The study evaluated the effects of extended year (summer) programming with 36 multihandicapped students (ages 7-16). Data collected indicated that students enrolled in summer programming acquired new skills, and that acquisition was additive to skills acquired during this regular year. (Author/JW)

Five components were identified as crucial to the success of the mainstreamed peer tutoring program (selection, training, matching, supervision, and communication with/support for the regular classroom teacher). Data provided support for the conclusion that the on task behavior of tutees improved significantly as a result of the program. (SB)

Described are the development, evolution, and creative art activities of a summer camp for handicapped, learning disabled children--Learning through Creative Arts With Handicapped Children--in Ashville, New York. (KC)

The article discusses the purposes of early screening for disabilities and examines some of the issues involved in implementing a successful program. Weaknesses in existing procedures are discussed and programs existing in the Canadian provinces are mentioned with brief reference to some existing practices in the lower mainland. (Author/CL)

Two students (ages 7 and 8) who were totally blind with profound motor impairments and mental retardation were provided with optic microswitches. The use of optic microswitches for simple hand responses, combined with the availability of pleasant stimuli for the responses, proved successful with both students. (Contains 9 references.) (CR)

A review of 10 studies that utilize the behavior chain interruption strategy (BCIS) to teach communication skills to individuals with severe disabilities found that BCIS has been successfully applied to individuals across a wide range of ages and levels of disability, including learners with multiple disabilities. Generalization concerns are…

A study evaluated a program for reducing job coach assistance provided for three individuals with multiple severe disabilities. Workers were taught additional skills or the environment was modified to allow assistance reduction. Work activity and quality continued at a high level for each worker, although productivity decreased. (Author/CR)

Recently, federal legislation has been implemented requiring that public school students meet a specified performance level of academic proficiency by the 2013/2014 school year. This reform movement, known as "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), was passed by Congress and incorporates many of President Bush's educational reform proposals…

The Lao People's Democratic Republic Inclusive Education Project started in 1993 and during a 16-year period, ending in May 2009, it aimed to support the participation of all children in school, with a particular focus on disabled students. The main strategy to enable this involved working to change the education system through the introduction of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of occupation in school-based occupational therapy practice. The research questions were (1) How do school-based occupational therapists describe the role of occupation during intervention? (2) Which theories of occupation do school-based occupational therapists associate with their own practice?…

This report compares characteristics of AISD students who had taken career and technical education (CTE) courses or a sequence of such courses, to those of students who had not. The role of CTE in postsecondary employment and enrollment is also examined.

The transition to primary school is an important time for both children and parents. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of a Transition to Primary School Parent Program in strengthening parent knowledge and confidence to manage the transition process, increasing parent involvement in their children's…

The study examined how 620 children, identified as handicapped while in preschool or kindergarten, had progressed 3 to 9 years later. The study addressed questions of effectiveness of identification procedures, outcomes of early intervention, handicapping condition and placement level, and educational history. Among results were: Identification…

Afterschool programs can provide important benefits to all students, including those who have learning, developmental and physical disabilities. Students in afterschool programs have better grades and behavior, increased self-esteem and more positive attitudes about school. For students with special needs, afterschool programs also provide a level…

Peer tutoring is a pedagogical technique that has promise to improve outcomes for students with a disability within existing resource constraints. Published empirically-based papers on peer-tutoring were descriptively analysed. Synthesis of these studies revealed that peer tutoring is effective in inclusive physical education contexts. Evidence…