Ruth E. Dennis

Quality of Life as Context for Planning and Evaluation of Services for People with Disabilities

Quality of life has become a dominant theme in planning and evaluating services for people with disabilities. This article reviews definitions of quality of life, explores the concept from the perspective of the optimal theory of personal well-being, and surveys the research on the concept and its implications for planning and evaluating services. This article explores the subjective nature of life quality, particularly for people with disabilities, and relates the concept to both cultural norms and universal human values and needs. Each person experiences life, and disability, in unique ways. Practitioners need to consider quality-of-life issues as a context in planning and evaluating quality services.

Creating Conversation: Reflections on Cultural Sensitivity in Family Interviewing

This study examines culturally sensitive practices in family interviewing and developing individualized education programs. Participants were 14 professionals in the field of special education, who provided their perceptions and reflections on their experiences as members of cultural minority groups in the United States. The article reviews literature relevant to cultural sensitivity and family interviewing, describes the method and findings of the study, and discusses culturally sensitive practices in family interviewing, while avoiding stereotypes and generalizations. Recommendations for professionals include increasing their own knowledge base about other cultures; examining their own cultural biases; providing a family focus; allowing sufficient time for comfortable interviews; and considering time, place, and language needs.

Common Professional Practices That Interfere with the Integrated Delivery of Related Services

This study provides descriptive data regarding the prevalence of seven professional practices believed to interfere with the integrated delivery of related services for students with handicapping conditions in public schools. Based on questionnaire responses from 585 educators, parents, and related service personnel (e.g., speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists) from across the United States, these data highlight foundational issues that have an impact on the integrated delivery of related services that are necessary for some students to benefit from special education. Professional practices are presented that are believed to facilitate the integrated delivery of related services, as well as those believed to interfere with it. Results of the study document the prevalence of the interfering practices as reported by study participants, and also the extent to which parents and general education teachers report a lack of critical information about the provision of related services. Implications are discussed that pertain to personnel preparation, supervision of staff, advocacy, and collaborative teamwork.

National Expert Validation of COACH: Congruence with Exemplary Practice and Suggestions for Improvement:

The content and social validity of an educational planning tool named COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children) were explored through two studies. Study 1 presents questionnaire feedback from six groups of experts (N = 78) in the field of deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities regarding the purpose, philosophy, content, process, and presentation of COACH. Study 2 presents social validation feedback from parents whose children are deaf-blind and have multiple disabilities regarding a set of valued life outcomes included in COACH. The combined results of these studies provide initial validation that COACH is congruent with exemplary practice and offer consumer-based suggestions for its potential improvement.

Use and Impact of COACH with Students Who Are Deaf-Blind.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use and impact of COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children: A Guide to Planning Inclusive Education) with 30 students with deaf-blindness who attended general education classes in public schools. Interview and observational data were analyzed qualitatively while document data were analyzed quantitatively. The findings and discussion centered around five evaluation questions: (a) How do people use COACH? (b) Does the use of COACH result in educational program components referenced to valued life outcomes identified by parents and/or students? (c) How do educational programs developed using COACH differ from those developed prior to its use? (d) In what ways did the use of COACH effect relationships between parents and professionals? and (e) In what ways did the use of COACH effect valued life outcomes for students? Implications for planning in general education settings are discussed.

Motoric Factors Influencing the Selection of Vocabulary for Sign Production Programs

Motoric factors that should be considered in selecting signs to teach handicapped learners are reviewed and discussed. They are grouped into three categories: prehension movement patterns, unilateral/bilateral movement patterns, and combinations of successive actions, with a fourth set included of less objectively definable factors involved in motor planning. Implications of the reviewed information relative to assessment and intervention conclude the article.

The Vermont State I-Team Then and Now: Twenty-five Years of Technical Assistance and Training To Support the Education of Students with Severe Disabilities.

Vermonts State I-Team has provided technical assistance and training to educational team members of children with disabilities for twenty-five years. The I-Team has been funded since 1977 by the Vermont Department of Education and administered through the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, The University Affiliated Program (UAP), at the University of Vermont. The work of the I-Team has been enhanced by its relationship with other state and federally funded projects that support model program development and research in the field of disability. The authors generated questions relevant to the I-Team and others providing technical assistance, training, and support in rural settings and collected data generated through literature reviews, product review, and interviews. Data analysis resulted in the articulation of two major themes: a) the changing context of service delivery, and b) characteristics of I-Team service delivery. Themes are discussed for the years 1976–79 (The Beginnings), 1980–89 (Expansion), and 1990–99 (Inclusion). There are concluding comments about the characteristics of successful programs that are sustained over time.

A Family Centered, Collaborative Introduction to Developmental Disabilities: Experiential Learning for Undergraduates

In this article, we describe the emergence of the support model of services for persons with developmental disabilities. A rationale is presented for persons with developmental disabilities, their families, and university faculty members collaboratively to plan and deliver an introductory undergraduate course in developmental disabilities congruent with the support model. The content and format of a collaboratively planned course that has been taught and revised for the past 7 years are delineated. The major themes of the course include: the family-centered philosophy, respect for the values and strengths of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, collaborative skills, and knowledge of life span issues and needs. A primary vehicle for teaching the themes is assigning hypothetical babies with severe developmental disabilities to teams of students that must then identify and meet their childs and familys needs from birth into adulthood. Course outcomes, both expected and unexpected, are presented.