Preparation of high quality personnel to provide educational services to students with disabilities living in rural areas is, at best, challenging. Findings from a comprehensive study concerning the status of the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in rural settings and the issues such implementation presents…

During 1984-85 New York's 14 Early Childhood Direction Centers responded to 10,609 service requests and assisted 5,283 parents, 376 professionals, and 666 agencies in obtaining services for 5,510 handicapped children aged birth to 5. The network operated at a cost of only $218 per child matched to services. (JHZ)

Project LINCS (Linking Infants in Need with Comprehensive Services) is based on a process orientation to the delivery of comprehensive services for rural handicapped infants and their families. Effective regional-community linkage is developed by community analysis, community entree, formal linkage development, formal structured interaction, and…

Describes a report on New Mexico's public school services for three- and four-year-old handicapped children, focusing on features of special interest to rural educators. Topics are curriculum selection, program models, and program delivery system alternatives. (JHZ)

Describes a program in which a teacher's aide is trained in the components of the Teaching Research Data-Based Classroom Model and then provides individual instruction, under the supervision of a certified teacher, to one or two children with handicapping conditions. Notes curriculum, student assessment, data collection procedures, and program…

Examines the importance of including families in the education of young handicapped children and discusses trends in the foci of family involvement programs of recent years. Describes the family involvement component of the Precise Early Education of Children with Handicaps (PEECH) outreach project. (Author)

The community-based rehabilitation model has successfully trained community members in rural areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America to deliver educational and rehabilitation services to disabled individuals and their families. Practices applicable to improving educational and rehabilitation services in the United States involve staff…

Describes transdisciplinary (TD) team model as holistic approach for identifying and educating young migrant students with special needs. Describes differences between TD and multidisciplinary team models. Describes half-day TD assessment of child. Assesses TD approach regarding student needs, staff training, ongoing staff development, and child…

Guidelines for implementing a transdisciplinary (TD) team approach for delivering special education services to rural students cover team development, assessment, program planning, implementation of service delivery, training of team members, role release, ongoing monitoring, and regular team meetings. Includes a checklist for evaluating teams…

Preliminary data comparing individualized education program (IEP) development in three demonstration and three nondemonstration sites show that demonstration sites had significantly more individuals attending IEP meetings, more service options on the IEP, and more best-practice elements included in the IEP. Suggests that the demonstration site…

Title VII-Part B of the Rehabilitation Act of 1978 created federally funded independent living centers (ILCs), but funding shortages left many rural areas unserved. A survey found 76 ILCs in 24 states that did not receive Part-B funds. Most were supported solely by state and local funds. (SV)

A study of two rural independent living demonstration projects contrasts successful approaches: an independent living center and the integration of independent living philosophy and practices into an existing service network. Presents demographic information; community resources; and interview results from disabled persons, religious leaders, and…

Dissonance and conflict occur when the culture of a service delivery system differs greatly from a disabled client's culture. Strategies are outlined for adapting services to match culturally diverse client needs. Examples focus on rehabilitation services and special education for visually impaired Hispanic Americans. Contains 20 references. (SV)

Examination of 69 case files from the Navajo Vocational Rehabilitation Project revealed that successful outcomes were strongly associated with clients having access to a telephone, living closer to the project office, desiring to be employed, having normal psychological status, and using English as the primary language. (SV)

The history of rural special education delivery and teacher education in Appalachia over the last four decades is traced. Much progress has been made, but rural regions still have a shortage of special education teacher educators, certified personnel, employment opportunities for students with disabilities, and distance education capabilities. A…