This paper investigates trends in disability in the U.S. population, particularly among people under age fifty. Even as the elderly have become less disabled, reported disability has risen for younger Americans, especially those ages 30-49. We suggest some possible explanations for rising disability levels, such as obesity, technological advances in ...

Assistive technology has aided children with multiple disabilities to improve access and participation in their school and home environments. Effective educational outcomes from assistive technology use are dependent upon a coordinated assessment and implementation process. The literature on assistive technology with children was reviewed in order to identify current barriers ...

School-based occupational therapy is the largest employer of occupational therapists. School-based occupational therapists work extensively with students with severe disabilities. Over the past decade, one significant change in the field of severe disabilities has been the advocacy of best practices. This paper discusses the implications of best practices for school-based ...

This paper focuses on the identification and testing of potential psychosocial factors contributing to an integrated multivariate predictive model of occupational low back disability. Psychosocial predictors originate from five traditions of psychosocial research: psychopathological, cognitive, diathesis-stress, human adaptation and organizational psychology. The psychosocial variables chosen for this study reflect a ...

Inclusion or full participation by children with disabilities in programs and activities designed for typically developing children benefits children with and without disabilities and their families. Inclusive care programs are least available for school-age children and adolescents. A review of the literature identified best practices for effective inclusive out-of-school care, ...

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of dementia on disability progression and mortality, and to analyze the modifying effect of risk factors and extra-individual factors. A sample of 3,403 participants in the PAQUID study was followed for 10 years. Disability was assessed on a 4-grade scale: ...

Current research suggests that constant delay is an effective means of teaching students through near-errorless learning. The current study examined how procedures used in previous research may be modified so that constant delay can be implemented with students who have physical disabilities that prevent them from engaging in fluent academic ...

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), radiologic technology educational programs may not discriminate against qualified disabled individuals who meet admissions criteria. The authors conducted a survey of educational programs to determine familiarity with the law and collect data on admissions practices, specifically technical standards and physical exams. Results indicated ...

In the first part of this article, we briefly present the context of mathematics education in Italy and its specific programs, teaching and assessment methods, use of psychological concepts, and policies in favor of pupils with difficulties. We illustrate the importance and the role of mathematics teachers' associations. In the ...

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities compose one of the largest and fastest growing subgroups of the U.S. population. Disability and rehabilitation issues are not well covered in most North American medical school curricula. This article describes the development and assessment of a 3-hr workshop for medical students on disability skills and ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to describe a community-based fitness program developed and implemented for children with disabilities. Several outcomes are reported for one of the participants, J, an 11-year-old girl with hypotonia and mild mental retardation, to illustrate the strengths and limitations of this program and to ...

Research shows that participation in employment contributes to life satisfaction for persons with disabilities [18]. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sought to prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in the workplace, however, the ADA's effectiveness remains controversial. This research utilizes data from the disability supplement of ...

In the first part of this article, we describe the basic objectives of the math curriculum in Spain as well as the basic contents, teacher resources, and obstacles perceived in mathematics instruction. Second, we briefly describe the concept of learning disabilities (LD) as they are currently defined in Spain. As ...

We evaluated a program for increasing pretend toy play of 2-year-old children with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. Classroom personnel implemented the program, which involved choices of classroom centers containing toys that tend to occasion pretend play in toddlers without disabilities, along with prompting and praise. Increases occurred in independent ...

Working Horizons is an intervention designed to prevent work disability by addressing the internal and external barriers faced by people with arthritis in their attempts to enter or maintain their positions in the employment arena. The aim of the pilot study was to determine whether Working Horizons influenced participants' self-efficacy ...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of microswitch programs in promoting and maintaining responding of persons with profound multiple disabilities. Three participants were provided one or two microswitches. Their responding (microswitch activation) produced favorite stimuli. Analysis showed that all participants increased responding significantly, albeit with clear differences among them, during the ...

