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The use of auxiliary communication systems with the severely handicapped is receiving increased attention. This article examines several considerations for instructional personnel who must decide when to initiate auxiliary communication programs, what system to teach, what vocabulary items to begin with, and what special factors must be decided. The authors describe manual systems, communication aids, and communicative codes, and give guidelines for choosing among them for specific students. They recommend considering an auxiliary system for any child who has not produced intelligible utterances by age 5 to 8 and who has not made adequate progress in a verbal communication training program. They also advocate simultaneous teaching of comprehension and production skills.

The authors contend that least restrictive environment involves more than merely placing severely handicapped students in regular schools. In addition to regular school placement, systematic efforts to promote positive interactions between severely handicapped students and their nonhandicapped peers must be made. An array of formal and informal methods for promoting integration, directed toward both school staff and students, are provided to assist teachers of the severely handicapped in systematically integrating their students into the regular school milieu.

A pilot study was conducted to verify empirically the educational activity preferences of 68 parents of students with moderate and severe/profound mental disabilities. Parents were surveyed to determine the relative value they place on the three areas of functional life skills, academic skills, and friendship/social relationship development in the educational programs of their sons/daughters. Parents of students with moderate disabilities rated functional life skills most highly, while parents of students with severe/profound disabilities rated friendship/social relationship development most highly. Furthermore, parents of students with moderate disabilities rated each curricular area as more important than did parents of students with severe/profound disabilities.

Attempts to achieve integrated education for students with moderate/severe handicaps have grown considerably over the last 15 years. However, despite increased integrated educational opportunities for these students, wide variations in placement options continue to exist within and across states. We propose that state education agencies (SEAs) must take a proactive, leadership role in promoting integration. A case study illustrating comprehensive systems-change integration strategies employed by the Iowa Department of Education over the past 6 years and the results of those efforts are presented. Implications for other states are discussed.

This article describes a decision-making process for the appropriate use of microswitches in educational programs serving students with severe handicaps and physical disabilities. Guidelines for the following steps of the decision-making process are provided: (a) determining an educationally valid activity; (b) deciding if the activity should be taught directly; (c) deciding if use of a microswitch is an appropriate adaptation; (d) developing and implementing an individualized instructional program, including determining appropriate positions, motor behaviors, types of microswitches, and instructional procedures; and (e) evaluating the effectiveness of a microswitch for accomplishing an educational objective. Examples of individual student programs are used to illustrate the application of these guidelines.

The authors review recreation/leisure training programs that have been conducted with moderately/severely handicapped individuals. Emphasis is placed on data based task analytic, instructional efforts and recent curriculum volumes/position papers. Implications for practitioners are provided, as well as future research needs in the recreation/leisure skill domain.

A recent controversy has arisen over the relative merits of simulated versus in vivo community instruction. The view presented here is that in cases where in vivo instruction alone is unfeasible, practitioners should employ both training formats in a concurrent fashion. Accordingly, five guidelines for making simulated instruction a more effective adjunct to community instruction are presented and discussed. Future research needs in this area also are suggested.

This research explores the mediating effects of severity of disability on the employment outcomes of participants with disabilities, taking into account their perception of interest‐job match. Participants were 115 high school students with disabilities who took part in an intensive school‐to‐work transition program that explored occupational interests in relation‐to‐work opportunities. Results of a 1‐way analysis of covariance indicated that severity of disability had a significant effect on the employment outcomes of participants despite interest‐job matching. Although participants experienced positive employment outcomes in terms of job entry, these outcomes may not necessarily translate into higher earnings.

This paper discusses general considerations for selecting recreation/leisure skill targets for deaf/blind severely handicapped individuals along with specific leisure task/materials adaptations. A pilot study is also presented illustrating such considerations and adaptations in teaching deaf/blind young adults to operate a tape player.

The lack of integrated educational options in many communities suggests the need for continued advocacy efforts with local school districts. The case is made here that parents and professionals working in concert can form a more effective advocacy partnership, particularly when districts present resistance to integrated options. Strategies for obtaining integrated options through advocacy partnerships are suggested, with examples provided. The strategies are drawn from direct experience as well as from recommendations in the professional literature.