Vocational Assessments

This section will provide you with the first stage information in dealing with your student’s preparation for work. You will find the different types of evaluations, and what to expect and ask for in this process.

Introduction

Crossing the threshold from the world of school to the world of work brings a significant change in everyone’s life. School is an entitlement, meaning that it is an environment that our system of government supplies for all of our citizens. The workplace is the opposite; no one is entitled to a job.

One of the most important aspects of transition planning is the preparation of students for the world of work. Up to now, the focus has been on helping students fulfill the educational requirements for graduation from a secondary school. Now comes a very real and practical issue that can create many concerns. With the proper information and resources, this next phase of the transition process can also be very rewarding. Parents and educators must fully understand vocational options in order to help children make the best decisions for his or their future.

The purpose of this section is to give you a strong working knowledge of vocational assessments. After reading this section, you should understand the following:

---

Purpose of Vocational Assessments

One of the techniques used to determine a student’s interests, aptitudes, and skills is a vocational assessment. A vocational assessment has been called the critical beginning point for transition planning and services (Leconte and Neubert, 1997). Vocational assessment can be defined as a comprehensive process conducted over a period of time, usually involving a multidisciplinary team, with the purpose of identifying individual characteristics, education, training, and placement needs, serving as a basis for planning an individual’s educational program and which provides the individual with insight into vocational potential (Dowd, 1993, p.14, cited in deFur and Patton, 1999). A vocational assessment is the responsibility of a school district’s special education program. The planning of transitional services includes the development of transitional employment goals and objectives based on a child’s needs, preferences, and interests. These will be identified through the child-centered vocational assessment process.

According to Hann and Levison (1998), “although vocational assessment and transition may be focused upon more closely in the latter school years, it is beneficial if the process can begin as soon as students enter school and ideally the process should incorporate a K-12 career development plan. This does not mean that early elementary students should be subjected to in depth assessment batteries. It is more plausible that vocational assessment and transition in the early school years should encompass career exposure and educational activities geared to a level which is developmentally appropriate to younger students. For younger children it is important to emphasize the development of self-awareness, occupational awareness and good decision making skills. Early transition planning is also an excellent opportunity for educators and parents to introduce non-traditional employment opportunities and thereby dispel gender bias as it relates to children’s understanding of traditional and non-traditional employment roles. As students approach the middle and secondary school level the need for a more formalized vocational assessment occurs (p.1).

A good vocational assessment should include the collection and analysis of information about a child’s vocational aptitudes, skills, expressed interests, and occupational exploration history (volunteer experiences, part-time or summer employment, club activities). The collection of this information should also take into account the child’s language, culture, and family.

Through the assessment process, parents and professionals learn about the student, and the student learns about himself or herself. Students generally emerge from the vocational assessment process with increased self-awareness and a better understanding of their skills. When students are being assessed, a number of interesting changes can be observed in what they say and do. For example, students often:

• want to discuss their vocational or career futures or specific vocational education plans;
• are able to say things they can do;
• may show excitement about the vocational activities on which they are working;
• may enthusiastically talk with their families and friends about what they are doing in school
• may develop new, realistic career interests;
• may show more self-confidence and/or self-esteem; and
• may show more interest in school and in their academic performances.

Thus, the active participation of students in the assessment process can be an important factor in showing them how school connects to the outside world of work and in motivating them in their school work. Moreover, through the assessment process, students and families have the opportunity to gather information about various careers. Learning about various jobs, trying out work roles, exploring interests, and getting feedback on many different aspects of individual abilities and performance broaden students’ knowledge base of the work-world and themselves. This allows them to explore what careers might be appropriate for them and to identify those that are not.

The primary purpose of vocational assessment, then, is to gather employability-related information about an individual. This will assist and empower that individual (and his or her advocates) in making decisions regarding work and the training or services needed by the student in order to gain employment. The benefits of gathering — and using — this information are many. Among these are career awareness and exploration, improved self-awareness and motivation, the development of a vocational profile, and the identification of short- and long-term career goals that are realistic. These goals are more realistic because they are based upon who the student is as an individual and what he or she is capable of doing and is interested in doing.

Trends in Vocational Assessment

Vocational assessment began in industry over a century ago. As employers were trying to match people with technology in new industrially-oriented occupations (moving away from an agricultural labor market), they created “trials” of actual jobs for potential employees to try or they developed samples of work and simulated the tasks of the jobs. Similarly, the first assessment processes in rehabilitation relied heavily on work sampling and job-try-outs.

This community-reality-based beginning for vocational assessment has progressed almost full circle. For several decades, assessment for training and employment centered on standardized tests (psychometrics). In an effort to make work sampling, simulated work, and job try-outs more credible, professionals began to collect “norms” in efforts to “standardize” these methods of appraisal. The increasing need to appraise the potentials and attributes of individuals with disabilities has led the field back to community-reality-based assessment. This is due, primarily, to two facts: 1) the use of most standardized instruments frequently is discriminatory to persons with different attributes; and 2) “normed” work samples and simulated work assessment tools, as they became refined, were often not representative of actual work requirements on jobs.

The emergence of community-based assessment for individuals with severe disabilities, ecological and environmental assessments, and curriculum-based vocational assessments are each indicative of the movement toward reality-based and equitable appraisals. Standardized assessments remain effective methods in vocational appraisal processes, but usually are used in combination with the above.

The Vocational Assessment Process

Vocational assessment is a process that can take place at different times during the student’s education and career development. It is an ongoing process that should begin during the middle or junior high school years and may continue throughout high school and, if needed, perhaps re-occur during transitional periods in adult life.

Throughout the education process, starting in kindergarten or earlier, students are involved in career awareness and vocational exploration activities. In the early years of school, children study community workers such as firefighters, police, and transportation providers. A student’s performance with school work can provide sources of important information about potential careers. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, music, art, scouts, and other social organizations add to this information base and offer opportunities for the student to try out a variety of activities and roles.

These experiences can be used in informal vocational assessment, in the sense that students are developing career awareness and motivation, as well as ideas of what they like and do not like. They may also develop a fair idea of what types of jobs they would be good at and what would be difficult for them, ideas they can generally articulate, if asked.

Informal and Formal Assessment

The student may have the opportunity for informal and formal vocational assessment. Vocational assessment can be described as occurring on a continuum of appraisal procedures, which have different purposes and outcomes depending upon the individual’s needs and career development stage. Informal assessment is more available in schools than formal appraisal approaches.

Informal assessment differs from formal assessment in terms of the objectives, setting, personnel conducting the assessment and the materials used in the process. Informal assessment includes the gathering of information from any number of sources other than through formal testing procedures and is conducted in classrooms or unstructured settings. Methods, such as interviewing a student or family member, making observations, conducting record reviews, and using professional-made tests results, are examples of informal methods along the assessment continuum.

Criterion-referenced tests are another type of informal assessment. These tests measure how well a student is able to do specific tasks within a course of study. The student’s performance is compared to an established level of achievement for each task or unit of the curriculum. Criterion-referenced tests are commonly used in vocational classes to determine a student’s mastery of the content.

Typically, informal assessment is conducted by professionals and other professionals for the purpose of assisting a student in classroom work and for identifying possible learning difficulties. Informal assessment is an important complement to formal assessment and is essential in determining whether a referral for formal assessment is appropriate.

Formal assessment is a structured procedure conducted for a specific purpose and involves the use of norm-referenced, commercially-developed, and standardized instruments. The purpose of formal assessment in vocational appraisal is to determine a student’s interests, aptitudes, learning preferences, work skills, and other vocationally relevant information. Many vocational assessment instruments have been commercially developed and administered to a representative group of individuals in order to establish normative standards of performance. Normative standards allow evaluators to compare the results of one individual’s performance on a test or instrument to the performances of other individuals who have taken the same test. Vocationally-oriented assessment tools include interest inventories, aptitude and dexterity tests, work sample systems, and other appraisal instruments. Informal assessment information is frequently incorporated with formal assessment results in preparing comprehensive reports or vocational profiles.

Comprehensive vocational assessment or vocational evaluation is the collection of information via observations, interest inventories, aptitude tests, etc. that should occur along a continuum, with different kinds of information being collected about the student at different points in time. The use of results will vary, depending upon the student’s year in school. In middle, intermediate, or junior high school, for example, vocational assessment may be used to identify levels of career development and to determine career exploration and prevocational activities. During these years, vocational assessment can also help parents and professionals identify transition needs in preparing a student for high school. This type of vocational assessment is extremely helpful in guiding the student early in his education and should begin as early as age 12 or 13. Parents should take advantage of interdisciplinary planning sessions (i.e., IEP and three year triennial evaluation meetings) to learn more about the different resources available and to work with the school system to utilize all of the vocational assessment information collected on their child. This includes professional impressions of work habits, socialization skills, and other anecdotal information about student behavior and performance. Such information can be useful during special education planning and placement decisions.

It is important to remember that when vocational assessment is begun early in a student’s education, re-evaluation of the student should be scheduled yearly to update recommendations. Students improve skills across time and mature in their understanding of and interaction with the world. Assessment information, when used to make decisions, should be as current as possible.

If it is available, comprehensive, formal vocational assessment should begin approximately one year prior to placement in vocational education. This is usually around the ninth or tenth grade. At this point, assessment is conducted for the specific purpose of vocational and transitional planning. In many school systems, planning for transition is being incorporated into the established IEP process as students reach about the age of 14. Because students are nearing the time when specific vocational placement choices will need to be made, the assessment process should begin to examine the match between specific aspects of occupations and the individual. Information about the student should be compiled from a variety of sources, and should include:

• all assessment information collected to date that is vocationally relevant
• current professional impressions of such areas as the student’s: communication skills, punctuality, ability to follow directions and to work with others, concentration, and ability to work unsupervised;
  medical background
• survey results about interests and aptitudes;
  observations of the student at work or in simulated work experiences
• an analysis of strengths and needs.

Results of all assessment activities should be shared with both parents and students. The vocational profile, mentioned earlier, should be developed for the student. This profile not only details assessment results, but also should include recommendations for vocational education placement, postsecondary training, or employment. A vital part of vocational and transitional planning, placement, and programming, the vocational profile also serves as a record and vehicle of communication between the student, family, school, and community personnel.

