Everyone needs to feel that his or her efforts are appreciated. The Exemplar Employee award picks up where a paycheck and a "thank you" leave off. It targets direct care workers-the employees who leave their jobs most often. It tells workers who go beyond the call of duty, and stand out because of their caring and dedication, that they are appreciated without reservation.

Problem behaviors can serve a number of functions for a person with intellectual disabilities. They may provide positive or negative self-reinforcement, or reinforcement from other people. With clear examples, Dr. Carr and Dr. Wilder describe the difference between older, less effective approaches to problem behavior and a newer functional approach.

The work of maintaining community homes and facilities can be orderly and efficient. This guide shows agencies how to accomplish tasks just as a commercial landlord would-acquiring a home, performing essential maintenance and capital renovations, and keeping the home operating smoothly.

This essential guide to various types of developmental disability offers clear, concise descriptions of societal issues, clinical issues and treatments, genetic and medical causes, and pharmacological interventions. Dr. Williams also gives an overview of the current services and supports landscape and issues that are developing in the 21st Century.

Mascots can grin, dance, flip-flop and giggle their way into the hearts of sports fans, consumers and yes, even employees. The Lillie Leapit Award uses a frog mascot to recognize hard-working employees at Trinity Services. Find out how your organization can, too.

What should a visit to a primary care physician accomplish for an adult with an intellectual disability? Can most doctors be expected to spot common health problems? In Medical Issues for Adults with MR/DD, Dr. Tyler offers tips for working with physicians, checklists for preventative health care, a list of resources to contact for more information, and a glossary of medical terms.

Planning in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities has moved beyond the "do this, do that" model of the past. A person now has the options of dreaming about and working towards a life of stimulation, fulfillment, variety, individuation and satisfaction. But, without a focused plan, how can a person exercise those options?

A well-crafted service and support agreement can contribute significantly to the quality of life for a person with a developmental disability. Major issues will occasionally arise between a provider of services and an individual. How well they are resolved depends on how well expectations and responsibilities were discussed and agreed to beforehand. Service and Support Agreements covers essential concerns such as the support or program areas, relevant supports, communications, medical services and financial services. A sample agreement form is included.

A new employee in an agency that serves people with disabilities must learn how to serve and support people. But, how can the employee possibly understand how a person with a disability feels? Vantage Point, an innovative orientation program, puts the new employee into the place of a person who cannot walk, a person who cannot see, and a person who has other disabilities.

Agencies no longer have to take a passive role in employee compensation, and allow outside forces to wear away at their mission and their highest goals. Proactive compensation provides incentives to each person in the agency to reach higher achievement, and, ultimately, to be a valued steward of the agency's mission.