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Smart devices have become common place in many homes, and these devices can be utilized to provide support for people with mental or physical deficits. Voice-controlled assistants are a class of smart device that collect a large amount of data in the home. In this work we present Echo SCraper and ClAssifier of Persons (ESCAPE), an open source software for the extraction of Amazon Echo interaction data, and speaker recognition on that data. We show that ESCAPE is able to extract data from a voice-controlled assistant and classify with accuracy who is talking, based on a small number of labeled audio data. Using ESCAPE to extract interactions recorded over 3 months in the first author's home yields a rich dataset of transcribed audio recordings. Our results demonstrate that using this software the Amazon Echo can be used to study participants in a naturalistic setting with minimal intrusion. We also discuss the potential for usage of voice-controlled devices together with ESCAPE to understand how diseases affect individuals, and how these data can be used to monitor disease processes in general., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, currently in submission

This paper evaluates two locally driven, school-based programs in Illinois that use a system of care approach to provide services for children and adolescents with, or who are at risk for, developing emotional or behavioral disturbances. These sites included a mental health early intervention pilot program in an elementary school setting, and a day treatment program established by a local school district. Students in the public school program or a private school program for similar students were evaluated at baseline and 1 year later. The majority of students were identified as having a primary behavioral disability; about half the youth had legal charges; and most common risk factors included below grade-level achievements and frequent suspensions/expulsion/truancy. No significant differences between students in the private day placement and the public special placement were found. As the early intervention program descriptive data indicated, the 16 children were referred for such reasons as academic problems, non-compliance behavior, attention difficulties, and poor peer interaction. Comparisons of baseline and 1-year-later scores suggested substantially better functioning for all youth at Time 2. Evaluation of both programs supports the use of participant-driven evaluation if the data are to be useful for program development. (Contains 12 references.) (DB)

A residential instructional program was developed which provided two 2-week institutes for handicapped students during the summer of 1982. Recognizing that most of these students are mainstreamed and do not take science laboratory courses, the program focused heavily on the outdoor laboratory setting at an environmental center. In addition, mindful of the attitudinal, informational, and communicative barriers experiences by these youngsters, a curriculum was chosen which minimized these barriers as much as could be practicable. The program was designed to give students optimal exposure to concrete examples of theory while minimizing the amount of time spent in lecture and textbook study. This document discusses: (1) program philosophy/objectives, participant selection, and instructional staff/counselor training; (2) the curriculum and specialized adaptations; (3) the recreational program; (4) evaluation (including pre-/post-test and student/staff evaluation); (5) assessment of outcomes; and (6) dissemination efforts. Provided in the curriculum section are lecture/film outlines, abstracts of environmental/ecological activities used, with complete copies of selected activities (including grade level(s), goals, concepts/skills fostered, behavioral objectives, background information, and instructional strategies). Supporting documentation (including pre/post tests, staff evaluation forms, and handouts distributed at inservice workshops) is included in appendixes. Evaluation results indicate that the program was successful in meeting its objectives. (JN)

An overview of an Honors Workshop for outstanding high school science teachers of the physically handicapped from the greater Midwest is presented in this report to the National Science Foundation. Twenty-five teachers were recognized for their outstanding contributions to science teaching and were given opportunities to update their training in science and to share their teaching strategies and ideas with other teachers at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. This report contains: (1) a project summary (explaining participant selection procedures and identifying the program's instructional staff); (2) curriculum description (including content offerings in Physics, Chemistry, and Zoology, laboratory investigations, and programs in educational methods); (3) evaluation procedures (providing summaries of pretest and posttest scores and program evaluations); (4) a review of the dissemination workshops (indicating the number and nature of the inservice programs conducted by the participants); and (5) the directors' assessment of the program (highlighting the merits of the project). Appendices include samples of program materials. (ML)

During my summer internship at NASA I have been working alongside the team members of the RESTORE project. Engineers working on the RESTORE project are creating ·a device that can go into space and service satellites that no longer work due to gas shortage or other technical difficulties. In order to complete the task of refueling the satellite a hose needs to be used and covered with a material that can withstand effects of space. The conduit coating abrasion test will help the researchers figure out what type of thermal coating to use on the hose that will be refueling the satellites. The objective of the project is to determine whether or not the conduit coating will withstand the effects of space. For the RESTORE project I will help with various aspects of the testing that needed to be done in order to determine which type of conduit should be used for refueling the satellite. During my time on the project I will be assisting with wiring a relay board that connected to the test set up by soldering, configuring wires and testing for continuity. Prior to the testing I will work on creating the testing site and help write the procedure for the test. The testing will take place over a span of two weeks and lead to an informative conclusion. Working alongside various RESTORE team members I will assist with the project's documentation and records. All in all, throughout my internship at NASA I hope to learn a number of valuable skills and be a part of a hard working team of engineers.