The next step in the planning process, based upon the assessment results and the nature of the student’s disability, is to identify the support services (e.g., transportation, assistive technology) the student will need to implement the vocational plan. An analysis of the employment or training site identified for the student should also be made. What skills are necessary for the student to perform the training or be successfully placed in the program? Does the student have these entry-level skills? This analysis will indicate any additional training the student needs before or during placement. Vocational support (supplementary) services are also mandated in the Perkins Act (P.L. 101-392).

As a teenager prepares to exit from school, parents should be aware that vocational assessment will continue to be important for a young adult’s successful transition to independence in either employment or postsecondary training. In addition to identifying specific transition needs and career plans/goals, vocational assessment can assist both parents and professionals in making referrals for adult services. For many young adults with disabilities, state-sponsored Vocational Rehabilitation Services or other community-based services may be realistic options. Vocational assessment will be necessary to determine eligibility for vocational rehabilitation and to determine appropriate vocational training programs and employment placement. The information gathered through the assessment process can help the individual with a disability, his or her family, adult service provider, and employer identify the accommodations or assistance needed for obtaining and maintaining employment

Levels of Vocational Assessment

There are three types of vocational assessments that you need to understand as special educators (Pierangelo and Crane, 1997). They are referred to as Level I, Level II and Level III vocational assessments. A Level I vocational assessment is administered at the beginning of a student’s transitional process, and is based on the child’s abilities, expressed interests, and needs. This Level I assessment may include a review of existing school information and the conduct of informal interviews. A Level II vocational assessment usually includes the administration of one or more formal vocational evaluations. A Level III vocational assessment usually involves the analysis of a child’s success in a real or simulated work setting. This is usually reported by a job coach, employer or vocational evaluator. The transitional process should not be used to limit a student’s educational or career aspirations. Instead, it should allow districts to provide opportunities at an earlier age. A more detailed discussion of all three types of vocational assessments will now be addressed.

Level I Vocational Assessment

A Level I vocational assessment examines the child from a vocational perspective. A trained vocational evaluator or knowledgeable special education professional should be designated to collect the Level I assessment data. Typically, Level One consists of a screening to determine functional skills and “where the student is” regarding vocational planning. Information is collected via such methods as interviewing, reviewing records, or interest inventories for screening. The information gathered for analysis should include existing information from:

• cumulative records
• student interviews
• parent/guardian and professional interviews
• special education eligibility data
• a review of the child’s aptitudes
• achievements
• interests
• behaviors
• occupational exploration activities

The informal student interview involved in a Level I assessment should consider the child’s vocational interest, interpersonal relationship skills, and adaptive behavior.

Level II Vocational Assessment

A Level II vocational assessment is based upon the analysis obtained from the Level I assessment. This may be recommended by the Committee on Special Education at any time, to determine the level of a student’s vocational skills, aptitudes, and interests, but not before the age of 12. Level Two occurs if the student needs more information to develop his or her vocational profile and to clarify vocational planning. Often this Level is called “clinical” or “exploratory” as standardized instruments or career exploration activities may be used. Collected data should include:

writing
learning styles
interest inventory
motor (dexterity, speed, tool use, strength, coordination)
spatial discrimination
verbal reading
perception (visual/auditory/tactile)
speaking numerical (measurement, money skills)
comprehension (task learning, problem solving)
attention (staying on task)

Level III Vocational Assessment

A Level III vocational assessment is a comprehensive vocational evaluation that focuses on real or simulated work experiences (deFur and Patton, 1999). This assessment is the basis for vocational counseling. Level III is a more comprehensive assessment during which data are usually collected during a specified period of time. Data collection is often coordinated or conducted by a professional vocational evaluator/assessment specialist. Informal assessment (interviews, samples of classwork, situational assessments, and on-the-job try-outs) and formal assessment (work samples, standardized instruments and tests) are used in each of the three levels of service. The use of formal methods is more prevalent in Level Three, which is often called a comprehensive assessment or vocational evaluation. This does not mean that only formal methods are used at this level; observations, shop or job try-outs, interviewing, etc. also play a key role in the appraisal process. Unlike the Level I and Level II assessments, a trained vocational evaluator should administer or supervise this level of assessment. Level III assessment options consist of:

• Vocational evaluations including aptitudes and interests that are compared to job performance to predict vocational success in specific areas. Work samples must be valid and reliable.
• Situational vocational assessments, which occur in real work settings. These on-the-job assessments consider what has been learned and how.
• Work-study assessments are progress reports from supervisors or mentors that provide information on the child’s job performance. A standard observational checklist may be utilized.

If a student plans a postsecondary educational program, he or she may benefit from two types of assessments:

• General assessments of postsecondary education skills are necessary to determine academic skills, critical thinking skills, requirements for reasonable accommodations, social behaviors, interpersonal skills, self-advocacy and self-determination skills, learning strategies, and time management or organizational skills. This information is usually obtained through consultation with peers or professionals, or a self-evaluation.
• Assessments specific to field of study or setting are necessary to assess needs, in relation to daily living skills, that may be experienced in a classroom setting or on a college campus. The identification of additional skills that a child must plan for to be an effective member of a postsecondary educational setting includes some of the following:
• dormitory living vs. commuting
• lab work
• large lecture vs. seminar courses

Parents may wish to visit campuses that provide supportive services for students with disabilities. Information regarding colleges that provide these services can be obtained in local libraries, bookstores, or high school guidance offices.

Maximum benefit can be realized if an array or continuum of vocational assessment approaches and opportunities are available to students. Because the needs of individuals with disabilities are so diverse, a variety of approaches is necessary depending upon the student’s specific needs, his or her age, and stage of personal and career development. It is essential that information about certain attributes of each individual be gathered. Regardless of the approach used to gather information about your youth, the following components should be included in the vocational assessment. These components represent the essential attributes of the individual that make up his or her vocational profile or identity. It is also important to remember that a student’s self-concept is critical to his or her educational and vocational functioning. Vocational assessment should help clarify a student’s self-concept and be included within any component of a vocational assessment.

Components of a vocational assessment

Parents and professionals involved in facilitating the student’s transition should consider the developmental maturity of the student as well as the skills that the student will need to adjust to community living and employment. The skills that should be considered include such things as daily living skills (e.g., managing money, preparing food), personal/social skills (e.g., hygiene, social skills), and occupational/vocational skills (e.g., job-seeking skills and appropriate work habits). The degree to which the student already possesses these skills and the extent to which these skills need to be developed can be determined in part by the vocational assessment. Vocational assessment should be more formalized as the student moves through grade levels and the assessment information gathered in later years should be multi-level and include assessment at both the junior and senior high levels (Hann and Levison, 1998).

A variety of approaches is necessary depending upon the student’s specific needs, his or her age, and stage of personal and career development. It is essential that information about certain attributes of each individual be gathered. Regardless of the approach used to gather information about your youth, the following components should be included in the vocational assessment. These components represent the essential attributes of the individual that make up his or her vocational profile or identity. It is also important to remember that a student’s self-concept is critical to his or her educational and vocational functioning. Vocational assessment should help clarify a student’s self-concept and be included within any component of a vocational assessment.

1. Interests: What are the student’s occupational or vocational preferences? Remember that these may be preferences that the student expresses, or those he/she demonstrates, or those that are identified with an interest survey or inventory. When receiving interpretations of interest inventories, make sure that the tests are truly representative of a wide range of occupations rather than being limited to one category or a few occupations. It is also important that the people who administer and interpret interest inventories represent them as occupational likes and dislikes, rather than as a measure of skills (or aptitudes) to actually do any specific occupation. Results of tests should always be verified by identifying an individual’s expressed or demonstrated interests.
2. Aptitudes (abilities and capabilities): Aptitude can refer both to the ability to do and to learn certain types of skills, such as mechanical, spatial, numerical, and clerical. Many tests exist to measure a student’s aptitude for performing in any one of these skill areas. Often, the best measure is to have the individual try different tasks which require specific aptitudes or occupational duties.
3. Temperaments (Worker Style Preferences: Worker style is reflected in how people behave and in the emotional responses and choices they make. Preferring to work with people, things, or data, and the ways your son or daughter organizes and makes decisions are aspects of his or her worker style preference. Information about preferences can be gathered through observation by professionals and parents, as well as through discussion with the student or through temperament inventories.
4. Learning preferences and styles: This reflects how a person prefers to receive and process information and experiences. How does your child best retain and use input — auditory, visual, or through hands-on exposure? Does he or she have any preferences for interaction or times for learning? This type of information can be gathered through inventories of learning style, as well as through observation and discussion.
5. Developmental background (background information): This information does not represent a comprehensive case history; rather, it should include only the information that impacts on your child’s performances and prognoses specifically related to vocational development. What special needs does your youth have, given his or her disability?
6. Worker characteristics: These include a student’s traits, attitudes, values, employability skills, and work related behaviors such as work habits and social skills. Positive worker characteristics are vital to successful employment and are most frequently cited as reasons for either promotions or dismissals by employers. Information about the student’s statistics can be collected via inventories, observations of him or her at real or simulated work (often called situational assessments), professional impressions, and the use of checklists that detail important worker skills (e.g., punctuality, safety awareness, etc.).
7. Vocational/occupational skills: These skills refer to specific technical, industrial, or other types of skills that are required in actual jobs. In order to know if your youth has the technical skills necessary to do a specific job, a training or job analysis must be done and compared to his or her skills. The best indicators of skills are through observations of the individual actually trying parts of the job or occupational area. For many vocational jobs, checklists of the necessary skills already exist.
8. Functional/Life skills: This category refers to those skills that an individual needs in order to address personal and independent living problems that people with disabilities often encounter after leaving school. Some of these skills are: use of transportation, ability to handle financial and housing management, decision-making, and social skills. If your son or daughter is not at a point in the educational process where exiting school and living and working in the community are concerns, this type of assessment may not be needed. However, for those students who are nearing this transition, functional assessment should be a part of the assessment process.

