Conceptualizing the family firm as a dual system with properties of both the family and the business has prevented the field from fully examining the nature of these firms and has biased our observations and interventions. Too narrow a focus on the contribution of subsystems leads to a stereotyping of subsystem functioning, inconsistent and inadequate analysis of interpersonal dynamics, exaggerated notions of subsystem boundaries, and an underanalysis of whole system characteristics. Each of these drawbacks is discussed, and a beginning view of the family firm as a single entity is presented.

Individuals with the most severe disabilities may be unsuccessful in effecting changes in their environment for various reasons. Because of limitations in cognitive and expressive language skills, their attempts at communicating may be overlooked or misunderstood, or may be knowingly or inadvertently obstructed. Consequently, self-determination is often dependent on our interpretation of what people with the most severe disabilities are communicating. This article explores the implications of making interpretations, the need for such interpretations, and the dangers. Current progress in supporting and promoting self-determination are acknowledged. It is suggested that although these procedures may be intended to increase self-determination, they do not automatically do so. In fact, they may function to limit self-determination. Strategies and methodologies must be critically evaluated to ensure that such efforts reflect the tenets and spirit of self-determination.

How a person's day is organized contributes to his or her quality of life. Some people choose to go about their day in a highly structured manner, whereas others choose to function in a more unplanned fashion. Many residential programs, however, do not take these types of life-style preferences into consideration when designing daily activity or routine schedules. Guidelines are presented for individualizing each person's daily schedule of routines to reflect better his or her preferred lifestyle. In so doing, increased control over daily life will be offered to each person. Manipulation of an individual's daily routine also represents a nonintrusive, multicomponent strategy for reducing challenging behaviors and increasing meaningful participation in daily life. The routine schedule offers a method of incorporating information from functional analysis into natural contexts across the day. Four dimensions are presented that can be systematically manipulated as independent variables to address challenging behavior in community residences. Examples are presented to demonstrate the application of schedule manipulations.

At the 2016 TASH Conference in St. Louis, a research colloquium was held that focused on the state of selected life-span services for people with severe disabilities. Topics addressed by leading experts in the field included inclusion, teaching academic skills, family support, challenging behavior, supported employment, and voting. This article summarizes the information presenters shared at the colloquium. The presenters prepared a short response with a minimum number of citations based on the material they presented, which focused on the description of the practice, extent to which practices are implemented, challenges to implementing the practice, and recommended practices. Although all contributors suggested that much progress has been made, they concurred that there is still much to do in serving people with severe disabilities and their families.

Abery, B. (1992). Abstract of OSERS Project H023J2001. Abery, B. (1994). A conceptual framework for enhancing self-determination. In M. Hayden & B. Abery (Eds.), Challenges for a service system in transition: Ensuring quality community experiences for persons with developmental disabilities (pp. 345-380).