Although mothers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high levels of stress and schools constitute an important resource, the relation remains unknown between maternal stress and educational services. Responding to a national, web-based survey, 965 mothers of students with disabilities completed a 163-item…

This study investigated demographic and phenomenological characteristics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in nine adults with Down syndrome (DS), and possible effects on adaptive behavior. Results suggest OCD is more common in the DS population than the non-DS population. Ordering and tidiness was the most common form of OCD found, and…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by parents of young children with either Prader-Willi syndrome (N=84), Down syndrome (N=56), or typically developing (N=86), found children with Prader-Willi exhibited more compulsions, skin-picking, and tantrums than did the other groups. Discriminant analysis identified two functions (developmental milestones…

Behavioral ratings by mothers and teachers of 94 children with Down's Syndrome (between 8 and 14 years of age) indicated general support for the amiable personality stereotype, but ratings of low persistence were associated with maternal impressions of difficulty. There was little agreement between mothers and teachers regarding individual child…

Systematic training of a paraprofessional in effective instructional procedures with a student with severe mental retardation and aberrant behaviors resulted in improved skills and fewer negative statements by the paraprofessional and decreased aberrant behaviors and increased compliance by the student. Follow-up at 55 weeks indicated maintenance…

Mothers of 137 children (with or without a sibling having Down's syndrome) were interviewed regarding their child without Down's syndrome. There were no significant differences between groups regarding expectations of "typical" children, but mothers of girls with a Down's syndrome sibling reported significantly more conduct problems than did other…

Changes in patterns of maladaptive behavior related to age-associated adaptive declines were investigated in 529 adults with mental retardation (ages 30 to 84), 202 with Down syndrome. Certain maladaptive behaviors were related to the onset of adaptive declines, (e.g., lack of boundaries). Findings suggest similarities in the course of…

Behavioral techniques (positive reinforcement and nonexclusionary timeout) effectively decreased problem behaviors of noncompliance and aggression of a young adult male with severe mental retardation and Down's syndrome residing in the community. (DB)

This study found that siblings (n=19) of severely autistic children, siblings of children with Down's syndrome, and siblings of normal children did not differ on measures of perceived self-competence or parents' report of social competence. Siblings of autistic children had more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than siblings of…