Other Assessment Options during the Vocational Transition Phase

Functional Assessments

Functional assessment provides a comprehensive framework of factors to be considered in vocational planning and transitional preparation. A functional description of an individual with a disability includes what he or she can do, learn, and achieve, rather than simply recounting his or her academic, intellectual, or physical deficits. Functional assessment focuses on a person’s skills within natural environments such as his or her home, school, and local community. The person’s ability to deal with a variety of factors in each of these areas will impact on his or her overall integration in work and community living. Because of this, ecological or environmental assessment, which assists in analyzing the demands of different environments, adds an important dimension to the assessment process (Gaylord-Ross, 1986; Moon, et al., 1986; Wehman, 1981).

Shifting from diagnosing “disabilities” to identifying barriers to work and community living enables professionals to plan strategies to assist individuals. For instance, an individual using a wheelchair may have no “disability” within his school where ramps exist, but in the office building where he is doing an internship his mobility may be impeded in some way. Through functional assessment, the barrier(s) to integration in various places can be identified and adjustments can be made. Through functional assessment, a basis for defining areas needing attention and subsequent planning and problem solving can be established (Fardig, 1986; Halpern & Fuhrer, 1984).

Several professionally developed functional assessment inventories, checklists, and interview forms have been developed to evaluate areas considered to be most significant. Competencies, such as using transportation, independent living and decision-making skills, and interpersonal relationships can be appraised through functional assessment tools (Halpern & Fuhrer, 1984).

As part of the vocational assessment process, functional assessment can serve two purposes. The information can be used to compare or verify how the student or individual functions in a work or “hands-on” training environment. Functional assessment results can also be integrated into the vocational assessment report or profile recommendations.
Functional assessment can add useful information to assist in vocational planning and decision making. The vocational implications of the individual’s strengths and needs are addressed as a part of the functional assessment.

A functional assessment considers a wide variety of individual work characteristics. These include:

ability to handle criticism
ability to handle stress
adaptability to change
aggressive actions or speech
appearance
attention to task
availability to work
benefits needed
communication
discrimination skills
endurance
family support
financial situation
functional math
functional reading
independent street crossing
independent work rate
motivation
physical mobility
reinforcement needs
social skills
strength–lifting and carrying
time awareness
transportation
travel skills
unusual behaviors
A rehabilitation counselor, job placement specialist or employment specialist can use information from a functional assessment to identify a job in the community with requirements that match the skills, interests, and support needs of the student.

Situational Vocational Assessment

A situational assessment offers a person with a severe disability the opportunity to perform job tasks in real work environments in the community. Usually, a situational assessment is conducted for a four-hour period in three different types of jobs in the community where the service provider has established a working relationship with the employer. It is important that the jobs selected are representative of the types of jobs found in the local business community, i.e. dishwasher, groundskeeper, grocery clerk.
The information obtained on the student during a situational assessment can assist in identifying the following characteristics about a potential worker:

whether support is needed
the type of support needed
individual training needs and effective strategies
the anticipated level of intervention
the least restrictive environment
other information needed to develop an appropriate individual written rehabilitation program
Actual performance in a job with appropriate training and support is the best predictor of an individual’s performance in a supported employment situation. Observing an individual perform real work in multiple environments will provide an indication of his or her work characteristics, interests, skills, abilities, and training needs. For example:

Does the student seem to show a preference across job types?
Does the student work more effectively at specific times of the day?
Does the student respond positively or negatively to factors in the environment–noise, movement, objects, people, amount of space, and so on?
What types of prompts does the student respond to and what is the frequency?
Situational assessments can be requested from a supported employment vendor or a vocational evaluator. The purpose of such an assessment must be to determine the appropriateness of supported employment and the extent of supported employment services needed.

Finally, parents need to understand that it is important to obtain a written report from the vendor who completes the situational assessment. The report should include:

• a description of the jobs completed
• the behavioral data obtained during the assessment process
• a summary of the student’s characteristics
• Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment

An alternative vocational assessment approach, known as Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment (CBVA), is currently gaining recognition as a useful way to gather vocationally relevant data. This emerging form of vocational assessment is similar to curriculum-based assessment, which is widely used by classroom professionals to evaluate student’s mastery of concepts that are taught (Tucker, 1985). Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment uses performance-based procedures developed and implemented by professionals from their own curriculum. It is a continuous process that professionals use to answer questions about instruction and special service needs of vocational education students (Albright & Cobb, 1988a; 1988b).

This assessment process often begins with a review of the student’s records and existing assessment data. Vocationally-related information is then collected by structuring the professional’s observations of the student within the classroom or vocational setting. Assessment may include how the student uses tools and how he or she works with other students in the class. This information-gathering approach enables professionals and others to observe and record behaviors in a natural setting — specifically, what a student is able to do and is interested in doing (Rothenbacher, 1989). Other appraisal techniques may be used as a part of the process, such as interest and aptitude measures.

Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment is sometimes used to complement comprehensive vocational evaluation or it may actually supplant more formal types of appraisal services. Information from the CBVA can then be compiled with other assessment information and a vocational profile of the student can be developed more fully. This profile or report should specify classroom and vocational goals, as well as methods of instruction. It is also important to identify any needs that should be addressed.

Successful use of CBVA requires training for regular, special and vocational educators. It also underscores the importance of school personnel working together as a team to make sure that information about the student is collected from all relevant areas. As the concept of CBVA becomes more accepted and understood, it may begin to emerge in more than the dozen or so places in which it now exists as a fully implemented system.

Confidentiality

To bring the expertise of community-based nonschool personnel into the transitional planning process, the matter of confidentiality must be addressed. Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), aka Buckley Amendment (See Chapter 2), parents’ rights to confidentiality must be maintained. During the transition process, families must sign releases, giving written consent, in order to benefit from available community resources. This does not commit a parent or the child to a specific service if at a later date it is not wanted or needed. Parents must ask their district about the rules of confidentiality regarding the release of information, the use of information by community agencies, and the storage of information once it is released by the district.

Specific Professionals Trained to Help Parents and Their Children Plan and Prepare for Employment

There are a variety of people who are specifically trained to support students in planning and preparing for employment or other postsecondary school options. These people may include:

• vocational counselors
• special and regular educators
• counselors from the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
  county case managers
• Prevocational Skills

If families have been properly advised through earlier stages of the transition process, their children should have learned job-related skills and behaviors, or prevocational skills, that can be fostered to help each child be successful in future employment. Examples of these skills include:

physical stamina
promptness
problem solving
hygiene
ability to follow directions
independence in completing assigned tasks
ability to establish social relationships with co-workers

Upon graduation from high school or the end of secondary school eligibility, the student will be faced with several options, depending upon the nature and severity of his or her disability. Many individuals with disabilities choose to pursue continued employment training in a postsecondary institution while others choose to begin working right away. This direction usually follows along with the student’s vocational education plan, sometimes referred to as the transitional individual educational plan that was developed while he or she was still in high school. This comprehensive plan should have assisted the student in developing the skills needed to find and keep a job after graduation. Schools may offer a vocational work experience with a job coach. In some schools, a student may have been assigned to a vocationally licensed professional who operated as the work experience coordinator within the job site. If a school does not have such an individual, then a special education professional would be responsible for developing the student’s vocational goals.

While the student is still in school, the vocational counselor or individual assigned to develop a vocational plan begins to observe and develop a general transition checklist of possible vocational skills. These general observations may change from year to year as the student matures, or they may remain the same because of the nature of the disability. Whatever the case, these observations are the beginning of what will be defined as vocational skills and needs. A sample checklist follows. This is not intended to be comprehensive but merely a beginning tool in assessing the student’s needs and skills.

Skills Checklist

Domestic Skills
The student can:
____prepare a breakfast
____prepare a lunch
____prepare a supper
____prepare a snack
____pack his or her own lunch
____clean own room
____clean own apartment
____do own laundry
____use a washer or dryer
____make own meal plans
____budget his or her own time

Vocational Skills
The student can:
____get to/from work on time
____punch/sign in appropriately
____perform work satisfactorily
____work cooperatively with co-workers
____take break/lunch appropriately
____wear suitable clothing
____use appropriate safety measures
____follow directions
____accept supervision

Recreation/Leisure Skills
The student can:
____use free time for pleasure
____choose reasonable activities
____pick a hobby
____perform required activities
____use community resources

Community Skills
The student can:
____use public transportation
____shop for groceries
____shop for clothing
____make necessary appointments
____use the phone
____use bank accounts
____be safe in traffic
____respond appropriately to strangers
____know how to seek help
____handle money

Social/Personal Skills
The student can:
____supply appropriate personal identification, if necessary
____greet people appropriately
____use contemporary style of dress, hair style, makeup
____use good grooming/hygiene
____”communicate” with friends/co-workers
____be courteous and friendly

Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)

Many students with disabilities will seek out a counselor from the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) located within their state. These services are usually well known to school counselors, who should have a brochure that is put out by this agency.

A counselor from DRS will work with the school, parents, and the student to help plan for employment needs. DRS primarily serves adults or individuals who have graduated or aged out from secondary education. However, it is important to involve the counselor during the transition process, so that when the student graduates and enters the work force, appropriate supports are in place that will allow him or her to be successfully employed.

To receive services from DRS, a student must meet two requirements:

• The student must have a documented physical or mental disability that presents difficulties or barriers to employment.
  There must be a good chance that DRS services will help him or her get and keep a job.
• If a student is still being provided public school assistance, then the school will usually make an appointment for DRS involvement somewhere in the transitional process. If the student has more severe limitations, a DRS counselor can become involved during the very early stages of the planning. Also, keep in mind that DRS services are time limited.

For example, the agency will:

• provide job-placement services
• ensure that the student with disabilities is satisfactorily employed
• provide follow-up services for at least 60 days and up to 18 months after the initial job placement

Files can be reopened if the student needs assistance to retain his or her current employment, find a new job or reestablish a vocational program. When a DRS agency is contacted, a VR (Vocational Rehabilitation) counselor will be assigned to work closely with the student and the family. The VR counselor will ask for background information that will help him or her work with the student.

Questions usually focus on the following:

goals
interests
educational history
work history
financial situation
physical and emotional health

With parental permission, the counselor may want to collect information from the student’s doctor, hospital or school, or to ask for evaluations at the expense of the DRS agency. The purpose of this gathering process is to give the counselor information about how the student’s disability affects his or her ability to work, and to help the counselor decide whether the student is eligible for services.

