One of the biggest fears and challenges a parent of a child with special needs faces is navigating the post-22 landscape. When a child hits the age of 22, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is no longer required to provide daily services and support. Whatever the abilities, or disabilities, of a child, every parent has the…

The Kalamazoo (Michigan) Parent Respite Care Co-op enables parents of handicapped children to take a break from the daily care their child requires. (SW)

In this article, the author talks about three special needs camps--Camp Kirk, Camp Talisman and Camp Caglewood. Camp Kirk's philosophy is to encourage their children to take risks in a structured setting, like high ropes courses, rock climbing wall, martial arts, and traditional activities like swimming, arts and craft, drama, and others. Once…

The author describes extended-year programs for disabled students in Edmonton, Canada. Program content, length, opportunities for integration, and staffing are addressed. (CL)

Recent developments in the area of respite care for families of handicapped individuals are discussed. Two programs, the Hartford Regional Center, which has more than 60 licensed respite homes on its lists, and the Respite Care center of the St. Louis Association for Retarded Children, which has a 16 bed facility, are described. (PHR)

The article describes two Centers for Independent Living (one in Berkeley, California; the other in Boston, Massachusetts) for disabled individuals. (PHR)

The Statement of the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA) explains SB as a malformation of the central nervous system, reports the formation of SBAA in 1974, explains SBAA's emphasis on local chapter organization, and describes SBAA services, including a bimonthly publication, public education efforts, and research validation projects. (GW)

Summarized are the organization and activities of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. (KW)

The place of private residential programs in the care of individuals with disabilities is discussed. Problems often associated with residential centers are considered and the Woods School, a private institution for handicapped children and adults, is described as an example of the positive benefits of private institutional care. (PHR)

The "Parent Speakers Program" combats misunderstanding about the nature of disabilities, misconceptions regarding the disabled, and stereotypes about disabled persons held by the community. Parents present factual information regarding disability; following the presentation, a discussion time and question/answer period is set aside to…

The mother of a Down's Syndrome child describes the program provided by P.E.E.R.S. (Parents are Effective Early Education Resources), an infant stimulation and parent training program that accepts children from birth to 3 years of age with developmental delays. (SBH)

Early intervention programs are very diverse in clientele served, ages served, staffing, focus of services, location of service, length of service, agencies responsible, and funding. The Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University is investigating the efficacy of early intervention programs; 13 of its ongoing longitudinal…

A family involvement program has been developed at the Pathfinder School, a school for 3- to 7-year-old multiply handicapped brain injured children. (DB)