The monograph provides an historical overview of services for families of disabled children and considers strategies for increasing family support. The historical analysis traces factors influencing the lack of priority placed on family services and describes trends in family resource services. Advantages and drawbacks of the continuum and array…

Presented is the manual which resulted from a project to develop a program of relief or respite care for families with developmentally disabled members. Background on the respite care approach in Montgomery County (Maryland) is reviewed, and a long range and immediate goals of the project are outlined. Noted among results of a survey to determine…

DEVELOPED TO GUIDE COUNTY ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN SHORT AND LONG RANGE PLANNING OF IMPROVED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES TO EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN, THE MANUAL PRESENTS INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS--(1) STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN PREPARING THE COUNTY PLAN, (2) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL, (3) ESTIMATED PREVALENCE RATES UPON WHICH TO PLAN, (4) AGE, CATEGORY,…

One of the significant results of the 92nd and 93rd Congresses was the statement in the Conference Report: H.R. 8395 clarifying the roles to be played by the federal state grant-in-aid program for vocational rehabilitation. The Conference Report states that the order of selection be modified to require serving first those individuals with the most…

Eighty individuals attended a workshop which provided an opportunity to consider strategies and develop guidelines for improving and expanding vocational education opportunities for disadvantaged youth and adults. Presentations included in the document are: (1) "Handicapped and Disadvantaged Sections of Public Law 90-576" by John Wyllie, (2)…

To serve as a basis for establishing compatibility among the states in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and services for persons with special needs and in reporting enrollments and other pertinent information, this pamphlet provides specific requirements of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968, and classification systems for…

Presented are guidelines on planning and establishing a small, residential halfway house for the male adolescent/adult retardate in which mental health and use of the halfway house to replace institutionalization of selected retardates are emphasized. The halfway house is explained to be planned on premises of community participation and program…

The article describes the National Special Education Alliance, a network of parent-led organizations seeking to speed the delivery of computer technology to the disabled. Discussed are program origins, starting a local center, charter members of the alliance, benefits of Alliance membership, and the Alliance's relationship with Apple computer. (DB)

An evaluation paradigm which describes interagency coordination as a multidimensional (climate, resources, policies, people, and process), interactional, and developmental effort is presented for use in special education as a: training tool for those involved in coordination efforts; guide for developing and evaluating interagency coordination…

Camp Fire's Special Sitters Project addresses the need for respite care experienced by parents of disabled children. The project trains teenagers to care for young handicapped children and links the teenagers with parents who call for babysitting service. The project has been successfully replicated in five communities. (Author/JDD)

Two Transition Planners, containing rating scales and open-ended questions, were used to involve parents of preschool handicapped children in the identification of transition-related needs. Parents rated as very important opportunities for them to participate in planning and selecting the next program and receiving descriptions of potential…

The collection of five brief articles by parents of handicapped children addresses (1) the value of parent groups, (2) the importance of parents obtaining complete information, (3) a parent's experience in starting a preschool, (4) the role of the family, and (5) the importance of keeping things in perspective. (DB)

The development of comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary services for young handicapped children is required by Public Law 99-457. The article presents a definition of technical assistance, a description of developmental levels in service provision, suggestions for designing such services, and a discussion of major needs of states…

Rehabilitation news items include, among others: a midpoint review of the implementation of the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons, an international study on the impact of new technologies on employment of disabled people, and a U.S. project to investigate disability service provision and innovations in other countries. (JDD)

Ways in which the resources of a university's special education, communication arts, and library services can be combined with those of special education consortiums or parent organizations to provide exceptional children and their parents and teachers with high-quality cable educational television programs that meet their varied needs are…