The final report documents a 2-year project which trained volunteers to help preschool disabled and non-disabled children work together as part of a transitioning and mainstreaming effort. The report describes project development, implementation, and dissemination. Specific objectives included the following: form an advisory council; orient staff,…

The guide is intended to aid the integration of normally developing children and children with handicaps into one early childhood program. An introductory chapter describes the Northwest Center Infant and Toddler Development Program in Washington and chronicles initial philosophical, educational, and programatic considerations. Each subsequent…

The paper describes Stepping Stones Growth Center, which prepared handicapped students for transition into competitive employment. The origins of the program and its emphasis on functional skill training are reviewed, followed by a description of three levels of services: a "ready" class stressing basic skills, a "set" class emphasizing…

Five elementary special education students were mainstreamed to a regular classroom for portions of their school day. A support team, consisting of the school psychologist, the principal, and the guidance counselor, was established to monitor their progress and provide assistance with both behavioral and educational problems. Peer tutors were…

The proceedings of the hearings on the proposed bilingual education amendments of 1981, held in 1982 before the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities, are presented. Statements and testimony from 33 witnesses regarding the role of the federal government in promoting bilingual education are included. The witnesses include…

A project is described to develop a model system by which local education agencies (LEAs) can form successful working relationships with other human service providers to better serve special education students. The models (both process and content) designate LEAs as the central access point to the service continuum. The project's efforts to devise…

Based on an extensive literature search, this paper identifies key actions school administrators may take regarding systems that limit or avoid student referrals for special education services. Findings indicate that referrals may be limited by early intervention strategies and overall improvement of the mainstream educational system. Includes 93…

The article describes the Utah Community-Based Transition Project, a federally funded project on transition planning for severely disabled youth. The planning process is aimed at facilitating coordination and expansion of community services for each graduate. Barriers facing states as they attempt to implement effective transition planning models…

The improvement of transition services for handicapped youth through effective management strategies in service planning and coordination is proposed. Current barriers include conflicting policy goals, eligibility criteria, and funding patterns. Needed are consistent policy development, formulation of effective management strategies, and…

The article presents a cooperative interagency approach for assessing effectiveness of programs and services to facilitate the transition of handicapped students from school to adult community living. Features of the model include cooperative planning at the policy level, implementation level, and direct service level; and collaboration by state…

Two Transition Planners, containing rating scales and open-ended questions, were used to involve parents of preschool handicapped children in the identification of transition-related needs. Parents rated as very important opportunities for them to participate in planning and selecting the next program and receiving descriptions of potential…

The study identified areas of innovative practice in 131 recently funded projects under the Handicapped Children's Early Education Program. Innovations emerged in curricula, mainstreaming, transition services, use of technology, interagency coordination, type of service provider, and technical assistance. Most interventions had a family focus.…

Four exemplary programs that effectively plan and coordinate transitions between early intervention programs and preschool/elementary programs are described. They include Project BEST (Building Effective School Transitions), Projects STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public School), Project TEEM (Transitioning into the Elementary…

The availability of trainees, service providers, private employers, and low effective costs attest to the success of the Massachusetts Supported Work model, a state-funded transitional employment program for mentally retarded persons, featuring graduated stress and performance requirements, intensive supervision, supportive services, easy…

Suggestions presented for special education teachers evaluating or preparing mildly or moderately disabled students for integration into mainstreamed classes include: training students to understand the difference between the resource and mainstreamed classes (directions, group activities); meeting with the regular classroom teacher; and teaching…