Describes a study of leisure activities of interest to people with intellectual disabilities. Reports that one group of adolescents, one of adults, and one of seniors were interviewed. Lists reasons for lack of participation in leisure activities, including: (1) no leisure skill training; (2) lack of opportunities; and (3) lack of transportation.…

Discusses a type of orienteering developed in Great Britain to allow people with physical disabilities to compete on equal terms. Sites are viewed from a wheelchair-accessible main route. The main skill is interpreting the maps at each site, not finding the sites. Describes differences from standard orienteering, how sites work, and essential…

Discusses the updated version of the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it applies to primary and middle school washrooms. Provides the specifications for water closets serving children ages 3 to 12, as well as other details concerning mirrors and lavatory dimensions. (GR)

Background: Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are known to have a high prevalence of both low bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures with significant attendant morbidity. Effective strategies aimed at reducing fractures will be facilitated by the identification of predisposing risk factors. Methods: Bone mineral density was measured…

Many young children with disabilities have unique personal/social needs in addition to academic issues related to their disability. Current research suggests a number of personal/social difficulties that come with a diagnosis of a physical disability, emotional disorder, or learning disability. This article presents the results of an ethnographic…

It has been well documented that individuals with significant physical disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) face considerable challenges in finding and maintaining employment. This article documents the experiences of one individual, Anthony Arnold, a young man who uses a Pathfinder[TM] for communication and a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the various ways in which independent-feeding patients with dysphagia justified their noncompliance with swallowing recommendations suggested by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Sixty-three independent-feeding dysphagia patients between the ages of 65 and 100 years who had been identified by the SLP or…

Learning to reach for and manipulate objects requires considerable neuromotor control and flexibility. Through environmental and object exploration individual neuromotor strategies expand, and prehensile skills improve, as infants and children overcome constraints. Infants and children with prehensile deficits often have difficulty exploring…

Described and discussed are comparative employment policies and programs for people with intellectual and other disabilities in Australia, Finland, and Sweden. The dominant economic and social policies of many Western countries are such that they continue to place considerable pressure on the development and maintenance of employment programs for…

Background: Historically, adults with intellectual disabilities have had little access to individual psychotherapy. Over the last 20 years an increasing body of literature has described psychotherapy with this client group and reported methods for adapting traditional psychotherapeutic techniques. Method: The current review identified the…

Although fluency instruction is an essential part of teaching reading, there is limited information on providing this type of instruction with students who have physical disabilities. This article examines three case studies across two students, one with cerebral palsy and the other with both arthrogryposis and spina bifida. In the first study,…

A non-experimental design was used to investigate the relationship of the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) scores to employment status. Groups were comprised of individuals with disabilities who were either employed or not employed immediately following their taking of the TABE and being released from a testing and employment services center…

Participation in regular physical activity (PA) provides health, psychological, and physiological benefits for people with and without a physical disability. This study investigated the physical and sedentary activity patterns of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). A cross-sectional, descriptive, postal survey was used, consisting of the…

Complicated issues arise when a group leader resumes practice after suffering a disability. The author, a nurse psychotherapist/researcher with a doctoral degree, director of nursing research at a veterans' hospital, and a psychodynamic practitioner in private practice, suffered a major stroke. The author felt extremely vulnerable and struggled as…

Two brief guides offer suggestions for persons with physical disabilities who are considering the purchase of adaptive driving equipment, battery-powered scooters, or three wheelers. The first guide offers guidelines for individuals considering purchase of special hand controls or other modifications or a van lift to enhance their independence in…