Services Provided by DRS Agencies

Based upon all available information, the DRS counselor will plan a program along with the family. Depending on what the student needs to meet his or her vocational goal, he or she may receive one or more of the following services that the agency buys and/or provides (Pierangelo and Crane, 1997):

1.) A vocational assessment to help identify:

• skills, abilities, and interests
• possible job goals
• services necessary to get a job and live as independently as possible

2.) A physical and/or psychological examination to help understand how the student’s disability affects his or her ability to work

3.) Guidance, counseling, and referral to help the student with problems he or she may have.

4. ) Vocational counseling and career planning

5.) Short-term medical intervention to improve the student’s ability to work (if not covered by family insurance)

6.) Training to learn the skills the student will need for the job he or she wants to enter, which may include:

• on-the-job training
• job coach services
• college and university programs
• trade and business school programs
• personal adjustment programs
• work adjustment programs

7. ) Transition services

8. ) Driver evaluation and training

9. ) Homemaker evaluation and training

Services that may assist the student during assessment or training, including:

• special transportation
• some maintenance expenses
• attendants, note takers, and interpreters
• reader’s aid for matriculated students

10. )Supported employment (see the section on Employment)

11. )Books, tools, and equipment that may be needed for training or employment

12. )Telecommunications aids and adaptive devices that may be needed for employment

13. )Assistance with some costs of modifications needed for employment:

• work site modifications
• van or other vehicle modifications
• home modifications

14.) Training in job-seeking skills to learn how to:

• fill out a job application or develop a resume
• handle job interviews successfully
• develop other job-related skills

16.) Occupational licenses, tools, initial stock, and supplies for a small business

17. ) Job placement services to help the student find suitable work

18. ) Follow-up services to make sure of job satisfaction and deal with any problems relating to work

19. ) Referral to independent living services for:

• peer counseling
• advice on other benefits
• housing assistance
• training in independent living skills

20.) Assistance in working with agencies such as the:

• Social Security Administration
• Department of Social Services
• Office of Mental Health
• Veterans Administration

Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that all agencies will pay for or provide all of these services. Parents need to investigate the agency in their particular community. While there is usually no cost for such services, sponsorship for some services may be based on the individual’s income and/or family resources.

The following are the rights one has when involved with DRS services:

• To have the student’s eligibility for VR services determined in a timely way regardless of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender
• If eligible, to take part in planning vocational goals and the services needed to reach these goals
• If eligible, to receive services to reach his or her vocational goal
• To have goals tailored to his or her personal needs
• To receive an individual written rehabilitation program (IWRP)
• To have all information kept confidential
• To be informed of all decisions and actions of the DRS related to the case
• To be informed of rights as a consumer of DRS services
• To request and receive a timely review if there is any dissatisfaction with any actions or decisions by the DRS staff

Along with the student, families will have their own responsibilities if they get involved in DRS services. Families play an important role in working toward a successful outcome with the student. Both have the responsibility to:

• Work closely with the DRS counselor to provide all information needed to plan a program.
• Ask questions if they don’t understand any aspect of the program.
  Keep in touch with the counselor by letter or telephone. If the family moves, let the counselor know your new address and telephone number.
• Participate fully in developing an individual written rehabilitation program.
• Make every effort to identify and apply for sources of funding that will help pay for the vocational rehabilitation program.
• Help the child maintain satisfactory performance and regular attendance, whether in a training program or in a job.
• Let the counselor know, on a regular basis, how well the child is doing or what problems there are with the program.
• Work with the counselor to look for job openings and go on interviews when the student is ready for work.
• Let the counselor know if the student becomes employed. For at least two months after the child is employed, maintain contact with the counselor to let him or her know how things are working out and whether assistance of any kind is needed.

Conflict Resolution Options With DRS Applying for DRS services is not a guarantee of eligibility. Many factors are considered, and each case is very different. If there is a rejection for services, or a need to resolve disagreements or concerns the family has about DRS services, parents should ask for a review of the case. There are a variety of ways in which disagreements or concerns can be resolved as quickly as possible. Any individual–a lawyer or a relative–may represent the student and parents at this meeting. The options include:

• Informal Meeting-Parents meet with the child’s counselor, his or her supervisor, and a representative, and try to quickly resolve problems.
• Administrative Review-Parents can ask for a review by a district office manager. They must ask for this review, in writing, within 90 days of the decision or action, unless they have a good reason for waiting longer than 90 days.
• Impartial Hearing-Parents can ask for a formal hearing before an impartial hearing officer who does not work for DRS. They must ask for a hearing, in writing, within 90 days of the decision or action, unless they have a good reason for waiting longer than 90 days.

Conclusion

Vocational assessments can be the most important part of a student’s educational career. They have been shown to be an effective intervention for improving the vocational and career outcomes of students with disabilities (Thomas, Hiltenbrand, and Tibbs, 1997). Vocational assessment can help parents, professionals, and the young person with a disability to think strategically about the young person’s vocational future — both training and employment — and to make decisions that are based upon his or her interests, abilities, and potential. As vocational assessment becomes more a part of transition planning for youth with disabilities, students, parents, and professionals can look forward to having the information necessary to ensure that students select postsecondary options and employment appropriate for them — who they are as individuals and what they are capable of and interested in becoming. By determining where the student’s strengths and weaknesses may lie in the area of vocational abilities, you can help the student on a path to career success.

References and Suggested Readings

Abery, B. (1994). A conceptual framework for eenhancing self-determination. In M. Hayden and B. Abery, (eds). Challenges for a service system in transition: Ensuring quality community experiences for persons with developmental disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Abery, B. Eggebeen, A., Rudrud, E., Arndt, K. and Tetu, L.(1994). A guide to enhancing the self
determination of transition-age youth with disabilities. Minneapolis, MN: Institute of Community Integration, University of Minnesota.

Adamec, C. (1996). How to live with a mentally ill person: A handbook of day-to-day strategies. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Agosta, J.M., and Bradley, V.J. (1985). Family care for persons with developmental disabilities: A growing commitment. Boston, MA: Human Services Research Institute.

Ahern-Preslieu, D. and Lisa Glidden, L. (1994). A curriculum guide for the development of self
determination and advocacy skills. Middletown, CT: A. J. Pappanikou Center.

Albright, L., & Cobb, R.B. (1988a). Curriculum based vocational assessment: A concept whose time has come. The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education, 10(2), 13-16.

Albright, L., & Cobb, R.B. (1988b). Assessment of students with handicaps in vocational education: A
curriculum-based approach. Alexandria, VA: American Vocational Association.

Allen, J. (1994). Successful job search strategies for the disabled: Understanding the ADA. NewYork, NY: John Wiley.

Allen, T. E., Rawlings, B. W., and Schildroth, A. (1989). Deaf students and the school-to-work transition.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Alston, R.J., & McCowan, C.J. (1994, Jan/Feb/March). Aptitude assessment in African American clients: The interplay between culture and psychometrics in rehabilitation. Journal of Rehabilitation, 60(1), 41-46.

Alston, R.J., & Mngadi, P.S. (1992, July/August/September). A study of the APTICOM’s effectiveness in
assessing level of physical functioning. Journal of Rehabilitation, 58(3), 35-39.

American Vocational Association. (1992). The AVA guide to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied
Technology Education Act of 1990. Washington, DC: Author.

Anderson, W.,Chitwood, S.,and Hayden, D. (1990). Negotiating the special education maze: A guide for
parents and professionals (2d ed.). Rockville, MD: Woodbine House.

Arc. (1998). Introduction to mental retardation (Rev. ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

ARCH National Resource Center. (1995). ARCH national directory of crisis nurseries and respite care
programs. Chapel Hill, NC: ARCH National Resource Center.

Arsenault, C.C. (1990). Let’s get together: A handbook in support of building relationships between
individuals with developmental disabilities and their community. Boulder, CO: Development Disabilities Center.

Asen, S. (1994). Teaching and learning with technology. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Asher, D. (1995). The fool-proof job search workbook. Berkeley, CA: T en Speed Press.

Assistive Technology Partners (2003). Overview of Medicaid waivers. Retrieved on January 13, 2003,
http://www.uchsc.edu/atp/library/fastfacts/medicaid1.htm facts/medicaid.php.

Aune, E. and Ness, J. (1991). Tools for transition: Preparing students with learning disabilities for
postsecondary education. Circle Pines, MN: AGS.

Ballard, J., Ramirez, B. A., and Weintraub, B. (1987). Special education in America: Its legal and
governmental foundations. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Ballard, J., Ramirez, B. A., and Zatal-Weiner, K. (1987). Public Law 94-142, Section 504, and Public Law
99-457: Understanding what they are and are not. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Baxter, R., and Brashear, M. (1990). Do-it-yourself career kit: A career planning tool. Moraga, CA:
Bridgewater Press.

Bazelton Center for Mental Health Law. (1997). SSI – Help for children with disabilities. Washington, DC:

Beatty, R. H. (1989). The perfect cover letter. New York, NY: John Wiley.

Behrmann, M. (1988). Integrating computers into the curriculum. Boston, MA: College-Hill Press.

Behrmann, M. (January, 1995). Assistive technology for students with mild disabilities. ERIC Digest, E529.

Berhmann, M., Jones, J, & Wilds, M. (1989). Technology interventions for very young children with
disabilities. Infants and Young Children, 1(4), 66-77.

Berkell, D.E. (1989). Strategies for the vocational assessment of students with severe disabilities. In G.F. Elrod (Ed.), Career education for special needs individuals: Learning, earning, contributing.
Columbia, SC: Division on Career Development, Council for Exceptional Children.

Berkowitz, S. (1994). The cleft palate story: A primer for parents of children with cleft lip and palate.
Chicago, IL: Quintessence.

Bishop, K.D.and Falvey, M.A. (1989). Employment skills. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based
curriculum: Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Black, J., and Ford, A. (1989). Planning and Implementing Activity-Based Lessons. In A. Ford, R. Schnorr, L. Meyer, L. Davern, J. Black, and P. Dempsey (eds.), The Syracuse Community-Referenced
Curriculum Guide for Students With Moderate and Severe Disabilities (pp. 295-311). Baltimore,
MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Bloch, D. P. (1989). How to write a winning resume. Lincoln, IL: VGM Career Horizons.

