The importance of social skills instruction within the curriculum has long been recognized and discussed in the literature. The implementation of this area of instruction has been sporadic over the years, and reasons for this have been hypothesized by both researchers and teacher trainers. This study investigated the importance ratings and rankings of social skills by 263 parents, teachers, and other professionals from around the country. Personal interviews with teachers were conducted and Individualized Education Program documents were inspected in an effort to relate perceptions of importance to actual implementation of social skills instruction. Barriers to implementation also were recorded and analyzed. The results and recommended directions for future research are discussed.
The issues facing the field of personnel preparation are varied and complex. The range of what are considered appropriate programs has been extended to include programs for young children, those with the most severe disabilities, supported employment, and placements within regular education. As is often the case, change brings the emergence of new issues. In the rush to provide services, it is difficult to gather the empirical base of information necessary for creating comprehensive system changes that will meet state-of-the-art standards. However, if the preparation of personnel who work with persons with severe disabilities is to remain a vital area of education, sufficient quantitative and qualitative information must be used to obtain the support of the necessary political and economic forces.In this excellent text, Kaiser and McWhorter have focused our attention on the political and economic factors that affect the field of personnel preparation. Problems and solutions are presented within a framework of historical events from the perspectives of local, state, and federal agencies as well as institutions of higher education. As stated by Kaiser, "...the focus on the future must include building collaborative arrangements, developing new models to meet unresolved student/family needs, providing high quality training, and securing longitudinal funding for these efforts." These themes are addressed in this comprehensive and well-organized volume. The editors have assembled a coterie of experts who address issues and solutions with succinctness, vigor, and creativity, resulting in a reference work that should be required reading for professionals redesigning existing programs or creating new ones.The book is divided into three parts: Current Perspectives, Specific Needs in Personnel Preparation, and Models of Personnel Preparation that Work. The first section contains five chapters that introduce current perspectives in the field and cite an astonishing data base in support of proposals for change as well as changes that have already occurred. Snell, in chapter 1, outlines the problems associated with organizing preparation programs according to age or disability. 66
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