This study of adults with self-reported learning disabilities (SRLD) in Slovenia is part of a larger secondary analysis of the data from the International Literacy Survey project (IALS). The purpose of the study was to examine the characteristics of 79 (2.68%) individuals who reported experiencing learning disabilities and compare them ...

The purpose of this study was to compare adults with and without self-reported learning disabilities (SRLD and NSRLD) from six English-speaking populations including: English-speaking Canada, Great Britain, The Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and the United States. These six populations were selected because they were all English-speaking populations, ...

One of the key challenges for practitioners in present day health and social care has been responding effectively in the interprofessional teamwork setting, where collaboration is at the centre of professional activity. For whilst practitioners are expected to work interprofessionally there often remains limited attention to the actual process of ...

In this paper, similarities and differences are outlined between adults with self reported learning disabilities (SRLD) drawn from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) data on adult literacy in The Netherlands and Flanders. These results are discussed in terms of striking differences in the educational context within which the adults ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a treadmill and overground walking program in reducing the disability and handicap associated with poor walking performance after stroke. DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a 3-month follow-up. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: A volunteer sample of 29 ambulatory individuals (less 2 dropouts) who were ...

BACKGROUND: Participatory ergonomics (PE) are often applied for prevention of low back pain (LBP). In this pilot-study, a PE-program is applied to the disability management of workers sick listed due to LBP. METHODS: The process, implementation, satisfaction, and barriers for implementation concerning the PE-program were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively for ...

BACKGROUND: Classification of psychopathology using operationalized diagnostic criteria is one component of psychiatric assessment. Previous literature has demonstrated that there are limitations in the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV) when used with adults with intellectual disabilities. METHODS: A literature search using Medline, PsychLIT ...

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at risk of work disability from the very start of their symptoms. Prospective cohorts including patients with early RA show that 20-30% become permanently work disabled during the first 2-3 years of the disease. Risk factors for early work disability include a physically demanding ...

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD)]is believed to be common among people with learning disabilities. Classification systems in current use have presented diagnostic difficulties in this area, when used for people with learning disability (particularly adults). METHODS: A literature search using electronic databases was undertaken, and journals were hand-searched for ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of high- and low-velocity resistance training on functional performance and disability outcomes in physically limited older women. DESIGN: A total of 16 wk of high-velocity resistance training or traditional low-velocity resistance training consisting of knee extension and leg press exercises was performed three times per ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of special education directors on the current role of occupational therapy in high school transition programs for adolescent students with disabilities. Additionally, barriers to providing occupational therapy services and perceptions about new occupational therapy services were examined. METHOD: A ...

BACKGROUND: This study explored the perceptions and experiences of teenagers with physical disabilities attending regular secondary schools. In particular, the study focused on social integration and the factors that influenced it. Social integration was defined as a sense of belonging in the school community. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used ...

There is little question that the strategies used to improve supported employment outcomes, namely higher wages and higher levels of integration, have changed since the mid-1980s. Innovations of natural supports and employer leadership have helped increase the capacity of provider agencies and the business community to include people with disabilities ...

There is increasing concern for the skills of the workforce in the UK and elsewhere, but despite this concern until recently there has been little information available which objectively measures basic skills in adults. In this paper, evidence derived from the prose scale of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS, ...

This study examined recidivism, defined as arrests, among 252 clients who were accepted into a case management program for offenders with developmental disabilities. Overall, 40% of clients were arrested while participating in the program, and 34% were arrested within 6 months after case closure. The crimes for which clients were ...

New Zealand data from the International Adult Literacy Survey were analysed to examine the incidence and correlates of self-reported specific reading learning disability (SRLD). The results showed that 7.7% of New Zealand adults reported having had a learning disability. The ratio of males to females with SRLD was 3:2. Between ...

A disability access audit carried out at a trust operating over 50 sites revealed that a 2.3m Pounds programme of work was needed. The audit took four months, with the team spending a day at each of the premises. The audit has been followed by a staff training programme in ...

