Individuals become self-determined when they are empowered to make choices that match their interests. But caregivers' perceptions of what they think individuals with severe disabilities like often direct vocational decision making. This choice by proxy denies individuals with disabilities an opportunity to become self-determined. We examined…

The Government of Uganda aims to provide good quality education for all learners in inclusive schools. However, some learners who have severe disabilities, including those who are deaf, will, for some time, continue to receive their education in special schools. In this article, Kirsten Kristensen, consultant in inclusive and special needs…

It is estimated that 3.2% of Cuba's population of 11.4 million persons has a severe disability of some kind. Recent economic difficulties have, it may be assumed, had a negative impact on health service provision--which is free to all--and thus, on population health outcomes and nutritional levels. There is a traditional culture of family care for…

Background: The outcomes of a pilot program of staff development in communication support in the context of observed changes in student behaviour states and interactive abilities are reported. Participant reports about the impact of the program on their professional practices are included. Method: Six teachers and six teacher aides in special…

Promoting access to the general curriculum has emerged as a central theme of the standards-based reform movement, challenging educators to identify effective strategies for supporting students with disabilities to access the numerous social and learning opportunities within general education. We examined peer support interventions as an…

This report describes the Teacher Work Group Project to help teachers of students with severe disabilities learn about new teaching practices and implement them in the classroom. Teacher Work Groups (TWGs) were formed at week-long summer institutes and the groups subsequently met during the school year to apply the strategies and learning in the…

Due to changes in certification and a shortage of special education teachers, school districts in rural Nevada frequently employ special education teachers who have not been trained to teach students with severe or multiple disabilities or serious emotional disturbances. A recent survey of 271 special education teachers and administrators in…

This 18-minute videotape illustrates Vermont's program of full inclusion of students with disabilities through following Andreas, an Asian-American teenager with severe disabilities who has been successfully included in regular classes in his local high school. The videotape shows him attending regular classes, working in a local animal hospital,…

This resource manual provides information on adaptive technology for students with deaf-blindness and severe disabilities. The material is based on a project that sought to identify specific applications that support the acquisition of early communication and social interaction skills. The first section describes 20 computer software programs and…

This review of effective practices in state-wide systems change was conducted as part of the PEERS (Providing Education for Everyone in Regular Schools) Project, a 5-year collaborative systems change project in California to facilitate the integration of students with severe disabilities previously at special centers into services at regular…

This manual on curriculum adaptation for inclusive classrooms was developed as part of the PEERS (Providing Education for Everyone in Regular Schools) Project, a 5-year collaborative systems change project in California to facilitate the integration of students with severe disabilities previously at special centers into services at regular school…

This site-visit report describes Common Ground, a program located in New Hampshire that supports 52 people with developmental disabilities, including some with severe and multiple impairments, in a broad range of individualized, integrated daytime activities, including supported and competitive employment, self-employment, volunteer work, and the…

This paper argues that the philosophic assumptions underlying full inclusion efforts for students with severe disabilities and other restructuring movements are actually barriers to "best practice" implementation, and an alternative perspective based on social relations is offered. First two different perspectives on disability, the "different…

This keynote address begins with a discussion of the difference between words and action, directed specifically to the practitioner's task of meeting the communication needs of children and youth with severe disabilities. Brief overviews of current perspectives and practices are provided, considering such areas as how communicative acts are…

This report is based on a 1988 site visit to the Northeast Educational Services Cooperative (NESC) in South Dakota. The visit's purpose was to provide consultation and recommendations regarding residential options to support children with severe disabilities who typically have been placed in out-of-district residential placements. Background…