The article discusses procedures for development and implementation of a curriculum to shape functional skills for severely multiply or severely profoundly disabled preschoolers. Five response levels of increasing complexity are suggested. Teachers urged to be sensitive to child-determined instructional occasions in early assessment and…

The study with three blind and mentally retarded adults with additional disabilities found that general case simulation instruction in housekeeping skills led to generalization to untrained settings. Degree of generalization was inversely related to the severity and complexity of participant disability. (Author/DB)

A water mist was employed as a punisher to reduce head hitting in a 10-year-old multiply handicapped, visually impaired child. Results indicated that water mist alone was effective in reducing the frequency of head hits during meals, but other situations required the addition of primary reinforcers, stimulus control, or both. (Author/JDD)

This article cites the increased number of children with multiple disabilities and visual disabilities who generally take therapeutic medications. It lists the side effects of several types of medications, outlines the educational implications of the side effects, discusses drug interactions, and offers a glossary of medical terms. (JDD)

A new approach to behavioral control with individuals having both visual impairments and multiple disabilities stresses the use of positive intervention strategies, bases treatment on functional assessments of challenging responses, and emphasizes broad changes in the lifestyles of individuals. Case examples illustrate applications. (Author/DB)

This article describes the use of a transition portfolio to help a student with severe, multiple disabilities make the transition from middle school to high school. It describes the information gathering process and desirable portfolio components including personal and medical information, positioning, educational programming, adaptations and…

The paper reviews cognitive development during the sensorimotor period (approximately the first two years of life) and considers approaches to assessing multihandicapped, deaf-blind, or severely/profoundly retarded students functioning at this level. Evaluation and training of basic sensorimotor schemes (visual fixation and tracking, sucking, and…

The paper addresses the assessment of sensorimotor and communication skills in profoundly/multiply handicapped children. The problems inherent in assessing this population are described, including lack of validity of developmental norms established on children with intact sensory systems. Factors affecting sensory organization are reviewed,…

The paper reviews court decisions mandating extended-year programs for students with severe and multiple handicaps for whom regression during the summer break threatens the development of independence and addresses considerations in developing such extended year programs. Guidelines center on eligibility, funding, program focus, program length,…

Reevaluation of two studies on relationships between nonhandicapped and severely mentally retarded children (ages 8-12) suggested that nonhandicapped children work harder, receive and emit fewer social reinforcers, have less opportunity to play and have fun, and achieve lower levels of social play when the playmate is physically handicapped as…

The article provides guidelines for developing curriculum objectives for multiply involved hearing-impaired students. Emphasis is placed on procedures for establishing instructional priorities, assessing the learner against these priorities, selecting and using prosthetics to overcome learning and behavioral deficits, providing educational…

The use of nonspeech symbol sets (including manual signs and Blyssymbols) in language intervention with mentally retarded students is discussed. The selection and use of aided or unaided nonspeech symbol sets are considered, along with cognitive, sociocommunicative, technological, and motoric factors. (CL)

This tipsheet offers suggestions for the instructor who has a student with both a vision and a hearing loss, stressing that the first step is to talk with the student to determine what modifications are necessary. Specific recommendations are offered for the following areas: (1) use of student aids/accommodations (such as interpreters, notetakers,…

Describes the work of the South Dakota Very Special Arts Festivals project to select creative media production activities and modify them to meet the needs of the mentally retarded or multiply handicapped festival participants. (CMV)

Describes current child-count systems that count students with visual impairments and additional disabilities in only one disability area. This results in an undercount of the incidence of visual impairment. Discusses the need for children to be initially counted by the disability of the lowest incidence. (CR)