Life quality

Best Practice, Expected Practice, and the Challenge of Scale

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by Michael W. Smull, Mary Lou Bourne, and Helen Sanderson Most state developmental disabilities (DD) systems have supported the development of best practice pilots and have defined the desired best practice outcomes. But the challenge to move typical practice toward best practice to “take best practice to scale” remains. To do this, state leaders need to … Read more

What Happens When You Pay for Your Own Services?

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By John O’Brien In most places, the government still pays people who give services. Services like a place to live, help with finding a job, support in keeping a place of your own. In some places, things are starting to change! The government is starting to give money to people with developmental disabilities to pay for their own … Read more

The Importance of Environment: From Toxic to Healing

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by Michael Smull and Mary Lou Bourne All people respond to their environment. Whether we are happy or miserable is largely determined by what surrounds us. For happiness or even simply contentment to exist, certain things must be present and other things must be absent. What happens when we don’t have control over what is present or absent? … Read more

Latest Issues of Resource Notes

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Resource Note #117 – Texas Gathering; HSA International Event; PCT Coordinator Opening; and 30 Years of Community Living: An ACL ReportResource Note #116 – Minnesota Gathering; HSA International Learning Event; World Café October 26th; and, 30 Years of Community Living: An ACL ReportResource Note #115 – Compassion @ work training from HSA; Imagine Film Festival; … Read more

Foundational Writings

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Michael Smull, Susan Burke Harrison, John and Connie Lyle O’Brien , Beth Mount, Marsha and Jack Pearpoint and others have written about person-centered thinking, planning, and services and supports for some time. We consider their work from the 1980s to today to be foundational and want to make sure that they’re not lost. We have … Read more

Passage of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act

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It’s midnight and the California legislature is about to adjourn for the session. Can Art and his staff at the Assembly Office of Research act in time to pass the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act? Watch and see for yourself. Produced by NorthStar Services. Video crew was Claudia Bolton, Mary Eble, and Bill Allen. Visits: 12345 Total: 371152

Full inclusion and the value of students with severe disabilities 

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Michael W. Smull  How are these core values to be taught? Simply adding them to a curriculum will not work. These are values that are learned by being practiced. While occasional excursions to segregated settings may acquaint you with elders, or others who benefit from your gifts, the real lessons are learned from everyday experience. … Read more