Bloch, D. P. (1992). How to have a winning job interview. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons.

Bloomfield, W. M. (1989). Career action plan. Bloomington, IL: Meridian Education.

Bolles, R. (1996). What color is your parachute? Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Borfitz-Mescon, J. (1988). Parent written care plans: Instructions for the respite setting. The Exceptional Parent, 18(3) 20-25.

Braddock, D. (1987). Federal policy toward mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.

Braddock, D. (1987, September). National study of public spending for mental retardation and
developmental disabilities, American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 92 (2), 121-133.

Bradley, K. (1988). Issues in respite care: A spectrum of articles focusing on families. Kaleidoscope, 1(2), 6.

Brady, K. A. (1995). Current efforts to promote the DI and SSI Work Incentives: A working paper.
Washington, DC: National Academy of Social Insurance.

Brett. P. (1993). Resume writing for results. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

Brill, J. (1994). Keys to parenting a child with autism. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series.

Brinkerhoff, L., Shaw, S., and McQuire, J. (1992). Promoting postsecondary education for students with
learning disabilities. Austin, TX: PRO-Ed Publishers,

Brolin, D.E. (1986). Vocational assessment in public schools. In R. Fry (Ed.), Second national forum on
issues in vocational assessment. Menomonie, WI: Materials Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Budoff, M., Thormann, J., & Gras, A. (1985). Origins of the species computer. In Microcomputers in
Special Education (pp. 13-25). Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

Bullis, M., and Gaylord-Ross, R. (1991). Moving on: Transitions for youth with behavioral disorders.
Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Burke, E. (1995). Improving the implementation of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act:
Making schools work for all of America’s children. Washington, DC: National Council on Disabilities.

Burkhart, L. (1980). Homemade battery powered toys and educational devices for severely handicapped children. College Park, MD: Author.

Calderone, M.S., & Johnson, E.W. (1990). The family book about sexuality. New York: Harper Collins.

Calkins, C. F, and Walker, H. M. (1990). Social competence for workers with developmental disabilities.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, 20 U.S.C. Sections 2331-2342.

Carney, I., Getzel, E.E., and Uhl, M. (1992). Developing respite care services in your community: A
planning guide. Richmond, VA: The Respite Resource Project, Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities.

Champagne, M., and Walker-Hirsch, L. (1988). Circles I: Intimacy and relationships. Santa Barbara, CA:
James Stanfield.

Charlebois-Marois, C. (1985). Everybody’s technology — A sharing of ideas in augmentative
communications. Montreal: Charlescoms.

Clark, G.M., & Kolstoe, O.P. (1990). Career development and transitional education for adolescents with disabilities. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Cleft Palate Foundation. (1997). For parents of newborn babies with cleft lip/cleft palate. Chapel Hill, NC: Author.

Cobb, R.B., & Danahey, A. (1986). Transitional vocational assessment. The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education, 8 (2), 3-7, 12.

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.): Title 34; Education; Parts 1 to 499, July 1986. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Education, Parts 300-301. (July , 1993).

Cohen, S., & Warren, R.D. (1985). Respite care: Principles, programs & policies. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc.

Collett-Klingenberg, L., and Chadsey-Rusch, J. (1990). Using a cognitive process approach to teach social skills. In F. R. Rusch (ed.), Research in secondary special education and transition employment. Champaign, IL: Transition Research Institute.

Commission of Certification of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists. (1987). Standards and procedures manual for certification in vocational evaluation. Arlington Heights, IL: Author.

Copenhaver, J. (1995). Section 504: An educator’s primer: What professionals and administrators need to know about implementing accommodations for eligible individuals with disabilities. Logan, UT:
Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center.

Council for Exceptional Children. (1991). Federal policy on vocational education for exceptional students:
Q & A guide to the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1990. Reston, VA: Author.

Creating Option: A Resource on Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities Heath Publications (2005)
Retrieved August, 15 2005 http://www.heath.gwu.edu/PDFs/FinancialAid05.pdf

Cunanan, E.S., & Maddy-Bernstein, C. (1995, January). Career guidance and counseling: Recent legislation. Office of Special Populations’ Brief, 6(3), 1-6.

Cutler, B. C. (1993). You, your child, and “special” education: A guide to making the system work.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Davie, A. R., Hartman, R. C., and Rendino, N. (1990). On campus with a disability: Expanding diversity at
AASCU Institutions. Washington, DC: American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

DeBoskey, D.S. (Ed.). (1996). Coming home: A discharge manual for families of persons with a brain
injury. Houston, TX: HDI.

deFur, S.H. and Patton, J. (1999) Transition and school based services: Interdisciplinary perspectives for enhancing the transition process. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Department of Rehabilitative Services (2003). Community Based Services. January 5, 2003.
http://www.vadrs.org/cbs/CILS.htm

DePompei, R., and Cluett, B. (1998). All about me! Wolfeboro, NH: L&A Publishing/Training.

DePompei, R., Blosser, J., Savage, R., and Lash, M. (1998). Special education: IEP checklist for a student with a brain injury. Wolfeboro, NH: L&A.

DeStefano, J. Chadsey- Rusch, L. A. Phelps, and E. Szymanshi (eds.). Transition from school to adult life: Models, linkages, and policy (pp. 387-389). Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Publishing.

DeStefano, L., and Snauwaert, D. (1989). A value-critical approach to transition policy analysis.
Champaign, IL: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

DeStefano, L., and Wermuth, T. R. (1992). Defining a second generation of transition services. In F. R.
Rusch, L. DeStefano, J. Chadsey-Rusch, L. A. Phelps, and E. Szymanshi (eds.), Transition from school to adult life: Models, linkages, and policy (pp. 537-549). Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Publishing.

Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 6012.

Dick, M.A. (1987). Translating vocational assessment information into transition objectives and instruction. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 10, 76-84.

Directory of College Facilities and Services for the Disabled (3d ed.). (1991). Phoenix, AR: Oryx Press.

Directory of facilities and services for the learning disabled (17th ed.). (1998). Novato, CA: Academic
Therapy.

Downing, J.E. (1996). Including students with severe and multiple disabilities in typical classrooms:
Practical strategies for professionals. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Duncan, D., & Canty-Lemke, J. (1986, May). Learning appropriate social and sexual behavior: The role of society. Exceptional Parent, 24-26.

Duran, E. (1992). Vocational training and employment of the moderately and severely handicapped and autistic adolescent with particular emphasis to bilingual special education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Public Law 94-142, 20 U.S.C. Sections 1400-1485.

Edwards, J. P., and Elkins, T. E. (1988). Just between us: A social sexual training guide for parents and
professionals who have concerns for persons with retardation. Portland, OR: Ednick.

Eisenson, J. (1997). Is my child’s speech normal? (2nd ed.). Austin TX: Pro-Ed.

Elksnin, L., and Elksnin, N. (1990). Using collaborative consultation with parents to promote effective
vocational programming. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 13(2), 135-142.

Elrod, F.R. (1987). Transition-related assessment: The foundation of preparation for postsecondary
success. Diagnostique, 12(3-4), 127-130.

Eshilian, L., Haney, M., and Falvey, M.A. (1989). Domestic skills. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based
curriculum: Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Everson, J.M., & Moon, M.S. (1987). Transition services for young adults with severe disabilities: Defining professional and parental roles and responsibilities. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 12 (2), 87-95.

Falvey, M. A (ed.). (1989). Community-based curriculum: Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2d ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Falvey, M.A. (1989a). Assessment strategies. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based curriculum:
Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Falvey, M.A. (1989b). Community skills. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based curriculum:
Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Falvey, M.A., and Coots, J. (1989). Recreation skills. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based curriculum:
Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Falvey, M.A., and Haney, M. (1989). Partnerships with parents and significant others. In M.A. Falvey (Ed.), Community-based curriculum: Instructional strategies for students with severe handicaps (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Fardig, D.B. (1986). Informal functional assessment for the severely mentally handicapped. The Pointer, 30, (20), 47-49.

Fardig, D.B., Algozzine, R.F., Schwartz, S.E., Hensel, J.W., and Westling, D.L. (1985). Postsecondary
vocational adjustment for rural, mildly handicapped students. Exceptional Children, 52, 115-121.

Farley, R.C., Bolton, B., & Parkerson, S. (1992, March). Effects of client involvement in assessment on
vocational development. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 35(3), 146-153.

Farrar, D. (1991). Federal policy on vocational education for exceptional students: Q and A guide to the
Carl D. Perkins Act of 1990. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Fidelity Investments (2002). Health insurance. Retrieved January 13, 2003. www. Health.insurance.com

Financial aid for students with disabilities. (1989). Washington, DC: HEATH Resource Center.

Finger, A. (1990). Past due: A story of disability, pregnancy, and birth. Seattle, WA: Seal Press.

Ford, A., Davern, L., Meyer, L., Schnorr, R., Black, J., and Dempsey, P. (1989). The Syracuse community-
referenced curriculum guide for students with moderate and severe disabilities (pp. 63-75). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Franklin, K. S. (1991). Supported employment and assistive technology; A powerful partnership.
Richmond, VA : Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center

Fullwood, D. (1990). Chances and choices: Making integration work. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Garee, B. (1996). A place to live. Bloomington, IL: Accent Books.

Garee, B. (1996). An accessible home of your own. Bloomington, IL: Accent Books

GATRA: The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (2003). Training and Orientation. Retrieved January 4, 2003, http://www.gatra.org/main.htm

Gaylord-Ross, R. (1986). The role of assessment in transitional supported employment. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 9 (2), 122-134.

Gerry, M. (1987). Procedural safeguards insuring that handicapped children receive a free appropriate
public education. News Digest, 7, 1-8.

Glang, A., Singer, G.H.S., and Todis, B. (1997). Students with acquired brain injury: The school’s
response. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Goldberg, M. and Dahl, L. (1992). Choices: A parent’s view-Choices: A consumer’s view. Minneapolis,
MN: PACER Center.

Goldstein, A. P. (1988). The prepare curriculum: Teaching prosocial competencies. Champaign, IL:
Research Press.

