Children and youth who are deafblind with multiple disabilities have several identified risk factors for experiencing toxic levels of stress, and such stress is known to impair physical, mental, and emotional health. This single-case multiple baseline study examined the frequency and duration of behaviors thought to indicate stress, the duration…

This article discusses the problems and potential solutions surrounding foster care and adoption of handicapped children, with special focus on the situation in Virginia. The growing number of children with multiple handicaps entering foster care is cited, along with the challenge of finding foster parents for them. Social workers are advised to…

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate the sources and methods of dealing with stress in eight families with adopted children who have severe developmental or multiple disabilities. The families, who had each adopted from two to 30 children, included "birth children" and, in some cases, foster children as well. The research methods…

The report examines the status of community integration for people with the most severe disabilities. Information is drawn from literature reviews, telephone surveys of over 50 programs nationwide, and visits to 5 community service systems in 4 states. An initial section outlines basic principles for community integration, followed by a review and…

This paper presents an example of "optimistic research," a qualitative approach which focuses on positive interventions helpful to practitioners, in this case an examination of programs successfully integrating people with severe disabilities. The study evaluated 40 programs through site visits which focus on observation, interviews, and…