To establish and maintain community-based vocational training sites for moderately and severely handicapped students, trainers should emphasize intrapersonal skills with clients and employees as well as instructional skills to teach needed competencies. (CL)

The experimental group of 37 teachers read and discussed information related to an integration of severely handicapped students into regular schools. Results indicated that teachers' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the integration of severely handicapped students into regular schools can be significantly influenced by such a program of…

Seven autistic and other severely dysfunctional five- to seven-year-old boys were each given a soft, hard, and wheeled toy in random sequence. The soft toy evoked more inappropriate play behaviors and high levels of self-stimulation across subjects than either the hard or the wheeled toys. (Author/MC)

Twenty-one retired professionals were trained, via a five module training program, to function as paraprofessionals in a developmental day-care center for severely handicapped preschool children. The model was inexpensive, simple to implement, and effective. (CL)

Attitudes of 40 nonhandicapped fifth graders who had observed and interacted with 28 severely handicapped students (3-23 years old) were measured. Nonhandicapped Ss generally held more positive than negative perceptions of the handicapped students, although the perceptions were significantly less negative than their perceptions of nonhandicapped…

The effects of the decreasing assistance and the increasing assistance approaches to fluency building rates of six severely/profoundly handicapped students (12 to 16 years old) were examined. Using a two-choice discrimination task, it was found that, during fluency building, the increasing assistance approach appeared to be more efficient. (Author)

The article reviews recent research concerning interactions in integrated settings between severely handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Four topics are addressed: the interactions that occur, the influence of those interactions on the students involved, the communicative characteristics of the interactions, and ways of promoting interactions.…

Both segregated and desegregated school models for severely handicapped students are considered, and an individualized transition plan is proposed. Among the plan's major components are that it must be comprehensive, involve parents and guardians, require actual participation of both sending and receiving personnel, and include the focused…

The authors take issue with Reger's (1978) response to their position on alternatives for the education of the severely and profoundly retarded. Their position continues to be that only through seeking alternatives other than the dispersal of this population in the public schools can an appropriate education be provided. (Author)

Presents an update on the number of individuals with disabilities who are employed at a large federal installation that has been using a recruitment intervention designed to increase the employment rate of individuals with disabilities. This article gives recruitment data for 7 years (1995-2001). (Contains 22 references and 1 table.) (GCP)

This study examined facilitator influence in facilitated communication (FC) with 16 facilitators and 20 students with severe disabilities. It evaluated attitudes toward facilitated communication, beliefs about students' competence, and effects of training in FC. Among findings was that attitude to FC measured immediately following training was…

Self-advocacy by persons with severe disabilities is critical in effecting change in job training, access to education, and employment accommodations. Training and support for self-advocacy should be provided throughout their education, training, and employment. (SK)

Ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity experienced by families during the process of placing their child in out-of-home care was described by parents in 20 families raising a child with severe or profound developmental disabilities. In retrospective interviews, parents discussed their experiences before and after placing their child and how they…

The 1% of US students with labels of severe disabilities including mental retardation have been historically excluded from "inclusive" education, and from the important epistemological, political, pedagogical, and pragmatic currents in systemic education reform. They have been also been excluded from the design of, and participation in, the…

Because of what are perceived by some as potential challenges it is still commonplace for research to fail to seek the opinions of pupils with multiple and complex needs. While many such pupils do have significant communication difficulties, along with other disabilities, which are undoubtedly a constraint, it is crucial in order to be inclusive,…