Using manual, hardware, and software adaptations, teachers are able to use computer-based educational programing with learning-disabled students who have physical handicaps. This paper describes such technology as keyguards, alternative keyboards, scanning systems, switches, and spelling and grammar checkers. (JDD)

Students with multiple disabilities, such as severe to profound mental retardation combined with motor and visual impairment, are usually unable to engage in constructive activity or play a positive role in their daily context. Microswitches are technical tools that may help them improve their status by allowing them to control environmental…

The 2007/2008 Parents of Children with Severe Special Needs Survey is conducted to obtain opinions from parents of children with severe special needs to assess their satisfaction with key areas of the education system. A random sample of 816 parents of children with severe special needs completed the survey. Severe special needs descriptions…

The Total Communication Checklist and Assessment screening tool for multihandicapped students is presented to assist the language examiner to select areas requiring more precise testing. The checklist, which contains 196 rating entries, consists of the following four sections: (1) readiness for symbolic communication, (2) preference for speech,…

This report documents the status of handicapped children in Head Start programs, the number of children being served, their handicapping conditions, and the services being provided. Children professionally diagnosed as handicapped account for at least 10.1 percent of children enrolled in full year Head Start Programs. Nearly 50 percent of the…

Provides overview of recent technological developments in microcomputer technology for the physically disabled, including discussion of view expansion, "talking terminals," voice recognition, and price and convenience of micro-based products. Equipment manufacturers and training centers for the physically disabled are listed and microcomputer…

Training in appropriate physical management and handling procedures for caregivers of four children with severe and multiple disabilities found positive effects on the children's orientation, communication, and social interaction skills. The importance of appropriate physical managing and handling in natural environments for enhancement of…

This study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week life skills program in meeting the needs of its six Australian participants, who were severely intellectually and physically handicapped young adults of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Interviews were conducted with teaching and residential program staff at the commencement, the…

The use and value of 36 special accommodations for 171 disabled students enrolled in occupational education programs at 19 New York State two-year colleges were studied. Students were surveyed regarding the use/importance of various services/equipment using the Instructional Accommodations Inventory. The predominant type of disabled student was…

A 27-member advisory committee was appointed in 1966 by the Governor of New Jersey to create a written plan that would assure comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services by 1975 for all handicapped people who could benefit from them. The state was divided into seven regions and seven regional committees identified major needs and barriers…

Orthopedically handicapped (OH, N=353) twelfth graders were compared to a control group. Blacks were under-represented in the OH cohort, and OH students had a higher incidence of other impairments. Academically the OH teenagers performed competitively with classmates, though they experienced difficulties in self-esteem, locus of contrtol, and…

This article describes a conceptual model of the literacy learning process in individuals with severe congenital speech and motor impairments. The literature is reviewed on the relationship between spoken and written language development in both the nondisabled population and those with disabilities. Practical applications for instruction are…

This booklet discusses the impact and treatment of the two craniosynostosis syndromes (Apert and Crouzon), which involve the premature fusion of skull sutures, are usually identified at birth, and require years of treatment. It is noted that children with Apert syndrome may have some degree of mental retardation while children with Crouzon…

THIS INTRODUCTORY TEXT ON CEREBRAL PALSY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS. THE FIRST SECTION OF THE BOOK CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF CEREBRAL PALSY, PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, THE NEUROLOGICAL BASES, ETIOLOGY, AND DIAGNOSIS, AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF CEREBRAL PALSY. PROBLEMS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH CEREBRAL PALSY…

The document reports on a demonstration project funded under the Early Education for Multihandicapped Children Project to develop a model for children (0 to 8 years old) in the moderate to profound range of mental retardation with one or more physical handicaps and their families. Accomplishments during each of the project's 3 years are reported…