No abstract

This study examined the sociometric status of children with disabilities in a full-inclusion school that did not use eligibility labels for special education services. The study used a positive and negative peer nomination technique to interview all students. The subject population included students with a range of disabilities; the majority were students with learning disabilities. Findings indicated significant differences between how students who were currently eligible for special education services and students who were likely eligible for services were perceived by their peers when compared to a control group. Full-inclusion strategies did not eliminate negative social perceptions of students with disabilities.

F(ff students with severe disabilities, inclusion in the regular education classroom requires much more than physical accommodation. Curricular accommodation is needed to provide meaningful roles in group activities and an engaging and meaningful set of learning experiences. Communication enhancements, where needed, are crucial to participation by students with severe communication disorders. Technological advances that empower the average citizen are also available to enhance the educational experience of every student with special needs.Technology use in the classroom, however, can be a complex and disruptive innovation for many teachers. The use of technology that enables teachers to individualize instruction for students with disabilities, to enhance their ability to communicate, and to participate more fully in classroom activities is accompanied by barriers to easy and practical everyday use (Mason, Tanaka, and Lian, 1987;Parker, et at., 1990). Furthermore, for students with severe disabilities who may depend heavily upon the reliability and availability of the technologies they use, any disruption of equipment use may result in a serious disruption of their instructional program.This study of 28 teachers of student~ with severe disabilities identified student use of technology in the classroom and barriers to effective use. Among the barriers identified were the lack of a reliable source of power, the lack of mobility of technologies, the cost of and access to the technology, the difficulty of maintaining systems in good repair, and the lack of curricular outcomes that consistently include the use of technology. The authors suggest some procedures for minimizing or overcoming barriers to technology use for students with severe disabilities.• all children must be included in both the educational and social life of their schools and classrooms; • the basic goal is to not leave anyone out of school and classroom communities from the Technology and Disability 1994; 3(2):77-86

No abstract

This paper provides a prospective analysis of the pre-injury, post-injury and supported employment work histories of 20 persons who survived a severe head injury. All persons had a very limited or inconsistent work history post-injury, due to the severity of the injury. Data are presented on the placement outcomes and include factors such as wages, hours worked, months of employment and type of occupation. The supported employment model is described and the job coach approach is presented in some detail. The most significant finding of this preliminary report is that, as an aggregate group, supported employment was able to facilitate restoration of vocational capacity from pre-injury levels based on total months worked.