Increasing community independence for adolescents with spina bifida.

This project sought to determine if a community-based habilitation program focusing on normalization and individual goal setting was effective in enhancing levels of independence in teenagers with spina bifida (myelomeningocele). The results of our formal and informal evaluation suggest that the program was effective. Using the goal-attainment scale for formal evaluation, the program averaged a score of 50.8, which reflects slightly better than expected outcomes. The greatest strength in the program was support and socialization among the teenagers. In addition, recommendations for practitioners in programming for teenagers are provided.