This series outlines sport opportunities for athletes with disabilities. Included are articles discussing sports for athletes with cerebral palsy, deaf athletes, blind athletes, wheelchair bound athletes, amputee athletes, as well as a discussion of the Special Olympics. (JMK)

Programs in which handicapped students tutor their nonhandicapped peers can enhance the tutors' academic achievement and personal/social growth. Steps to be considered in developing such programs include determining the type of tutoring (peer, cross-age, adult-child, etc.), choosing a content area, training and supervising the tutors, and…

This brief provides an example of how to create and sustain an e-mentoring community to promote the success of youth with disabilities in school, careers, and other life experiences. Established in 1992, the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) e-mentoring community may have been the first intentional Internet-based…

This document and its accompanying 14-minute open-captioned videotape summarize legal issues related to the employment of people with disabilities, methods for creating inclusive programs, accommodation strategies, and tips for working with individuals with disabilities. The section on legal issues considers requirements of the Americans with…

The comprehensive professional training program of a multiprogram child care agency is discussed in terms of its value for staff members in their day-to-day work with emotionally disturbed and handicapped children and their families. (Author/RH)

This article reviews the historical development of special education in the People's Republic of China, with special emphasis on trends and issues that have emerged in the period since the Cultural Revolution of 1966-69. Major positive developments are identified along with continuing obstacles and possible solutions. (Author/CR)

This article identifies five criteria important to the establishment of a least-restrictive environment within an inclusive general education classroom. The criteria are substantive student-teacher interaction, opportunity to respond, academic engaged time, relevant curriculum, and maximization of student success. These criteria are related to the…

A former special education teacher reflects on the discovery and acceptance of the benefits of education and training in helping people with disabilities become valuable societal resources. Early evidence of the benefits of transition programs, legislative efforts supporting vocational training for students with disabilities, and the development…

Details the history of the transition movement and the participation of students with disabilities in transition planning. Reviews legislative changes that emphasize self-determination and explains the link between self-determination and students' mental health. Also identifies characteristics of schools that promote self-determination for all…

This article describes how one inclusive middle school addressed needs of students with significant disabilities for functional community-referenced skills including clothing purchases, buying groceries, eating out, crossing the street, doing laundry, and using a microwave. Program development, program organization, and involvement of peers…

This article first examines problems in developing individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities by focusing on violations of the IEP process. It then discusses the three major components of the IEP, assessment, program development, and monitoring student progress. A case study illustrates use of curriculum-based…

The article describes the physical and programmatic features of early childhood special education classrooms with emphasis on how these features work together to promote engagement and prevent behavior problems. Suggestions are offered to help teachers discriminate problems that require environmental reorganization from problems that are better…

A project is described in which a support team collaborated with the science department of a British high school to develop a "whole school" approach to serving children with special educational needs. "New paradigm" research, which aims to involve the subjects of an inquiry as collaborators, was used in the project. (JDD)

Family support programs are examined from a preventive perspective which is designed to help families before they are in crisis. Family resource programs are discussed in terms of their history, principles, distinguishing characteristics, relevance for families with children who have special needs, and implications for practitioners. (Author/JDD)

Principles of program evaluation and strategic planning are discussed and applied to a case example of the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Infants and Toddlers Program. This program contended with issues of increased referrals and enrollment, evolution from a child-centered to a family-centered paradigm, and change to community-based provision and…