Mary, I applaud your faith in your students and your recognition that there are lots of possibilities open. Just one place I would quibble. You say that some of your students have "a bleak prognosis." Does that mean they have deteriorating medical conditions (such as kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, and such)? That is certainly daunting. But remember that students with non-medical disabilities (blind, deaf, wheelchair users, LD, etc.), have permanent disabilities, but those disabilities are not life-threatening and they may not consider living with a disability to be "bleak." Dr. Jane Jarrow