Through the process of distancing, children develop an understanding of the differences between themselves and others, themselves and objects, and objects and representations. Adults can support progressive distancing in children who are congenitally deaf-blind by applying strategies, such as the hand-under-hand exploration of objects, the…

Transition planning to assist students with severe disabilities to move from school to a positive adult future is of great concern for the young people and their families and friends. For more than a decade, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the U.S. Department of Education has researched quality of life issues in transition…

Understanding the criteria and process for determining a student's eligibility for special education services is critical for any educator in an inclusive school environment. Based on the current reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this timely resource offers teachers and administrators an overview of each eligible disability and clear, specific…

Morning Circle, also known as Morning Meeting, is often a daily lesson in both general education and special education classrooms. The primary purpose of the Circle is to support each child to establish membership in the class while developing a classroom community and culture. The Responsive Classroom Approach recommends four Circle components:…

The lead article in this issue describes procedures developed by a model program for the deinstitutionalization of deaf-blind children and youth. Procedures are discussed for: (1) selection of participants; (2) coordination and cooperation among agencies; (3) identification of community residences; (4) involvement of the local education agency;…

This report recommends reauthorization of the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) via Senate bill 1824, the Education of Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1989. The bill's primary focus is reauthorization of the discretionary programs of parts C through G of the EHA and creation of a new discretionary program addressing the special education…

The federally funded project is intended to aid inservice training specific to the skills and needs of severely handicapped children and youth. Project goals include: development, implementation, and evaluation of training procedures and materials to change the attitude and knowledge of persons responsible for the education of learners with severe…

Written in Spanish, the handbook for persons working with deaf blind children in residential settings includes general suggestions, specific teaching activities, and an introduction to sign language. The book is based on the John Tracy Clinic Correspondence Learning Program for Parents of Preschool Deaf Blind Children. General suggestions are…

The handbook for persons working with deaf blind children in residential settings includes general suggestions, specific teaching activities, and an introduction to sign language. The book is based on the John Tracy Clinic Correspondence Learning Program for Parents of Preschool Deaf Blind Children. General suggestions are provided for topics such…

The report details the development and design of a mechanical hand for communicating with deaf blind persons. It is explained that the device, which looks and functions like the human hand, forms the symbols of the one-hand manual alphabet upon command from a standard electric typewriter keyboard. The report addresses the following topics (sample…

Presented are proceedings of a conference which focused on basic assessment and intervention techniques for use in the education and habilitation of lower functioning deaf blind and multihandicapped children. Following an introduction by D. Overbeck are papers with the following titles and authors: "Considerations in the Psychological Assessment…

Presented is a report of a 4-month project designed to review literature on projects pertaining to deaf-blind prevocational training, to implement a model prevocational program for six severely handicapped deaf-blind students (10 years old), and to conduct two workshops in the area of prevocational training for deaf-blind students. Provided in…

Five experimental programs in the District of Columbia, which were implemented in 1968-69 and have served 116 handicapped children, are evaluated. The programs provided individualized instruction for aphasic, rubella, severely mentally retarded, seriously emotionally handicapped, and multiply handicapped children. A summary and a consultant's…

Emotional problems and behavioral patterns of parents who have deaf blind children are described clinically and in short case studies. Deaf blind young children are said to be isolated from their families due to lack of sensory cues; to display behaviors such as back arching and fear of walking; and to experience frequent health crises such as…