The "Assistive Technology Act of 1998," as amended by Public Law 108-364 ("AT Act of 1998," as amended; "AT Act"; Act) requires that the secretary of education submit to Congress a report on the activities funded under that Act. Specifically, the secretary of education is required to annually provide to Congress: (1)…

The "Assistive Technology Act of 1998," as amended by Public Law 108-364 ("AT Act of 1998," as amended) requires that the secretary of education submit to Congress a report on the activities funded under that act. Specifically, the secretary of education is required to annually provide to Congress: (1) a compilation and summary…

The compendium describes the 48 programs currently participating in the Illinois supported employment initiative. Programs are described in terms of purpose, current focus of programmatic activity, geographic area served, type and level of handicapping conditions experienced by the individuals served, and program-developed products. An…

The document presents summaries of final reports and recommendations from 10 task forces organized as part of Illinois's observance of the International Year of Disabled Persons. The task forces, intended to review issues critical to successful participation of disabled persons in the state, were charged to develop realistic recommendations for…

A benefit-cost analysis of the first year of a statewide supported employment initiative involving 394 Illinois individuals with handicaps found that society received a $.75 return for every $1.00 invested, taxpayers received a return of $.66, and supported employees earned an average of 37 percent more in supported employment than in alternative…

This study examined the benefits and costs of supported employment programs in Illinois during the first 2 years of operation. Benefits and costs were considered for 394 individuals enrolled in 1987 and 519 individuals enrolled in 1988, from three revenue perspectives: that of society as a whole; that of the supported employees; and that of the…

This brochure presents an overview of the eight trial Family Support Programs in Illinois which attempt to meet needs of families of children with disabilities in order to enable such children to remain with their families and avoid institutional placements. Principles of family support are listed, including its focus on whole families and meeting…

Transition practices and parental involvement in early childhood handicapped programs were studied in 74 Illinois public preschool handicapped programs. Data was collected by personal interview of teachers and parents of children enrolled in the programs. Transition practices, including mainstreaming efforts, were found to be inadequately planned…

A study examined the practices of 121 school-based intervention teams from Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Findings revealed several positive practices by teams from all states; however, teams from Illinois displayed consistent superiority across several measures. Discussion focuses on implications for practice and educational and legal reform.…

This project originally attempted to develop data tables depicting the amount of state reimbursement received by each local Illinois school district in each special education program category. It utilized state of Illinois data tapes for the 1979-80 school year. Because it was impossible to separate reimbursements by program, the original research…

The compendium presents a view of 70 programs participating in the Illinois supported employment initiative. A preliminary chapter analyzes the implementation of supported employment in Illinois. It provides a brief history of the Illinois supported employment initiative, describes the Illinois Supported Employment Project, examines the impact of…

Three papers are presented on the benefits and costs of providing supported employment programs in Illinois for persons with disabilities. An introductory section, by Ronald W. Conley, explains the need for and use of cost-benefit analysis, the population in need of supported employment, and some methodological considerations. The three papers…

In 1993, Project FORUM issued a report (Ahearn, 1993) that provided information on resources available to states and districts in accessing Medicaid reimbursements for services for students with disabilities, a relatively new source of funding at that time. It is now over 10 years since Medicaid funds were approved for use for special education…

The purpose of the Illinois Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network is to provide technical assistance and resources to local school districts for the improvement of vocational education for special needs students. It includes an educational model designed to prevent the long-term personal and economic problems associated with youth…

The state of Illinois is developing a statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP) training program for school staff to improve the effectiveness of IEP development and implementation. The training will cover three dimensions: (1) knowledge and awareness of required components, required participants, required timelines, rationale and purposes,…