This report contains the findings and recommendations of a task force established to develop a comprehensive statement regarding the confidentiality of adoption records and to define the scope of information (background and/or identifying) to be shared with birth parents prior to placement of a child for adoption, adoptive parents at the time of placement, and adoptees upon request. The introductory section of the report contains a description of the events leading up to the formation of the task force and a brief statement of task force objectives. Section 2 presents a list of the 24 task force members. In Section 3, issues which shaped the general background of task force discussions are delineated. The 14 major findings of the task force are enumerated in Section 4 and the reactions of selected birth parents to these findings are presented in Section 5. Section 6 contains recommendations made by the task force in four areas: (1) access to nonidentifying information, (2) access to identifying information, (3) adoption records, and (4) registration system. Section 7 contains a summary statement. (JMB)

Two surveys were developed in an effort to evolve a model process for setting up a displaced homemaker center, for determining how displaced homemakers are presently being served within a VTAE (Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education) district, and for identifying and then assessing the needs of a sample of displaced homemakers. The surveys aimed to identify such areas as job/career needs, immediate personal and economics needs, and data for classification. Data obtained from the sample led to the following conclusions: (1) displaced homemakers are presently underserved by VTAE districts; (2) those services most sought are support and educational programs which, though presently offered by VTAE districts, are underutilized by displaced homemakers; and (3) stronger recruitment procedures would increase use of, and enrollment in district programs. It is recommended that the process to set up a center involve (1) establishing a coordinating council; (2) conducting a community resource assessment using a standard questionnaire; (3) procedures to identify and then assess the needs of displaced homemakers, to be done by trained professionals; and (4) making data available to all willing to help such homemakers so as to encourage community participation. The center would, then, identify homemakers, keeping exclusive criteria to a minimum; would assess their needs, using a standard questionnaire; and would make up a client profile sheet and then formulate a training and employment plan for each individual. (CP)

The report details the case studies of six families with disabled children, ranging in age from 6 to 18 years, as part of a study to investigate the impact of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). An introduction points out that a naturalistic case study approach was used to address the parents experiences with P.L. 94-142, as well as the Massachusetts special education law, Chapter 766. Case studies make up the bulk of the document with excerpts given from tape recorded interviews. Among the topics touched on are the mainstreaming of a developmentally disabled child, the parent as advocate, the inefficiency of the process in implementing a disabled boy's individualized education program (IEP), use of the court to obtain proper school services for a neurologically handicapped child, the IEP team meeting, and parent involvement in development of the IEP. Parents' experiences are analyzed in terms of five provisions of the law: protection in evaluation procedures, the IEP, the least restrictive environment, due process, and parental involvement. Noted among findings are that parents are often excluded from the evaluation process, parents report intimidation and poor parent-professional communication during the IEP meeting, parents generally have low confidence in the classroom teacher's competence with regard to mainstreaming, parents likely to exercise due process are emotionally capable of coping with a lengthy battle with the school system and have an adequate understanding of their rights under the law, and parents are rarely valued as partners in the planning of their children's programs. (SB)

The study investigated the effects of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) on parents with disabled children through case study procedures with six families and a series of structured interviews with 26 additional families. Children ranged in age from 6 to 18 years and in degree of developmental disability from moderate to mild. Four factors most commonly articulated about parents' experiences with the individualized education program were the first IEP meeting, information gathering, subsequent IEP meetings, and monitoring. Among findings were that most parents had very little idea of what to expect at the meeting or of what was to be expected of them; that parents sought IEP related information from administrators, teachers, and other parents; and that the most prevalent source of IEP conflict related to the inclusion of specialist services in the child's education plan. The least restrictive environment (LRE) was considered in terms of risks, benefits, and academics and ideology. Conclusions regarding the LRE included that almost all parents ultimately supported decisions to integrate their children with nondisabled peers; that the fundamental risk perceived by parents was that of their child being tolerated rather than taught; and that what mattered most about their child's educational placement was the quality of interpersonal life it promised. Three images of parents emerged: parents as partners, parents as advocates, and parents as pioneers. (SB)

This report presents results of an annual survey of all programs within the National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA) regarding key aspects of status and policy of independent study programs by correspondence at higher education institutions. Two narrative sections describe the results shown in 10 tables. Part 1 covers program scope, including program enrollments, program staff, computer utilization, special fees for services, and materials leasing. Part 2 summarizes each of the programs with reference to these factors: tuition charged to students for various courses and the compensation paid to faculty members to develop courses and work with students (grading) in those courses. Programs are divided into college, high school, and noncredit programs. Ten tables depict survey data regarding program scope, demographics on student enrollments, number of total faculty, computer systems, special fees, institutions willing to lease courses, characteristics of college programs (enrollment, course fees, faculty compensation, institutional support for correspondence courses), characteristics of high school programs (enrollment, course fees, faculty compensation), and characteristics of non-credit programs (enrollment, fees, faculty compensation). An appendix contains information, provided by institutions, that amplifies data contained in the tables. (YLB)

The article focuses on performance of the U.S. travel agencies from 2009-2013. It states that travel agents sold around 95 billion dollars worth travel products in 2011. It mentions that cruise sales through them are expected to grow in 2013 though agency share total cruise market is falling. It highlights that group travel is good opportunity for home-based and leisure agents.