The adult service system does not adequately meet the needs of autistic adults, prompting families to continue their supportive roles. Siblings frequently assume these roles when parents are no longer able to do so, often without preparation or planning. We received feedback on the proposed Siblings FORWARD (Focusing on Relationships, Well-being,…

Multiple body donation programs have been established throughout China over the last 20 years, but these programs remain challenged by an insufficient supply of cadavers for medical education. The commemoration of body donors is a feature of many successful programs, and adopting this practice throughout the country could be an important element…

This study examines the day-to-day experiences of female spouses of international students living in the United States as legal dependents of their male student spouses. Although these women are well-educated professionals, as legal dependents, they are prohibited from engaging in educational and professional endeavors during their sojourn. As a…

In India, Acts and legislations are in place for persons with mental retardation. Three major Acts namely Rehabilitation Council of India Act (1992), Persons with Disabilities (Equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act (1995) and National Trust for welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental retardation and…

In this issue of "Odyssey," Joanne Corwin describes New Mexico's statewide partnership among several agencies for the provision of early intervention services to infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families (Effective Partnering of State Agencies to Achieve Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Benchmarks,…

By using concept-mapping techniques and incorporating the Afrocentric framework, this study demonstrated that people with mental illnesses, when asked and provided the means to participate, can engage in meaningful identification of their needs, service conceptualization, and prioritization. They provided 13 service area needs that included 104…

The development and implementation of the program "Inclusion of Repatriated Greek and Foreign Immigrant Students in School Education" (referred to as the "Program") by the University of Athens, in collaboration with the National Ministry of Education, initially formed an innovative, external support initiative to schools in the…

This paper reviews the research on youth empowerment in seven child welfare programmatic areas. A lack of studies specifically focused on the empowerment of youth in foster care was found. Conceptual perspectives and existing data, however, suggest that the empowerment of youth in and transitioning out of care is essential and should be overtly…

An administrator describes one London school's experiences in establishing a support service for mainstreamed students. She notes ways to avoid problems with communications, priority questions of supporting the staff or serving the students, staff relationships, the use of link teachers, and preparation to help teachers acquire consultant skills.…

The author suggests that the most effective method of serving mainstreamed secondary level disabled students is through a comprehensive support system delivered by direct involvement of special needs teachers in the mainstreamed classes. (CL)

The special issue focuses on problems of developing nations in blindness prevention, program development, and rehabilitation of the blind. Included are reports of programs in Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, and India; activities of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind; and descriptions of 24 organizations serving the blind in developing…

Examines how a paradigm shift in education from a culture of production to one of consumption is evidenced in institutional policy and programmatic development at the University of South Australia. Focus is on the changing functions of the university's Flexible Learning Centre which focuses on new and flexible approaches to the delivery of…

A "Multidimensional Needs Assessment Framework" developed by the authors and used in public school districts for planning special service programs is described. An overview, rationale/description are included. The steps applied in utilization of the framework are delineated, and potential implementation problems are considered.…

Provides suggestions for phases and objectives for quality assurance (QA) programs in expanded school mental health programs. Suggests that important QA activities include examining staff training activities, assessment of stakeholder perceptions of services, conducting satisfaction surveys, examining therapy process, and investigating treatment…

The article presents an overview of the blind and visually impaired population in Switzerland and the services provided to them. In general, Switzerland has been slower than the United States and the Scandinavian countries to develop new programs for this population. (Author/DB)