Discriminatory ability of several pediatric outcome tools was assessed relative to Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level in patients with cerebral palsy. Five hundred and sixty-two patients (400 with diplegia, 162 with hemiplegia; 339 males, 223 females; age range 4-18y, mean 11y 1mo [SD 3y 7mo]), classified as GMFCS Levels I to…

Purpose: To explore the benefits, challenges, and impact of podcasting in higher education and also to provide educators with anecdotal and practical advice and information on how to create and distribute podcasts. Design/methodology/approach: In support of a traditional college course, a biology professor implemented podcasts to explore the value…

This guide for Michigan parents of children with physical disabilities provides a synopsis of information and suggestions on school bus transportation gained from a series of four workshops. Topics covered include: (1) planning (determining just what the student's special transportation needs are by the Individualized Educational Planning…

The conference reported in this document utilized a conceptual matrix to organize presentations on research priorities in prevention, definitive treatment, and ongoing management of impairment, disability, and handicap. Ten research strategy recommendations developed at the conference are offered for implementation by The Easter Seal Research…

To help agencies serve the needs of older black men, this paper presents an overview of the physical, social, and economic status of older rural black men. The report is based on a study of a sample of 62 black men, aged 65 to 97, who constituted a subset of older adults from a larger study of the kin network system of 368 adults over 65 living in…

The eight papers presented at the conference stress the importance of self-produced locomotion for the normal development of cognitive processes, particularly spatial understanding. Papers have the following titles and authors: "Childhood Motor Impairments: Clinical Overview and Scope of the Problem" (Ross Hays); "Locomotion and Psychological…

This catalog, for specialists in the Area Agencies on Aging system, outlines specialized products and services, currently available in the private marketplace, which may enhance the independence of the elderly. The body of the catalog is divided into nine sections according to technological areas; a brief description of each area and the types of…

The guide is intended to help teachers of severely and multiply handicapped elementary students develop curriculum and describes techniques for the systematic consideration of needs in the areas of communication, mobility, and object manipulation. An initial section focuses on assessment strategies, including the use of teacher made skill…

The literature review identifies information regarding the emergence of mobility skills in infants and young handicapped children, including rolling, crawling, creeping, and walking. Sections discuss the following topics: assessment instruments relevant to mobility, the identification of developmental milestones in mobility, and a hierarchy of the…

The barriers to physical mobility of the elderly are explained in this study which concentrated on spatial-temporal accessibility, and the use of mass transit to urban services and resources. The first area of concern dealt with the amount and extent of free time available to the elderly who are perceived as having large blocks of descretionary…

Attitudes toward their ambulatory status of two groups of cerebral palsied (50 wheelchair status and 54 crutches and braces status) adolescents and young adults were compared. Analysis of questionnaire and demographic survey responses indicated that the wheelchair group viewed ambulation with crutches and braces in a more favorable light than did…

Presents three articles on housing policies for the elderly. Topics include the need for housing assistance and targeting aid to the disabled, the practicality of delivering support services to impaired elderly in current housing, and potential future directions of federal housing policy. (NRB)

Briefly describes different designs for college chemistry laboratories to help mobility handicapped students working in them. (SK)

Describes a New Zealand course which provides adult disabled students with information on university structure, knowledge and practice in academic skills, exposure to different subjects taught in the Faculty of Arts, and an insight into standards expected of university students. (CT)

The programed instruction was validated with 40 multiply impaired blind children in nine facilities in a 16-week field test. The experimental group using the programed instructional materials demonstrated significant overall performance gains over a control group. (Author/DLS)