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a residential program, based on the TEACCH model, in improving the quality of the treatment program and the adaptation of individuals with autism with severe disabilities. The results indicated that participants in the Carolina Living and Learning Center experienced an increase in structure and ...

In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the use of complementary therapies in the field of learning disabilities. This paper describes the use of a Snoezelen (multisensory) room for adults with learning disabilities in a psychiatric setting in Hong Kong. Theoretical and operational issues are discussed. The ...

PURPOSE: The study explored whether the use of microswitch clusters could enhance the performance of correct (non-spastic) response schemes by two students with multiple disabilities. METHOD: The study started with baseline on the two responses selected for each student. Then, intervention was implemented on the first response. This was followed ...

Disability is a major public health problem, particularly in developing countries, where there is a close link between poverty and disability. The complex nature of disability allows it to be addressed from a number of different perspectives. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is a holistic approach towards disability which is currently being ...

The literature on implicit learning in persons with mental retardation is scarce and contradictory with respect to the relationship between degree of intellectual disability and impact of implicit-learning processes on performance. We examined children and adolescents with mild or moderate mental retardation and typically developing children matched on MA with ...

This study assessed a microswitch-based program in which three request and one choice microswitches were used for two participants with multiple disabilities. The program was then transferred into the participants' daily contexts. Each request microswitch was linked to different stimulation opportunities. Every activation of the microswitch triggered the verbal announcement ...

BACKGROUND: The causes of prolonged disability due to back pain are multiply determined, involving medical, social, and environmental factors. Possible solutions to the problem of prolonged back pain disability have emerged from recent research but few efforts have been made to transfer evidence-based programs to large community settings. OBJECTIVE: This ...

The authors conducted 2 studies to develop and test measures that assess beliefs about what constitutes a disability, affective reactions to working with individuals with disabilities, and beliefs about the reasonableness of workplace accommodations, in general and within the context of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The results of ...

Childhood placement in learning disability (LD) programs in the USA has tripled over the last few decades to 6% of all children enrolled in the public schools today. The revision of educational laws to improve LD testing and reporting guidelines has been credited for these trends. However, some researchers also ...

Disability reduction or prevention programs for people with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions reduce long-term pain and disability but reach only a fraction of their target audience. Few public health professionals are aware of these programs or their benefits. The objective of this study is to review and describe packaged ...

Parents and school administrators commonly ask how long a child is likely to need school-based occupational therapy services. In an effort to provide a statistically supported answer, a record review of 464 cases of students discharged from school-based occupational therapy services in the past 7 years was performed. This review ...

Although eight out of ten people suffer from different types of headaches, the severity of their pain is often not communicated properly to their doctors. Research shows that when doctors understand exactly how headaches are affecting their patients, they are able to provide a better and fully successful treatment program. ...

Disabilities have existed since the beginning of human race. There are many definitions of the term. The aim of the work was to check the knowledge of medical students about disabilities. The study was conducted with the use of a questionnaire. 151 third year medical students were interviewed. The majority ...

Five adults with longstanding histories of psychiatric disabilities were recruited for a ten-week therapeutic horseback riding program. Individuals learned basic riding skills and had the opportunity to bond with a horse. In addition, the riders participated in a post-riding process group that used artistic and creative exercises to promote individual ...

This article provides a brief history and background of workers' compensation programs for occupationally injured and ill workers in the United States. It presents the basic principle involved in workers' compensation and briefly discusses the disability benefits to which workers are generally entitled. It also discusses why there are settlements ...

In Spring 2002 the University of Wyoming received NSF funding from the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems to provide a meaningful design experience for University of Wyoming, College of Engineering students that will directly aid individuals with disabilities within the state of Wyoming. Other universities have participated in this ...

The Oregon Institute on Disability and Development (OIDD), the has developed an integrated Web site and searchable database to serve as a portal to information on the programs of the Administration of Developmental Disabilities (ADD) to enable them to collaborate more efficiently and also to showcase their work to a ...