This paper traces the history of person-centered planning in programming for individuals with disabilities. It begins by describing the context shared by the first four methods of person-centered planning to emerge (Personal Futures Planning, Individual Design Sessions, Getting To Know You, and Twenty-Four Hour Planning) and some of their…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 4-year federally supported project to develop independence in 12 young children (ages 3-5) with deaf-blindness enrolled in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools Early Intervention Program. The project focused on helping teachers learn to target communicative and cognitive learning…

This paper focuses on the difficulties of learners of Japanese as a second language from non-kanji backgrounds and the special difficulties they encounter in trying to learn the kanji writing system. It is asserted that most teachers of Japanese as a second language do not spend enough time on kanji teaching, with the students typically forced to…

This article describes a variety of ways learners can help themselves remember new words, choosing the ones that best suit their learning styles. It is asserted that repeated exposure to new lexical items using a variety of means is the most consistent predictor of retention. The use of verbal, visual, tactile, textual, kinesthetic, and sonic…

Describes a program to facilitate contextual learning for school-aged students with disabilities by developing individualized, community-based leisure education programming in concert with students' families. Emphasis is on transfer of new skills to home and community and on self-determination in leisure interests and community involvement. (DB)

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 Australian adults with intellectual disabilities to assess their values, views, and preferences regarding home, work, leisure, and relationships. Results found discrepancies between their lifestyle conditions and preferences and the principles and values of some programming philosophies adopted by…

This study examined the views of 176 kindergarten teachers regarding those skills children need to be successful in kindergarten. Teachers ranked 149 skills within 5 domains: gross motor, fine motor, general knowledge and school readiness, language, and social. Findings indicated that items related to academic readiness were not seen as critical…

Demonstrates a significant positive relationship between frequency of personal prayer and perceived purpose in life among adolescents in the United Kingdom. The study surveyed male and female adolescents who never attended church, and those who attended church regularly. Includes statistical tables for both groups. (MJP)

This paper describes Literacy Independence towards Enabling, Responsibility, Attainment, Trust, and Excellence, a program for adult literacy learners that involves a comprehensive approach to development of competency in reading, writing, and oral language. Learners participate in a cooperative-learning experience in which they provide input…

This study evaluated locus of control orientations, perceptions of efficacy, and outcome expectancies of 282 adolescents with mental retardation and compared them to students with learning disabilities and at-risk students. Subjects were found to hold unrealistic understandings and perceptions of causality and excessively external global…

This article integrates literature from counseling, rehabilitation, multicultural education, and special education to explain the importance of life-span considerations, including the preschool and early school years, and the life-space factors of family, culture, and community. Principles for transition interventions which promote empowerment are…

This article on service delivery to students with learning disabilities in postsecondary settings deals with differences between high school and postsecondary settings (including differences in federal laws applicable in each setting), determination of eligibility and access, determination of reasonable accommodations, and fostering students'…

Assessed the significance of distinctive versus shared family realities. Data indicated a divergence of adolescents' and parents' perception of the family in domains that concerned adolescents' emerging intellectual and emotional autonomy. Parents' and adolescents' perceptions converged in regard to domains that threatened family cohesion. (BC)

Identifies psychological characteristics of 49 male and 8 female Latin American youth who were primarily responsible for their own lives. The subjects' capacities to adapt to their different environments and the conditions in which they live are discussed for their implications for social and substance abuse prevention programs. (SLD)

Three educational programs for personal and social change--community development with Aboriginal people, cultural awareness and antiracism in Alice Springs, and preparation of adult educators at the University of South Australia--illustrate the risks and limits of intervention, the importance of clarifying teacher and learner interests,…