Background: Community care is the support of people with intellectual disability in everyday life aimed at enhancing their integration into society. This article investigates influences of organizational characteristics on the implementation of community care in the Netherlands. In addition, we explored whether the attributes of community care as…

Recognizing that faith, religion, and spirituality can be as important a consideration and as integral a facet in the lives of exceptional families as healthcare and education, "Exceptional Parent" presents installment seven in this multi-part series, examining several programs in the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church teaches that all…

At a special education school in Tanzania, children learn in natural settings using a functional curriculum that has been adapted to their local context. Children with developmental disabilities are supported in learning the skills and knowledge they need to participate in their families and the community. The school utilized funds of knowledge…

The assessment of cognitive ability in students with the most severe disabilities presents a challenge to the clinicians who are charged with this task. This article is the second of a two-part series that summarizes what is currently known about effective assessment of the cognitive ability of students with significant impairments in order to…

Background: A meta-analysis examined the effects of deinstitutionalisation on adaptive behaviour outcomes in persons with intellectual disability. The need for an updated review in this area is reflected by recent policy shifts in community care practices and the international status of deinstitutionalisation efforts. Method: Twenty-three studies…

Prevalence reports indicate approximately half of all children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a mild form of the disorder such as high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified. These disorders are referred to collectively as high-functioning autism spectrum disorders…

As of 2004, more than 114,000 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities in the United States were identified as receiving supports for community-based nonwork (CBNW), that is, activities that do not involve paid employment but do take place in the community rather than that in a facility (Institute for Community Inclusion, 2007).…

Today's students are digital natives. From computers to MP3 players, the everyday use of technology in society underscores the necessity of using technology in education. The use of digital simulations especially has had positive outcomes for students with disabilities in generalizing various life skills necessary for transition beyond high…

In the Unitarian tradition, Coming of Age (COA) is the counterpart of confirmations or bar/bat mitzvahs, with much less structure. Unitarians are all about freedom of thought, of belief, of expression, and this young adult rite of passage is an opportunity for each young person to say to the congregation, "This is what I believe." The author…

This paper draws on a wider literature review, completed by the author in 2007, about the effectiveness of teachers' aides (TAs). It discusses the effects of the proximity of TAs on the students with disabilities to whom they are assigned. It also reports on studies where TAs have been trained to support the students to interact with their peers…

Adults with intellectual disabilities face difficulty seeking employment in the community workforce. Using a single-subject design, this study examined the utility of role playing and self-management strategies to enhance work performance by promoting the social skills of a young woman with Down syndrome working in a community child care setting.…

The goal of any educational program is to help its students to maximize their fullest potential in inclusive environments. For many students with disabilities, having an inclusive environment seems to be an ideal policy. Ironically, this policy continues to be debatable and controversial. Sometimes, the controversy or debate dominates the real…

We examined the lived experiences of a Cypriot family with a young child with autism. Semi-structured interviews with parents, siblings, and extended family members across three generations and observations of the family's daily activities were the primary data-generating methods. Critical events related to the disability diagnosis, the mother's…

A three-component intervention was implemented with 47 youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as they transitioned from high school to adult life. The youth, ages 16 to 19 years, were randomly assigned to a Year 1 group or a Year 2 group. Participants in the Year 1 group received a transition planning intervention consisting of (a) group…

Background: Since the 1990s, individualisation, participation, normalisation and inclusion have been the main principles of care for people with intellectual disability (ID). Autonomy has become an important issue for these people. This review of the literature tried to answer the question: how do people with ID exercise autonomy in relation to…