This theme issue addresses emotional and social issues faced by children and their families across a number of disability areas, with emphasis on needs the disabled have in common with all people, the value of tangible and emotional support for all family members, the need for comprehensive services, and the expertise that families can bring to…

This Policy Research Brief explores the strengths of qualitative research and the types of information it can make available to policymakers concerned with issues affecting persons with disabilities. The naturalistic methodology employed in qualitative research is described. Three specific studies using qualitative methodology are excerpted and…

This policy brief reports on a study of how families and agencies cope with growing waiting periods for community services for adults who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities (MR/DD). Preliminary information looks at reasons for long waits, characteristics of families waiting for services, and impact of adult members with MR/DD on…