This commentary includes a brief discussion of issues raised by the articles and systematic review contained in this special issue addressing technology applications for persons with severe developmental disabilities. Topical areas include a discussion of: (1) a need to compare "high tech" with "low tech" applications, (2) procedural fidelity, (3)…

This article first reviews concerns over the use of psychotropic medication and the use of diagnostic criteria with persons with developmental disabilities and notes the variety of potential diagnoses that may underlie a behavior disorder. A model to guide clinical decision making is developed that stresses the importance of reliable differential…

Analog baselines are an experimental methodology for identifying the functions of maladaptive behavior of individuals with developmental disabilities in naturally occurring environments. This article identifies potential limitations of this methodology, including: fidelity of baseline design conditions, a narrow analysis of behavior, and limited…

This paper reviews the functional properties and procedural variations of differential reinforcement for the reduction of behavior disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes that limited success may be a result of the arbitrary relationship that exists between reinforcers and target behaviors when behavioral…

The author of a paper on effects of risperidone on behavior in people with developmental disabilities rebuts a criticism by suggesting that a specific diagnosis of psychiatric disorder is unimportant, since risperidone was effective in reducing aberrant behavior regardless of psychiatric diagnosis and/or environmental contingencies. (Contains…

This paper discusses the assessment of psychiatric and behavior disorders occurring in people with developmental disorders and the problems arising when such behavior results in offenses against the law. The paper argues that a multidisciplinary approach is needed in such cases, given the complex interaction among possible brain pathology,…

In response to a paper on effects of risperidone on behavior in people with developmental disabilities, this paper raises the issue of how clinicians determine whether treatment should target the psychiatric disorder underlying the aberrant behavior (diagnosis-based treatment) or should target the aberrant behavior directly (behavior-based…

This article outlines problems associated with large mental hospitals, describes how knowledge gained from these problems can be used to create alternative treatment programs, and introduces the papers in this special issue on community-based treatment programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. (JDD)

Raises concerns about the failure of mental health service providers to address the psycho-developmental needs of people with mental retardation, especially incarcerated individuals with severe behavior disturbances and both mental illness and mental retardation. A "flight from developmental theory" is seen in most service providers to this…

Key to the mission of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is answering fundamental questions about how a single fertilized cell eventually develops into a fully functional adult human being and how a multitude of genetic and environmental factors influence that process. This document details part of NICHD's…