Goossens, C., & Crain, S. (1987). Augmentative communication — Assessment resource. Wauconda, IL: Don Johnston Developmental Equipment.

Griffiths, D. M., Quinsey, V. L., and Hingsburger, D. (1989). Changing inappropriate sexual behavior.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Hakim-Elahi, E. (1982). Contraceptive of choice for disabled persons. New York State Journal of Medicine, 82(11), 1601-1608.

Halpern, A.S. (1994). Quality of life as a conceptual framework for evaluating transition outcomes. Exceptional Children, 59, 486-498.

Halpern, A.S. (1985). Transition: A look at the foundations. Exceptional Children, 51, 479-486.

Halpern, A.S., & Fuhrer, M.J. (1984). Functional assessment in rehabilitation. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.

Hamaguchi, P. M. (1995). Childhood speech, language, & listening problems: What every parent should
know. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hann, G. and Levinson, E. (1998). Vocational and transition planning: A handout for parents and professionals. Bethesda MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Harnisch, D. L., and Fisher, A. T. (1989). Transition literature review: Educational, employment, and
independent living outcomes. Champaign, IL: Secondary Transition Intervention Effectiveness Institute.

Harris, L.,and Associates, Inc. (1989). The ICD survey of disabled Americans: Bringing disabled Americans into the mainstream. New York, NY: Author.

Harris, S. (1994). Siblings of children with autism: A guide for families. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Harris, S.L., and Weiss, M.J. (1998). Right from the start: Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A guide for parents and professionals. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Hart, C.A. (1993). A parent’s guide to autism: Answers to the most common questions. New York, NY:
Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster Co.

Hartman, R. C. (1991). Transition in the United States: What’s happening. HEATH, 10(3), 1, 4-6.

Hasazi, S.B., Gordon, L.R., and Roe, C.A. (1985). Factors associated with the employment status of
handicapped youth exiting high school from 1975 to 1983. Exceptional Children, 51, 455-469.

Hatfield, A.B. (1991). Coping with mental illness in the family: A family guide (Rev. ed.) Arlington, VA:
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Hawkridge, D., Vincent, T., & Hales, G. (1985). What is new information technology? In New Education
Technology in the Education of Disabled Children and Adults (pp. 41-52). San Diego, CA, College-Hill Press.

Heal, L. W., Haney, J. I., and Amado, A.(1988). Integration of individuals with developmental disabilities
into the community (2d ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Hill, B.K. and Lakin, K.C. (1986). Classification of residential facilities for mentally retarded people.
Mental Retardation, 24, 107-115.

Hill, Glowacki, Jaeger and Hughes (2001). Estate planning for disabled persons. Retrieved January 10, 2003, http://www.hill-law-firm.com/estate_disabled.htm

Hill, J. W., and Ledman, S. M. (1990). Integrated after-school day care: A solution for respite care needs in your community. Richmond, VA: Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Respite Resource Project.

Hingsburger, D. (1990). I contact: Sexuality and people with developmental disabilities. Mountville, PA:
Vida.

Hutinger, P. (1986). ACCT curriculum. Macomb, IL: Western Illinois University.

Ianacone, R.N. (1987). The impact potential of curriculum-based vocational assessment in our schools. In R.R. Fry (Ed.), The issues papers: Third national forum on issues in vocational assessment. (pp. 145-151). Menomonie, WI: Materials Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Stout.

IDEA Amendments of 1997, Sec. 602(3)(A))

IDEA PL101-476, 34 CFR 300.18.

Ince, S. (1987). Genetic counseling. White Plaines, NY: March of Dimes. (A)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, P.L. 105-17.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 101-476, 20 U.S.C. Chapter 33, 1990.

Insurance Glossary, Retrieved January 5, 2003.
http://www.free-online-insurance-quotes.com/Intermediate-Care-Facility.htm

Interstate Research Associates. (December, 1989). Improving social skills: A guide for teenagers, young adults, and parents. McLean, VA: Author.

Interstate Research Associates. (October, 1989). Teaching social skills to elementary school-age children: A
parent’s guide. McLean, VA: Author.

Izzo, M. V. and Shumate, K. (1991). Network for effective transitions to work: A transition coordinator’s
handbook. Columbus, OH: Center for Education and Training for Employment.

Jacobsen, W. (1993). The art and science of teaching orientation and mobility to persons with visual
impairments. New York, NY: American Foundation for the Blind.

Jandt, F. (1996). Using the internet and the world wide web in your job search. Indianapolis, IN: JIST
Works.

Janicki, M. P., Krauss, M. W., and Seltzer, M. M. (1988). Community residences for persons with
developmental disabilities: Here to stay. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Jerald, C.D. ( September, 28, 1998). By the Numbers. Education Week on the Web
Job Training Partnership Act, 29 U.S.C. 1503, Section 4(10).

Johnson, A.A. (1994). Shoot for the moon. Saunderstown, RI: The Saunderstown Press.

Johnson, B. H., McGonigel, M. J., and Kauffmann, R. K. (1991). Guidelines and recommended practices
for the individualized family service plan (2d ed.). Bethesda, MD: Association for the Care of Children’s Health.

Johnson, L.J., Pugach, M.C., and Devlin S. (1990). Professional collaboration: TEACHING Exceptional
Children, 22, 9-11.

Jordan, D. (1995). Honorable intentions: A parent’s guide to educational planning for children with
emotional or behavioral disorders. Minneapolis, MN: PACER Center.

Jordan, D. (1996). A guidebook for parents of children with emotional or behavior disorders. Minneapolis,
MN: PACER Center.

Judge, S.L., & Parette, H.P. (1998). Assistive technology for young children with disabilities: A guide to family-centered services. Cambridge, MA, Brookline Books.

Karp, N., and Ellis, G. J. (1992). Time out for families: Epilepsy and respite care. Landover, MD: Epilepsy
Foundation of America.

Kempton, W. (1988). Sex education for persons with disabilities that hinder learning: A professional’s guide. Santa Barbara, CA: James Stanfield.

Kerachsky, S., & Thornton, C. (1987). Findings from the STETS transitional employment demonstration.
Exceptional Children, 53 (6), 515-521.

Kiernan, W.E., & Brinkman, L. (1985). Barriers to employment for adults with developmental disabilities. In W.E. Kiernan & J.A. Stark (Eds.), Employment options for adults with developmental disabilities (pp. 160-174). Logan: Utah State University Affiliated Facility.

Kimeldorf, M. (1989). Pathways to work. Bloomington, IL: Meridian Education Corporation.

Kimeldorf, M. (1990). Write into a job. Bloomington, IL: Meridian Education Corporation.

Klein, M.D., Chen, D., & Haney, M. (in press). PLAI: Promoting learning through active interaction): A
guide to early communication with young children who have multiple disabilities. Baltimore, Paul H. Brookes.

Kniest, B. A., and Garland, C. W. (1991). Partners: A manual for family-centered respite care. Lightfoot,
VA: Child Development Resources; Richmond, VA: Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Respite Resource Project.

Knitzer, J., and Olson, L. (1982). Unclaimed children: The failure of public responsibility to children and adolescents in need of mental health services. Washington, DC: Children’s Defense Fund.

Kokaska, C.J., and Brolin, D. (1985). Career education for handicapped individuals (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.

Komissar, C., Hart, D., Friedlander, R., Tufts, S., & Paiewonsky, M. (1997). Don’t forget the fun: Developing inclusive recreation. Boston: Institute for Community Inclusion.

Koplewicz, H.S. (1996). It’s nobody’s fault: New hope and help for difficult children. New York: Random House/Times Books.

Krebs, D. (1990, December). How to get a job and keep your benefits. TASH Newsletter, p. 9.
Mental Health Law Project. (1991). SSI: New opportunities for children with disabilities. Washington, DC: Author.

Kroll, K., & Klein, E. (1992). Enabling romance: A guide to love, sex, and relationships for disabled people (and the people who care for them). New York: Crown.

Lab School of Washington. (1993). Issues of parenting children with learning disabilities (audiotape series of 12 lectures). Washington, DC: Author.

Lahm, E., and Morrissette, S. (1994, April). Zap ’em with assistive technology. Paper presented at the annual meeting of The Council for Exceptional Children. Denver, CO: The Council for Exceptional Children.

Lakin, K. C., and Bruininks, R. H. (1985.) Strategies for achieving community integration of
developmentally disabled citizens. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Lash, M. (1998). Resource guide: Children and adolescents with brain injuries. Wolfeboro, NH: L&A
Publishing/Training.

Lash, M., Wolcott, G., and Pearson, S. (1995). Signs and strategies for educating students with brain
injuries: A practical guide for professionals and schools. Houston, TX: HDI

Lazzari, A., & Wilds, M. (1989). Technology in early childhood special education: Access for rural
programs. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 9(4), 21-24.

LD Resources: Choosing a College for Students with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved January 5, 2003, http://www.ldresources.org/?p=515

Leach, L. N., and Harmon, A. (1990). Annotated bibliography on transition from school to work (vol. 5).
Champaign, IL: Transition Research Institute.

Leconte, P. (1986). Vocational assessment of special needs learners: A vocational education perspective. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Vocational Association in Atlanta, GA.

Leconte, P., & Neubert, D.A. (1987). Vocational education for special needs students: Linking vocational assessment and support. Diagnostique, 12, 156-167.

Leconte, P.J. and Neubert, D.A. (1997). Vocational assessment: The kick-off point for successful transition. Alliance: The Newsletter of the National Transition Alliance, 2 (2), 1, 3-4, 8.

Legal Information Institute (2003). Medicaid law: An overview. Retrieved on January 11, 2003, www.law.cornell.edu/topics/medicaid.html

Lehr, S., and Taylor, S. J. (1987). Teaching social skills to youngsters with disabilities: A manual for
parents. Boston, MA: Federation for Children With Special Needs and the Center for Human Policy.

Levinson, E. (1998) Transition: Facilitating the postschool adjustment of students with disabilities. Boulder, CO: Westview Press

Levinson, E.M. (1993). Transdisciplinary vocational assessment: Issues in school-based programs.
Brandon, VT: Clinical Psychology Publishing Company.

Lewis, R.B. (1993). Special education technology. Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Lieberman, L. (1998). Recreation and Leisure. The National Information Clearinghouse On Children Who Are Deaf-Blind. Retrieved January 5, 2003.

Lillie, D. L. and Place, P. A. (1982). Partners: A guide to working with schools for parents of children with special instructional needs. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman and Company.

Lipkin, M. (1990). The schoolsearch guide to colleges with program services for students with learning disabilities. Belmont, MA: Schoolsearch Press.

Livneh, H., & Male, R. (1993, October/November/December). Functional limitations: A review of their
characteristics and vocational impact. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59(4), 44-50.

Lombard, R.C. (1994, December). Vocational assessment practices: What works. Office of Special
Populations’ Brief, 6(2), 1-6.

Lombard, R.C., Larson, K.A., & Westphal, S.E. (1993). Validation of vocational assessment services for
special populations in tech-prep: A model for translating the Perkins assurances into practice. The Journal for Vocational and Special Needs Education, 16(1), 14-22.

Luterman, D.M. (1991). When your child is deaf: A guide for parents. Parkton, MD: York Press.

Lutfiyya, Z. M. (April, 1991). Personal relationships and social networks: Facilitating the participation of
individuals with disabilities in community life. Syracuse, NY: The Center on Human Policy.

Mackenzie, L. (1997). The complete learning disabilities directory. Lakeville, CT: GreyHouse.

Mangrum II, C. T., and Strichart, S. S. (1992). Peterson’s guide to colleges with programs for learning disabled students. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s Guides.

Mannix, D. (1993). Social skills activities for special children. West Nyack, NY: The Center for Applied
Research in Education.

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. (n.d.). Our genetic heritage. White Plaines, NY: Author.

Marks, E., & Lewis, A. (1983). Job hunting for the disabled. Woodbury, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

Martin, J.E. and Marshall, L.H. (1995). Choicemaker: A comprehensive self-determination transition program. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, 147-156.

Matson, J. L., and Ollendick, T. H. (1988). Enhancing children’s social skills: Assessment and training.
New York, NY: Pergamon.

Maurice, C., Green, G., and Luce, S.C. (Eds.). (1996). Behavioral intervention for young children with
autism: A manual for parents and professionals. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

McClannaham, L.E., and Krantz, P.J. (1999). Activity schedules for children with autism: Teaching
independent behavior. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

McNair, J., and Rusch, F. R. (1991). Parent involvement in transition programs. Mental Retardation, 29(2), 93-101.

McWilliams, P.A. (1984). Where did they come from and what do they want? In Personal Computers and the Disabled (pp. 35-40). Garden City, NY: Quantum Press/Doubleday.

Medwid, D.J., and Weston, D.C. (1995). Kid-friendly parenting with deaf and hard of hearing children: A
treasury of fun activities toward better behavior. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.

Michaels, C. (ed.). (1994). Transition strategies for persons with learning disabilities. San Diego, CA:
Singular Publishing Co.

Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia, 348 F. Supp. 866 (D.D.C. 1972).

Mithaug, D.E., and Horiuchi, C.N. (1983). Colorado statewide follow up survey of special education
students. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Education.

Mithaug, D.E., Horivchi, C.N., & Fanning, P.N. (1985). A report on the Colorado statewide follow-up
survey of special education students. Exceptional Children, 51, 397-404.

Mona, L. (2003) Sexuality & Disability : History & Practice. Retrieved January 4, 2003, http://www.mypleasure.com/education/sexed/sex_and_disability_history_and_practices.asp?AID=Inktomi

Moon, M. S., Inge, K. J., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., and Barcus, J. M. (1990). Helping persons with severe
mental retardation get and keep employment: Supported employment strategies and outcomes. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Moon, M.S., Goodall, P., Barcus, M., & Brooke, V. (1986). The supported work model of competitive
employment for citizens with severe handicaps: A guide for job trainers. Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.

Moon, S. (1994). Making schools and community recreation fun for everyone. Baltimore, MD: Paul H.
Brookes.

Mount, B. and Zwernik, K. (1988). It’s never too early, it’s never too late. St. Paul, MN: Resources for
Families.

Murphy, J. (1987). Transition: The roles of parents, students, and professionals. Transition Summary, (4).

Murphy, L., & Corte, S.D. (1986). Sex education for the special person. Special Parent/ Special Child, 2(2), 1-5.

Murphy, M. (1990). Road map to transition for young adults with severe disabilities. San Jose, CA: Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Murray, T. and Küpper, L. (1990). Adult systems. In L. Küpper (Ed.), Options after high school for youth
with disabilities, NICHCY Transition Summary #7, 7-10.

Musselwhite, C. (1986). Adaptive play for special needs children. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press.

Myers, J., & Werner-Scott, E. (1989). Getting skilled, getting ahead. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s Guides.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education. (1990). Life after school for children with
disabilities: Answers to questions parents ask about employment and finanical aid. Washington, DC: Author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 329 072).

National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. (1991, January). Understanding DNA testing: A basic guide for families. Washington, DC: Author.

National Center for Youth With Disabilities (Feb. 1990). Introduction to youth with disabilities:
Bibliography for professionals. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota,

National Council on Disability. (1989). The education of students with disabilities: Where do we stand? Washington, DC: Author.

National Guidelines Task Force. (1991). Guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education: Kindergarten 12th grade. New York: Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1991, September). Options after high school for youth with disabilities, NICHCY Transition Summary #7, 1-28.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1995). General information about
disabilities which qualify children and youth for special education services under the IDEA Act. News Digest, Washington, DC

National League of Cities (1999) Community Based Services. January 5, 2003.
http://www.vadrs.org/cbs/CILS.htm

National Resource Center on Supported Living and Choice (1999). Promoting inclusion in recreation and leisure activities: An information package. Center on Human Policy. Retrieved on January 4, 2003, http://soeweb.syr.edu/thechp/recreation.html.

National Transition Network. (October,1998). Handbook on Supplemental Security Income Work Incentives and Transition Students: SSI Work Incentives and Transitioning Youth Project. Jointly developed by: The Study Group, Inc.

Neubert, D. (1985). Use of vocational evaluation recommendations in selected public school settings.
Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 9, 98-105.

Neubert, D., & Foster, J. (1987). A community-based exploration guide for learning disabled students
making the transition from school to work and post-secondary education, 1-12. Unpublished manuscript.

NICHCY-News Digest (1991). Questions and answers about IDEA. Washington, DC: National Information
Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities (NICHCY), Washington DC.

Nisbet, J. (1991). Natural supports in school, at work, and in the community for people with severe
disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Norman, A. (1987). Job path. New York: Vera Institute of Justice.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (2003): School to Work Opportunities At of 1994,
Retrieved January 12,2003, http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/stw/sw3swopp.htm

O’Connell, M. (1992). Getting connected: How to find out about groups and organizations in your
neighborhoods. Evanston, IL: Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Northwestern University.

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (1988). Summary of existing legislation affecting persons with disabilities. Washington, DC: Clearinghouse on Disability Information.

Ogden, P.W. (1996). The silent garden: Raising your deaf child (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Gallaudet
University Press.

Orelove, F., and Sobsey, D. (1996). Educating children with multiple disabilities: A transdisciplinary
approach (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Osman, B. and Blinder, H. (1992). No one to play with: The social side of learning disabilities. Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications.

PACER Center (1993). Begin the between: Planning for the transition from high school to adult life.
Minneapolis, MN: PACER Center.

Painter, D.D. (1994). A study to determine the effectiveness of computer-based process writing with
Parent Education Network (2003). Transportation and Travel Training. Retrieved January 4, 2003, http://www.parentednet.org/tranprttrvl.html

Parker, R.M., Szymanski, E.M., & Hanley-Maxwell, C. (1989). Ecological assessment in supported employment. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 20(3), 26-33.

Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 334 F. Supp. 1257
(E.D. Pa. 1971), Consent Agreement.

Pierangelo, R. and Crane, R. (1997). Complete guide to special education transition services. West Nyak, NY: Center for Applied Research.

Pierce Transit (2003). TRAVEL TRAINING. Retrieved January 4, 2003, http://www.ptbus.pierce.wa.us/purchasing.htm

Pope, A.W., McHale, S.M., & Craighead, W.E. (1988). Self-esteem enhancement with children and
adolescents. New York: Pergamon.

Powell, T. H., Pancsofar, E. L., Steer, D. E.; Butterworth, J., Itzkowitz, J. S., and Rainforth, B. (1991).
Supported employment: Providing integrated employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Powers, M.D. (Ed.). (2000). Children with autism: A parent’s guide (2nd ed.). Rockville, MD: Woodbine
House.

Public Law 100-146, The Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 1987.

Public Law 100-407, Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988.

Public Law 100-407, The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988.

Public Law 101-127, Children with Disabilities Temporary Care Reauthorization Act of 1989.

Public Law 101-336, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Public Law 101-476, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Public Law 101-476, The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990. Washington, DC: U.S.

Public Law 103-239, School to Work Opportunities Act of 1994

Public Law 105-17, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA’97)

Public Law 105-220, The Workforce Investment Act of 1998

Public Law 93-11, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Public Law 93-380, The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Public Law 94-142, The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

Public Law 97-300, Job Training Partnership Act

Public Law 98-524, The Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984

Public Law 99-372, The Handicapped Children’s Protection Act of 1986

Public Law 99-401, The Temporary Child Care for Handicapped Children and Crisis Nurseries Act of 1986

Racino, J. A., Walker, P., O’Conner, S., and Taylor, S. J. (1993). Housing, support and community: Choices in strategy for adults with disabilities. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Rainforth, B., York, J., and Macdonald, C. (1997). Collaborative teams for students with severe disabilities: Integrating therapy and educational services (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Section 103(a).

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Section 701-794.

Repetto, J., White, W., and Snauwaert, D. (1990). Individual transition plans (ITP): A national perspective. Career Education for Exceptional Individuals, 13(2), 109-119.

Report number GAO 90-125 (September 1990). Respite care: An overview of federal, selected state, and private programs. Washington, DC: United States General Accounting Office (US/GAO).

