Editor's Comment

Journal of Rehabilitation,  April-June, 2001  by Paul Leung

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The spring issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation addresses several broad and fundamental issues related to disability and rehabilitation. The study by Thomas on "The multidimensional character of biased perceptions of individuals with disabilities" finds that biased perceptions are more complex than previously considered, and include the reaction/response of the person with the disability as an influencing factor. The second article by Rimmerman and Raif describes a study of involvement with and role perception of adult siblings of a person with and without mental retardation. While the study was conducted in Israel, the family dynamics discussed seem generalizable to other cultures and countries as well. The third article (Accordino, Porter & Morse) also addresses broad based and possible policy concerns in describing the history and social reactions to deinstitutionalization of persons with severe mental illness. It has been a somewhat bumpy road.

The next three articles are related to professional practice. The complex and ambiguous nature of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is explored by Harley who discusses the diagnosis, treatment and functional limitations related to the disorder as well as implications and recommendations for rehabilitation planning. Microenterprising (very small businesses) is discussed as a viable avenue to vocational success for people with disabilities, including severe disabilities. The report includes specific considerations to judge when microenterprising could be a viable consideration for persons with disabilities. The third article in the practice area is a study by Marini, who surveyed rehabilitation professionals involved as alternative contractors for rehabilitation services with the Social Security Administration. The participants noted a number of concerns and suggestions for improving a program that has demonstrated marginal (at best) success.

The last two articles address research interests. Fabian and Waugh conducted a factor analysis of a job development efficacy scale and discuss the strength and weaknesses of a scale that could be very useful to rehabilitation professionals. Ehrenkrantz (and associates) used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) questionnaire to study childhood disability in Kansas. A response from 3,297 households indicates that approximately one in five had a child with a disability, and interestingly, found that parents reporting a child with a disability rated their own health and quality of life as good compared to parents in households without disabilities.

Finally, I want to remind you of the Special Topic Issue on International Rehabilitation. As noted in an earlier announcement, the Journal of Rehabilitation will be publishing a special issue related to international rehabilitation with an emphasis on what we (Americans) learned or can learn in relating to international partners. Manuscripts will be peer reviewed. The timeline for manuscript submission is December 15, 2001. The peer review process will be shortly after with an approximate two (2) month turnaround time. For further information and manuscript submission, please contact the special editor,

Paul Leung P.O. Box 310919 University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203 Email: pleung@scs.cmm.unt.edu

That should be a very interesting issue. - Paul Alston

COPYRIGHT 2001 National Rehabilitation Association
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group