Performance by 11 multiply handicapped children (3-7 years old) on discrimination tasks was used to predict performance on four common classroom tasks in auditory, sign, and visual modes. Ninety-two percent of the predictions made were accurate, indicating that the discrimination assessment was successful in determining each child's preferred…

Five students (13-18 years old) classified as profoundly/multiply handicapped were trained to use microswitches to indicate reinforcer preferences. When the microswitches activated the devices during training, a substantial increase in the duration of motoric responding occurred for all students. In addition, some students performed differentially…

Six diagnostic tasks of two choice discrimination skills were used to assess 32 hearing impaired/mentally handicapped adults residing in a state institution. Two tasks measured sign discrimination skill, two measured visual discrimination, and two measured motor discrimination. (Author)

Tactile cues were provided to a 19-year-old deaf, blind, and mentally retarded individual to guide her performance on packaging tasks. The tactile prompts effectively guided her on the training task and were also generalized to novel tasks and cues. Continued use of the cues was necessary to maintain performance. (Author/JDD)

Two case examples illustrate how single-case designs (alternating treatments, multiple baseline, and reversal) can be used to evaluate manipulable influences on school performance. In each case, the success of an intervention plan is evaluated within the single-case design. (SLD)

Three experiments, involving five students (aged 13-20) with profound, multiple handicaps, showed that the students could effectively use microswitches to demonstrate toy preferences, to indicate preferences for social attention, and to make specific requests of educational staff in school and community settings. (Author/JDD)