No abstract

In a study that examined transition services for students with disabilities aged 18-21 years in the state of Wisconsin, respondent completed and returned 231 surveys. Survey data indicated that 50% of respondents lived in rural communities. The authors analyzed data for participant perspectives on components of transition planning in the areas of curriculum, employment, independent living, instruction, leisure/recreation, post-secondary education, transition, and transportation/mobility. Results included that the most common reported perceived barriers to provision of effective transition programming center around lack of resources. The authors discuss the specifics of these barriers and suggest ways schools may begin to remove or circumvent these barriers.

The need for effective transition practices, in the form of planning, direct service, and linkages to post-school settings, is well documented in special education literature. This study examined transition-related practices in use in one school and their effects on student experiences. Data were collected via qualitative methodology in a secondary program for students with learning disabilities. Findings showed the utilization of some literature-identified best practices. Participants indicated that vocation-related activities (e.g., work experience) were well received Instruction in self-determination skills was observed to be an integral, yet undocumented part of the program. Results also suggested that specific planning activities (i.e., transition teams) were responsible for much of the program's success.

The purpose ofthis study was to assess the effects of general-case instruction on spontaneous and generalized requests for assistance by three adolescents with severe disabilities. The findings support the efficacy of the general-case approach in relation to using a single example to teach requests for help. The distinguishing aspect of the general-case phase was the variation in stimulus conditions that occurred across teaching opportunities. Results indicated that general-case instruction produced generalized requests for assistance with two of the three learners. The implications for using general-case proceduresfor teaching communicative interactions are discussed and future research areas are proposed.Effective communication is essential to our quality of life; it allows us to make choices, seek information, make our desires known, engage in interactions, and form relationships with others. Although progress has been made toward enabling persons with severe disabilities to communicate more effectively (e.g.

Teaching staff at a rural middle school, with support from the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC-ASD), implemented a peer-mediated intervention. This program involved 4 learners with ASD and 18 typical peers divided into three groups that met over a semester as typical peers were taught about social skills and specific ways to support their classmates with ASD. While quantitative data were limited, outcomes suggest that Power Pals had a significant impact on school experiences and social interactions for both learners with and without ASD. Implications for future research and implementation in rural settings are discussed.