This paper describes factors which influence the development of relationships between individuals with disabilities and "typical" people. People with disabilities are often separated from their families and communities, cast into roles of dependency and passivity, and kept at a social distance from other community members. Typical…

This report describes Boise Group Homes, a program in Boise, Idaho, which integrates people with severe disabilities into community life. The report is based on a site visit, which included visits to group homes, interviews with program staff, and review of program documents. Three areas of promising practices reflect the values and commitment of…

The central purpose of mainstreaming is to integrate handicapped students with nonhandicapped peers. It is the teacher's responsibility to foster positive and constructive interactions between handicapped students and their peers. Three ways of organizing constructive peer interaction are: (1) cooperation; (2) competition; and (3) an…

The article identifies two data collection procedures (participant observation and interviewing) employed in qualitative research and discusses how these procedures can be used to investigate emerging issues in supported education for students with severe disabilities. (DB)

The Synscentral (the institute for visually impaired people) in Vordingborg, Denmark, offers rehabilitation, teaching, and support in the home, the school, and the workplace. Regional centers such as the Synscentral provide expert advice, teach low vision people, and test special equipment. (Author/JDD)

This article discusses mainstreaming of a student (age five) with physical, intellectual, visual, and suspected auditory impairments in her neighborhood school in Auckland, New Zealand. Comments of the people involved in the program, including the principal, teachers, teacher's aide, family members, and fellow pupils are reported; and the success…

This paper discusses the concept of individualized, supported living arrangements for individuals with severe disabilities. The supported living arrangements are intended to enable people with disabilities to live in the community in a manner of their choice that most closely approximates the experience of people without disabilities, with support…

This paper, one of a series of reports describing innovative practices in integrating people with disabilities into community life, describes the Lynch Community Homes in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Lynch Homes is a for-profit organization that provides homes and supportive services for approximately 75 people with severe and profound…

The booklet describes the goal of the Canadian Association for Community Living that all Canadian citizens with mental retardation will, by the year 2000, be part of families and communities with a voice in decisions affecting their lives. The history of the association since the 1950's is briefly reviewed and remaining obstacles to the longterm…

This article reports the experiences of one school district as it moved from serving students with severe disabilities in segregated programs to a full inclusion model. Year one focused on getting started, planning, and beginning integration efforts and year two on implementation of a structured peer integration program. Applicability of the full…

This case study describes Project RESCUE (Refer, Evaluate, Support, Coordinate, Uncover, and Educate), an agency providing support to children and adults with developmental disabilities in Fulton and DeKalb counties in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Project RESCUE's mission is to assist people in four areas: (1) to identify and obtain community…

The paper describes the On Campus Program at the University of Alberta, which serves 11 students with moderate to severe handicaps in a university setting. Students have Individual Integration Plans, which identify and organize a set of university-based activities appropriate to the needs, interests, and strengths of each student. Activities…

The key role of the family in the growth and development of children with mental retardation is explored, from the perspective of the Central Institute on Mental Retardation in Trivandrum, India. The Institute's approach encourages the mentally retarded child to participate in all activities, within the limitations of his functional capacities.…

This report outlines emerging paradigms of service for mentally retarded adults emerging from a nationwide search for innovative programs and practices. It was prompted by the consistent finding of a Pennsylvania longitudinal study that mentally retarded school completers tend to live indefinitely with parents or guardians. The study found the…

This paper discusses the incidence of intellectual disability in the prison system of New South Wales, Australia; the management problems created for corrective services staff; prison programs offering work experience, interpersonal skills, and other skills; principles of normalization and the least restrictive alternative; special risks for…