A recent study indicated the types of problems encountered by community residences (halfway-house) staff in the development and maintenance of community-based programs for persons with developmental disabilities. (Author)

Caretakers of 100 Foster Family Care (FFC) homes were interviewed to assess demographic characteristics, relationship with sponsoring agency, family-nature of the home, and community recation. Although some programmatic difficulties emerged, residents appear well integrated and caretakers report much personal satisfaction. (Author)

The article, written in Spanish, gives examples of the Barrio Education Project's work in San Antonio and poses some serious questions about the importance of Spanish for the Hispanic community. Illiteracy, or "functional illiteracy" is a growing problem in the U.S. among all sectors of the population--English- and Spanish-speaking.…

Describes the Community Gardens project at Worthington Community College (Minnesota). The college makes unused land available to community residents for garden plots. (JG)

Comparison of goals (number and content) in individual program plans for developmentally-disabled persons in New York (N=170), Pennsylvania (N=298), and Tennessee (N=1,275) indicated that goals varied as a function of intellectual level in all three states and as a function of program setting (institutional, community, or residential) in New York.…

Describes New Mexico's Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Program, which encourages students to participate actively in school and community to eliminate substance abuse. Also describes the Student Traffic Safety Task Force of the Eldorado High School Student Senate, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Determinants of program success are pointed out. (RH)

The study reports psychotropic drug use data for three groups of developmentally disabled persons: persons being discharged from public residential facilities; persons successfully functioning in community residential facilities; and persons being readmitted to public residential facilities due to unsuccessful community placements. (Author/DB)

Discusses how reform efforts have historically followed a pattern of de facto exclusion of people who are severely retarded. Examines "social constructivism" as a guiding philosophy of current disability forms and presents "critical theory" as alternative perspective for disability studies. (PS)

The study assessed instructional program preferences of staff and management personnel of 74 potential community training sites for severely handicapped persons. Eight categories of community establishments were identified and responses were used to guide community based trainers in making instructional decisions appropriate to the site as well as…

The paper describes a community based rehabilitation program for mentally handicapped children and young adults living with their families in rural areas of Zimbabwe. Critical to the program's success are (1) partnership with existing agencies; (2) training and monitoring provided by specialist staff; and (3) provision of appropriate resource…

The article outlines a guide to help special educators, parents, and adult service providers assist learning-disabled individuals in exploring employment and postsecondary options and enhance the transition planning process. Steps include developing an employability profile, identifying occupational areas to explore, and conducting exploration…

Describes a unique funding and working relationship between an agency on aging and community mental health center, which focuses on community-based care, utilizing a multidisciplinary in-home case-management approach to serve elderly persons at risk. Nontraditional referral sources known as "gatekeepers" are organized to identify such…

Describes a study undertaken to ascertain the extent to which arthritis patients could be targeted by arthritis-related programming over a local cable system. Some conceptual and practical issues involved in targeting chronic patient groups for health programming are discussed. (Author/CT)

Describes a telephone survey conducted to find out who, if any, of the cable subscribers in Trempealeau County (Wisconsin) were watching Trempealeau County Community Television, a local access cable channel, and which of those viewers were tuning in to programs produced by local Extension agents. (CT)

Changes in adaptive competence over a one-year period of profoundly mentally retarded, physically disabled persons living in a moderately sized residential facility or in small community programs were examined. No evidence was found to indicate that habilitative growth was greater for residents in the small community programs. (Author/CL)