Describes a one-week summer law course that taught 15 gifted students (grades four through eight) about the U.S. court structure, the sources of law, juvenile law and how it differs from laws governing adults, the Fourth Amendment, the relationship between students and schools, and gifted education and the law. (CR)

A survey of 20 health districts in England identified specialist services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. Great diversity was found in such services as specialized teams, staffed housing, assessment and short-term admission, and respite care facilities. Entitlement to appropriate treatment was more…

Describes a private, early (birth to four) therapeutic intervention center in Italy that provides short-term intensive treatment to children with severe visual impairments and possible additional disabilities. The residential program emphasizes maximum use of residual vision, vision stimulation and training, psychological counseling for parents,…

Describes strategic planning model as means of dealing with social and economic factors affecting camp programs. Details model's five steps: organizing for planning, situation analysis, determining strategic issues, developing plan outline, and implementation and evaluation. Recommends planning process of six months to one year. (TES)

The article describes various models of educating blind and visually impaired students in Israel, including residential schools, resource rooms, itinerant teachers, and joint and individual initiatives. Noted are the policy of encouraging mainstreaming and the autonomy of special educators in program planning. (Author/DB)

Services for people with mental retardation in the Netherlands are examined, with emphasis on normalization, placement options including group homes and institutionalization, guidance for families through the Social Pedological Service, and the care of mental illness in mentally retarded persons through special diagnostic and treatment centers.…

Language intervention approaches were built into a residential environment for 13 women with severe mental retardation. Two residents were assigned to an intensive signing program, two to an "Intro-talker and signing" group, and the remaining residents to various comparison-intervention and comparison groups. Increases in positive communicative…

This study reviewed 113 research articles involving 299 subjects and a corresponding sample of 299 adaptive skill programs implemented in state-funded residential facilities for adults with developmental disabilities. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between researchers and clinicians in adaptive and maladaptive behavior…

Illuminative evaluation is concerned primarily with description and interpretation. At an English residential outdoor education center, illuminative evaluation of the program involves establishing operational questions for study and collecting data through questionnaires, interviews, observation, document analysis, and field notes. Data are…

This study found that accuracy in predicting the out-of-home placement of children with severe disabilities increased little in a large cross-sectional sample (n=5,992) over a smaller semilongitudinal sample (n=141). Factors such as age, adaptive and maladaptive behavior, and ethnicity are discussed. (Author/JDD)

The history, philosophy, and outcomes of the Camphill communities in Scotland for children and adults in need of special care are discussed and evaluated. Controversial aspects of training the disabled within an enclosed separatist context are discussed, as is the program's role in relation to the English National Curriculum. (PB)

Two studies replicated and refined a program for evaluating and improving residential treatment services during group leisure periods in living units for persons with severe developmental disabilities. Results indicated that provision of leisure materials and interaction with clients decreased maladaptive client behavior. The monitoring system…

This paper describes institutional reforms implemented at Kfar Tikvah, an Israeli community for 126 moderately mentally retarded individuals. The process of changing to the organizational structure used in the kibbutz system is examined through descriptions of reforms in everyday life, social life, and work and economic independence. (JDD)

A survey of 648 United States and Canadian colleges and universities concerning their alumni education programs revealed that, although programs vary greatly, the most prevalent types are campus nonresident, foreign travel-study, and on-campus resident programs. In many cases, alumni office and continuing education divisions cosponsor programs.…

A model of direct care human service staff turnover was proposed and tested with 236 direct care staff members in 9 private, nonprofit New Jersey agencies. Four variables were found to be related to job satisfaction: (1) agreement of the job with personal goals and values; (2) burnout; (3) satisfaction with supervision; and (4) employment history.…