A child with a serious disability can have an extensive emotional impact on the family. A case study of the parents of a disabled child describes the demands imposed on them by therapeutic programs and the use of counseling to focus on their marriage and their problem-solving styles. (JDD)

This study sought to determine the effects of an instructional pause procedure on the verb identification performance of eight 8th- and 9th-grade students with severe behavior disorders. Seven of the students showed improvements of 14 percent to 29 percent, and significant generalization to student-generated written work was also demonstrated.…

The Harpersbury Hospital School in Hertfordshire, England, developed a curriculum of "mothering," or intensive, structured interaction teaching, to promote development of language, cognition, and sociability in pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties. The process approach is based on the critical learning that infants…

Eight field-tested staffing strategies for community-based programs for severely handicapped students are described. Advantages and disadvantages are summarized, and a decision-making process for selecting strategies is discussed. Among recommendations are the need to maximize coordination between school and nonschool instruction and to collect…

Outlines specific steps for implementing and validating a qualitative methodology designed to evaluate rural areas' special education programs serving students with severe special needs. Provides a rationale for use of the elements of aesthetic criticism as the basis of the methodology and discusses practical limitations and usefulness of the…

This brief paper offers an inventory to help implement change strategies and achieve person-centered planning for people with severe disabilities. The inventory is intended to examine use of 12 resources that facilitate change and increase the chance of good outcomes. A visual display of the model on which the inventory is based is provided first.…

Alberta Education provides funding to school authorities to support the development and implementation of programming for students with severe disabilities. The Handbook for the Identification and Review of Students with Severe Disabilities presents case studies to assist school authorities in identifying students who may be eligible for special…

This paper summarizes current knowledge on the transition to adulthood of youth with serious emotional disturbance in terms of epidemiology, effective interventions, and program models. The first section is introductory and provides definitions and characteristics of transitional youth noting special developmental tasks, outcomes for young adults,…

This report discusses the results of a case study of Working Order, a Pennsylvania program designed to develop entrepreneurs with and without disabilities by sharing the expertise, resources, and skills of small business owners. The strategy of the program is to invite competitive entrepreneurs, those who could likely produce and sell their…

Thirteen high school students were trained by an undergraduate psychology student daily in 6-hour sessions for one week and subsequently modified behaviors of five severely retarded children. (MC)

A Kansas City (Missouri) school for severely handicapped children features a single corridor that encircles a skylit multipurpose room and provides access to all other areas. In addition to 20 classrooms, the school houses support services that include a testing and observation area, a workshop, and a home living center. (Author/MLF)

The determination of what is considered to be the least restrictive environment for the deaf-blind severely handicapped child should not be based solely on the child's learning needs. The individual needs of each child should be the main but not the only consideration. (JN)

The Oak Hill School Model was developed to secure the best plan for educating, training, and developing a life program for the multihandicapped person. The handicapped individual's full potential is developed in the least restrictive environment. The group home program teaches self-help skills and is an alternative to the institution. (JN)

A sequential-developmental approach to the assessment of individuals from the earliest sensorimotor period through the level of abstract reasoning is discussed. The assessment is hierarchically sequenced and is concerned with how and why individuals process information. The assessment procedures provide practical data on levels of development. (JN)

A 16-week public school physical education program was provided for 14 previously unserved severely handicapped children (ages 5 to 21). The program resulted in increasing ability of the special education class teachers to become involved in the teaching of physical education. (Author/DB)