly reduced his or her sense of coherence would be associated…

This study investigated the relationships of healthy children with their handicapped siblings and analyzed their acceptance of the siblings. The study was conducted in 16 different special education and rehabilitation centers in Ankara. Two hundred twenty-eight healthy children between the ages of 10 to 17 years voluntarily participated in the…

In schools today inclusion involves a challenge to attitudes and expectations within educational communities. "The New Zealand Disability Strategy" (Minister for Disability Issues, 2001), is a guide for government action to promote a more inclusive society. Out of its 15 Objectives, Objective 1 encourages and educates the community and…

The present study examined links between physical activity and quality of life experienced by individuals with physical disabilities recruited from a wheelchair user's basketball tournament. The participants included 12 male and 14 female adults between the ages of 18-54 (M = 31.12, SD = 10.75) who all reported one or more condition(s) that…