Introduction: Observable dementia symptoms are hardly studied in people with severe/profound intellectual (and multiple) disabilities (SPI(M)D). Insight in symptomatology is needed for timely signaling/diagnosis. This study aimed to identify practice-based observations of dementia symptoms in this population. Methods: Care professionals and family…

Background: New technologies could broaden activities for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). This study compared watching television with a newly-developed interactive ball. Method: The ball responded with sounds, lights, and wiggling to the player's voice and movements. Five control sessions (watching television)…

Two studies were conducted to examine parameters of social attention in contingency awareness training using switch activation with individuals who had multiple profound disabilities. Study 1 compared leisure devices and social attention as reinforcing stimuli with 5 individuals. Results indicated the reinforcing qualities of social attention over…

A simple and effective program for the reduction or elimination of ruminative behavior in four school-aged students with multiple handicaps used a combination of peanut butter, reduced fluid consumption at meals, and fading. In each of the cases, the ruminative behavior was significantly reduced or eliminated. (Author/CL)

Ten individuals with profound multiple impairments were given novel tests for learning and preference with adaptive switches and leisure-oriented devices, such as audio tape players. Typically, tests for learning include a baseline or extinction component in which the adaptive switch and device are not connected as a control for incidental or…

Three retarded epileptic individuals (17 to 22 years old) with a variety of seizure disorders were provided with 8 to 12 Hz occipital EEG biofeedback training. While seizures were not totally eliminated in any of the Ss, the results of the study indicated that all Ss exhibited decreases in some aspect of their seizure activity. (Author)

A multiple baseline-across behaviors design was employed to assess the efficacy of a self-control procedure in eliminating three stereotypic behaviors of a 15-year-old behaviorally disordered, deaf, institutionalized student. The self-control procedure eliminated two of the three target behaviors and significantly reduced the rate of the third.…

The use of a trained paraprofessional in a response reduction procedure with a self-stimulating severely/multiply disabled 12 year old resulted in a decrease in self-stimulation and an increase in socially relevant behavior. (CL)

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)

Use of lithium with mentally retarded individuals with psychiatric conditions and/or behavior disturbances is discussed. The paper describes components of an adequate clinical trial and reviews case studies and double-blind cases. The paper concludes that aggression is the best indicator for lithium use, and reviews treatment parameters and…

Research conducted in an institutional living environment during times when program activities were minimal and clients were typically inactive showed that empirically based toy selection, construction, and modification, and environmental engineering to ensure convenient and constant material availability increased Ss' active engagement with toys.…

Three approaches demonstrated the usefulness of visual feedback and auditory feedback to improve the on-task behavior and academic productivity of deaf multihandicapped adolescents. The approaches feature inexpensive portable equipment that do not require lengthy teacher training. (CL)

Teacher-paced instruction was effective in reducing inappropriate mealtime behavior of a severely retarded and physically handicapped 10-year-old. Treatment was faded easily and quickly, and followup revealed maintenance of treatment effects. (Author/CL)

The obtained contrast effect was conducive to learning, and the procedure was effective in teaching the multiply handicapped hearing impaired Ss to speechread the training words. (Author/DLS)

Institutional staff used behavior modification and reality therapy to bring about positive behavioral changes in 20 severely retarded, emotionally disturbed adolescents as measured on two adaptive behavior scales. (Author)