Peer relationships are just as important for students with autism, intellectual disability, and other developmental disabilities. Through their interactions with peers across the school day, students develop new skills, encounter new perspectives, access needed supports, find camaraderie, develop social capital, learn prevailing norms, and elevate…

There is a paucity of literature on social skills therapy for students on the autism spectrum, revealing an urgent need for additional research. Past research has focused on the use of small groups or single-case study designs. The present study examines the effectiveness of a social skills therapy program for school-age children ages 11 through…

Examined are the roles and progress over the past 3 years of state councils on developmental disabilities, as established by the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1970. (Author/DB)

This review of the professional and programmatic literature in the field of developmental disabilities focuses on ways in which individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are becoming increasingly involved in program evaluation and quality assurance efforts. Three major movements are having an impact on this activity: state and…

The paper offers a framework for the design, implementation, and evaluation of appropriate, effective communication instructional programs for persons who are severely developmentally delayed. The use of an ecological approach that incorporates the instruction of communication skills with that of activities of daily living (ADL) is emphasized.…

This document presents an evaluation report and parent handbook of for a federally supported 6-week residential summer program for children and adults with developmental disabilities developed by the Hebrew Academy for Special Children (Brooklyn, New York). It also includes the program's parent handbook. Evaluation focused on three groups of camp…

This study examined the reliability of an instrument used to evaluate services for people with developmental disabilities. Seven types of variables were analyzed: demographic data, residential arrangements, medical needs, adaptive behavior, severity of challenging behavior, frequency of challenging behavior, and the perception that disabled…

The fourth edition of the sourcebook, "Reinventing Quality," contains descriptions of innovative activities designed to assure and enhance the quality of services to persons with developmental disabilities. The programs profiled are those seen as: systematic efforts to improve the quality of services to persons with developmental disabilities,…

This final report describes a federally supported project which provided a year-long professional development program for general and special educators and family members on the inclusion of all students in general education, including students with severe developmental disabilities. Four graduate level courses were developed which covered…

During its third year of operation, the National Council on the Handicapped continued to develop priorities for the National Institute of Handicapped Research (NIHR) and worked to identify all research on disabilities and handicaps that is currently underway. In addition, the council's Committee on Services undertook a review and assessment of…