EXPERT COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ACCESS NETWORK (ECIAN)

VARIOUS ACTIVITIES (EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, RESEARCH) GENERATE LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAW DATA. HOWEVER, DATA IS COLLECTED IN A DISJOINTED AND ISOLATED FASHION (I.E., ACTS, LITERATURE) CREATING BARRIERS IN DATA ACCESS AND DISSEMINATION. THERE IS A CONSENSUS AMONG FAMILIES AND PROFESSIONALS, THAT NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO THESE INDIVIDUALS COULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED IF THERE EXISTED A SUCCESSFUL, USER-FRIENDLY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR COMPILING AND DISSEMINATING THIS INFORMATION. PROGRESS IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY (NETWORKS, TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE, PCS, ETC.), TOGETHER WITH THE PROMOTION OF A SPECIAL-EDUCATION DATA BASE MODEL, PROVIDES A STRUCTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR USE BY FAMILIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, SPECIAL EDUCATORS, AND INTERESTED HEALTH SERVICES PROFESSIONALS. ECIAN RESPONDS TO THIS INITIATIVE. THE PROJECT GOAL (PHASE I AND PHASE II) IS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONWIDE (FIRST AT LOCAL LEVEL, AND THEN AT THE STATE LEVEL) INFORMATION ACCESS NETWORK WITH AN "EDUCATION" DATA BASE THAT (A) PROVIDES USERS THE READY AND INEXPENSIVE MEANS TO COMMUNICATE AND ACCESS PRACTICAL, TIMELY INFORMATION; (2) ASSISTS A USER WHEN SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION, BY INCORPORATING AN EXPERT SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE BASE: AND (3) PROVIDES USERS WITH AN ON-LINE TUTORIAL SYSTEM TO EFFECTIVELY DEMONSTRATE HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM.