Discusses Margaret Mead's insights on mental retardation. Her study of intelligence scores of Italian children, which analyzed correlations between test performance, language, immigration date, and social status, is used to indicate recognition of the multicultural complexities of mental retardation. Her belief in social integration is also…

Organizations that offer outdoor adventure activities can integrate programs to include individuals with disabilities. The paper describes how one organization includes diverse groups of people with and without disabilities in its outdoor activities, focusing on each member's strengths and encouraging cooperation. (SM)

Presents a set of five questions to be considered in the preliminary planning of a community-based learning (CBL) project. Discusses each question and outlines advantages and disadvantages of decisions, focusing on competing interests of students, instructors, and partner organizations. (Author/KDR)

Discusses the use of critical thinking and critical observation methods as applied to teaching sociology courses. Discusses how students are taught to evaluate situations holistically. States that critical observation is the ability to identify assumptions and stereotypes interpreted by behavior. Provides an assessment of an exercise model that…

This article presents a case study of a child with autism educated in a regular education classroom. It identifies key factors in the child's successful inclusion: (1) knowing the child's needs; (2) having a positive attitude; (3) inservice training for staff; (4) the involvement of teachers, therapists, and support staff in team planning; and (5)…

Compared the community-based, peer social networks of 75 boys with developmental delays, 69 with communication disorders, and 66 without disabilities (ages 4-5). Results showed more limited peer social networks for both groups of children with disabilities based primarily on the frequency of contacts with peers and linkages established across…

Analysis of the United Kingdom's Modern Apprenticeship program, designed to increase intermediate job skills, shows that in many sectors, apprentices leave without completing qualifications, especially in sectors with no history of apprenticeship. A key problem is lack of employer demand conflicting with the government's focus on improving social…

The universal playground, designed for the full spectrum of developmental abilities, works to the advantage of children with special needs. The universal playground includes spring rides, work and play tables, sympathetic swings, sand tables, steering wheels, gadget panels, wide slides, adjustable basketball hoops, and music panels. (JDD)

The feasibility of an intensified integrated camping experience for three children with and five children without severe disabilities was evaluated, as was the impact of integrated programing on camp staff attitudes. Following the two-week program, disabled children demonstrated improvements in targeted skills, nondisabled campers increased their…

Sheltered workshops are asserted to be failing to provide mentally retarded clients with appropriate work experiences because of low wage rates, unavailability of work, changing industrial forecasts for blue collar employment, financial dependence, tax returns, segregation, and normalization issues. (Author/DB)

Families (N=102) of disabled children in an Israeli kibbutz were interviewed. Parental stress was found to be reduced by the availability of material and financial resources, sharing in day-to-day child care, and overall community acceptance. Parents did experience a sense of loneliness and concerns about their children's social integration and…

Described are efforts to integrate special and regular elementary-level students from two separate but adjacent facilities. Three years after the special school's opening, observational data and questionnaires revealed almost total segregation. Subsequently, an intensive intervention program generated promising, short-term movement toward…

The study compared attitudes of 50 subjects on mental health policy when presented with vignettes expressed in "community care" terms or matched alternatives. The "community care" linguistic construction resulted in more favorable policy ratings and estimates of integration of the handicapped. Findings suggest linguistic framing may be important…

Analysis of 1980 state-level data found that white suicide rates were associated with variables indicating social instability, while American Indian suicide rates were negatively related to wealth and urbanization. Both white and Indian homicide rates were related to social instability; Indian rates were also negatively related to unemployment.…

This article presents case examples that illustrate strategies for promoting natural job supports for employees with disabilities. Strategies include, among others, collaborating with work-site personnel to develop modifications and providing general consultation on person-environment factors that promote the success of the supported employee and…