Rest a bit (1988). Rest a bit: A training program for respite care providers for families of children with
emotional problems. Topeka, KS: Rest a Bit of Family Together, Inc.

Rettig, M. (1987). Microcomputers in early childhood special education: Trends and issues. Presented at the National Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs, Denver, CO.

Richards, D. (1986). Sterilization: Can parents decide? Exceptional Parent, 16(2), 40-41.

Rodman, H., Lewis, S.H., & Griffiths, S.B. (1984). The sexual rights of adolescents: Competence,
vulnerability, and parental control. New York: Columbia University Press.

Rothenbacher, C. (1989). Understanding CBVA. Presentation at the curriculum-based vocational assessment conference at The George Washington University. Washington, D.C.

Rothenbacher, C., and Leconte, P. (1990). Vocational assessment: A guide for parents and professionals NICHCY Transition Summary #6, 1-24.

Rothstein, L. F. (1990). Special education law. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Rubin, Z. (1980). Children’s friendships. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (A)

Rusch, F. R. (ed.). (1990). Supported employment: Models, methods, and issues. Sycamore, IL: Sycamore.

Rusch, F. R., Hughes, C., and Kohler, P. D. (1991). Descriptive analysis of secondary school education and transition services model programs. Champaign, IL: Secondary Transition Intervention Effectiveness Institute.

Russell, L. M., Grant, A., Joseph, S., and Fee, R. (1995). Planning for the future. Evanston, IL: American Publishing Company.

Salisbury, C.L., & Intagliata, J. (1986). Respite care: Support for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Sarkees, M.D., & Scott, J.L. (1986). Vocational special needs (2nd edition). Homewood, IL: American
Technical Publishers, Inc.

Savage, R. (1995). An educator’s manual: What educators need to know about students with TBI (3rd ed.). Houston, TX: HDI.

Scarbourgh, D. (1992). Helping you to understand SSDI and SSI. Bloomington, IL: Accent Books.

Scheiber, B. and Talpers, J. (1987). Unlocking potential: College and other choices for learning disabled people – A step-by-step guide. Bethesda, MD: Adler & Adler.

Schiro-Geist, C. (1990). Vocational counseling for special populations. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers.

Schlachter, G. A., and Weber, R. D. (1992). Financial aid for the disabled and their families: 1992-1994.
Redwood City, CA: Reference Service Press.

Schleien, S. J., and Ray, M. T. (1988). Community recreation and persons with disabilities: Strategies for integration. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Schleien, S. J., Ray, M. T., & Green, F. P. (1997). Community recreation and people with disabilities:
Strategies for inclusion (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Schoenbrodt, L. (Ed.). (2001). Children with traumatic brain injury: A parents’ guide. Bethesda, MD:
Woodbine House.

Schwartz, S. (1996). Choices in deafness: A parents’ guide to communication options (2nd ed.).
Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Senator Alan Cranston: Senate Report: CRANSTON-GONZALES NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING
ACT, 1990. Retrieved January 5, 2003. http://www.vadrs.org/cbs/CILS.htm

Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S. (1991). SIECUS position statements 1991. New York: Author.

Shapiro, J. (1993). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. New York, NY:
Random House.

Silver, L. (1998). The misunderstood child: Understanding and coping with your child’s learning
disabilities (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Time Books.

Sitlington, P.L., Brolin, D.E., Clark, G.M., & Vacanti, J.M. (1985). Career/vocational assessment in the
public school setting: The position of the division on career development. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 8 (1), 3-6.

Skyer, R., & Skyer, G. (1986). What do you do after high school? A nationwide guide to residential,
vocational, social, and collegiate programs service the adolescent, young adult, and adult with learning disabilities. Rockaway Park, NY: Skyer Consultation Center, Inc.

Smith, R. (1993). Children with mental retardation: A parents’ guide. Rockville, MD: Woodbine House.

Smith, S. (1995). No easy answers (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Smith-Davis, J. and Littlejohn, W. R. (1991). Related services for school-aged children with disabilities.
NICHCY News Digest, 1(2).

Snyder, H. (1998). Elvin the elephant who forgets. Wolfeboro, NH: L&A Publishing/Training.

Sowers, J., and Powers, L. (1991). Vocational preparation and employment of students with physical and multiple disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Stodden, A.R., Ianacone, N.R., Boone, M.R., & Bisconer, W.S. (1987). Curriculum-based vocational
assessment: A guide for addressing youth with special needs. Honolulu, HI: Centre Publication International Education.

Supported employment expands opportunities for persons with severe disabilities. (1989, Summer). OSERS News in Print, II (2), 5.

Supported Employment Parent Training Technical Assistance (SEPT/TA) Project. (1990). A reference
manual for parent training about supported employment (rev. ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Pacer Center.

Taylor, S. J., Knoll, J., & Biklen, D. (1987). Community integration for persons with severe disabilities.
New York: Teachers College.

The Network News Summer (1996). National Transition Network, Institute on Community Integration.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

The Schwab Foundation for Learning: 25 Questions for Finding the Right College. Retrieved January 5, 2003, http://www.ldresources.org/?p=519

The Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health Travel Training Program (2003). Travel Training Program. Retrieved January 4, 2003, http://www.westchestergov.com/ParaTransit/traveltraining.htm

Thomas, S., Hiltenbrand, D. and Tibbs, S. (1997). A new look at outcomes: Validating the vocational evaluation and work adjustment process in the contemporary setting. In S. H. deFur and J. Patton (Eds.) Transition and school based services: Interdisciplinary perspectives for enhancing the transition process. Austin, TX: PRO-EDTodis, B. (1997). Tools for the task? Perspectives on assistive technology in educational settings. Journal of Special Education Technology, 13(2), 49-61.

Trainer, M. (1991). Differences in common: Straight talk on mental retardation, Down syndrome, and life. Rockville, MD: Woodbine House.

Transition Services: A Planning and Implementation Guide (1994) . Albany, NY: Office of Special Education Services and Office for Vocational and Educational Services.

Transportation Research Board (1993). Accessible transportation and mobility. Washington, DC: TRB.

Trohanis, P. L. (1995). Progress in providing services to young children with special needs and their
families: An overview to and update on implementing the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. NEC*TAS Notes, 7, 1-20.

Tucker, B.P. (1997). IDEA advocacy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing: A question and answer book for parents and professionals. San Diego, CA: Singular.

Tucker, J. (1985). Curriculum-based assessment: An introduction. Exceptional Children, 52, 199-204.

Turnbull, H. R., Turnbull, A. P., Bronicki, G. J., Summers, J. A., and Roeder-Gordon, C. (1990).
Disability and the family: A guide to decisions for adulthood. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Tweed, P. K., and Tweed, J. C. (1989). Colleges that enable: A guide to support services offered to

Twelfth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Education of the Handicapped Act. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1988). Power on! New tools for teaching and learning (OTA-SET-379). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Congress, Public Law 99-506, 1986 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act.

USDA (2000) Reaching those in need: State food stamp participation rates in 1999. Alexandria, VA: Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. Department of Education (1993). The pocket guide to federal help: For individuals with disabilities.
Clearinghouse on Disability Information, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: Washington, DC.

U.S. Department of Education (1995). Seventeenth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. Department of Education. (1985). Directory of resources for adults with disabilities. Washington, DC: Division of Adult Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

U.S. Department of Education. (1992a, September 29). Assistance to states for the Education of Children with Disabilities Program and Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities: Final rules. Federal Register, 57(208), 48694-48704.

U.S. Department of Education. Office of Special Education Programs. (2002). Twenty-Third Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration. (1990, July). SSI (Social Security Administration Publication Number 05-11000). Baltimore, MD: Author. (Available from Department of Health and Human Services, SSA, Baltimore, MD 21235.)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1980). Learning together: A guide for families with
genetic disorders (DHHS Publication No. (HSA) 80-5131). Rockville, MD: Author.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1990, August). Impairment-related expenses are
deductible. Social Security Information Items, 3.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1990, October). Social security encourages a bridge to the workplace. Social Security News, 2-3.

U.S. General Accounting Office. (1989). Special education: The attorney fees provision of Public Law 99 372. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. House of Representatives. (1990, June 18). Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990: Report to accompany H.R. 1013 (Report 101-544). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Uslan, M. M., Peck, A. F.; Wiener, W. R., and Stern, A. (1990). Access to mass transit for blind and
visually impaired travelers. New York, NY: American Foundation for the Blind.

Valenti-Hein, D. and Mueser, K. T. (1991). The dating skills program: Teaching social-sexual skills to
adults with mental retardation. Worthington, OH: International Diagnostic Services, Inc.

Venn, J. (2000). Assessing students with special needs (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Vogel, S. (1993). College students with learning disabilities: A handbook. Pittsburgh, PA: LDA Bookstore.

Wagner, M. (1989, March). The transition experiences of youth with disabilities: A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Council for Exceptional Children, San Francisco, CA.

Wagner, M., & Shaver, D.M. (1989). The transition experiences of youth with disabilities: A report from the National Longitudinal Transitional Study. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

Walker, P. (1994). Promoting inclusive recreation and leisure opportunities for adults. In M.S. Moon (Ed.), Making school and community recreation fun for everyone (pp. 163-180). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Walker, P., & Edinger, B. (1988). The kid from Cabin 17. Camping Magazine, pp. 18-21.

Walker, P., Edinger, B., Willis, C., & Kenney, M.E. (1988). Beyond the classroom: Involving students with
disabilities in extracurricular activities at Levy Middle School. Syracuse, NY: Center on Human Policy.

Walker, P., Edinger, B., Willis, C., and Kenney, M. (1989). Beyond the classroom: Involving students with severe disabilities in extracurricular activities. Syracuse, NY: Center on Human Policy, Syracuse University.

Wandry, D., and Repetto, J. (1993). Transition services in the IEP. NICHCY Transition Summary, (1), 1 28.

Ward, M. (1991). Self-determination revisited: Going beyond expectations. Washington, DC: National
Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth.

Ward, M. J. (1992). Introduction to secondary special education and transition issues. In F. R. Rusch, L.

Warren, R.D., & Dickman, I.R. (1981). For this respite, much thanks… Concepts, guidelines and issues in the development of community respite care services. New York, NY: United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc.

Back to top

To top