Administrators of agencies serving the blind have the responsibility for their staffs serve multiply handicapped clients. Administrators set the tone of the agency. On a practical level, they can use personnel practices, staff development resources, and case management techniques to ensure implementation of sound, individualized service to…

A statewide survey of the extent of visual impairment in the population served by regional centers revealed more than 3,700 of the 63,000 center clients have a serious visual impairment. Many visually impaired developmentally disabled Ss also have hearing impairments, additional medical problems, or behavior problems. (CL)

The dual handicaps of blindness and brain damage produce a unique combination of rehabilitation problems. To examine these problems, several illustrative cases are cited. The relationship of the eye to the brain is discussed, along with several neurological syndromes. Suggestions for working with the brain-damaged, blind client are given. (Author)

The article describes a group motor-route activity to help mulitply handicapped blind students develop a complete understanding of spatial-movement concepts and to increase their cognitive motor skills. (Author/CL)

The article describes a variation of Usher's Syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by visual and auditory impairments, in which moderate, postlingual, and sometimes progressive hearing impairments may go undetected. Identification guidelines are offered. (Author/CL)

Twelve severely/profoundly retarded multiply handicapped, deaf-blind children (7-18 years old) trained under a black light environment which allowed for removal of distracting stimuli and exaggeration of critical features performed the task they had been taught significantly better than a control group trained under normal light. (Author/CL)

The article outlines the duties and responsibilities of a peripatologist who was a member of the training staff at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Inc. (NY). (Author)

After learning the skills required for independent personal care, the students progressed to home management skills and ultimately to the skills necessary to function effectively as an employee in a sheltered workshop or other work center. (Author)

Microswitches are critical tools that can help people with multiple disabilities control aspects of their environment, including their favorite environmental stimuli through simple responses (Crawford & Schuster, 1993; Gutowski, 1996). One such response may be vocalization (that is, any brief sound emission) (Lancioni, O?Reilly, Oliva, & Coppa,…

The history of residental programs for the blind is reviewed, and the impact of the deinstitutionalization thrust on those schools is examined. The author asserts that residential schools must re-orient themselves to serving multiply handicapped students. (CL)

The author describes the value to visually impaired and multiply handicapped students of a good typewriting curriculum. She discusses hand and finger exercises and notes benefits to students from focusing on the hands as well as on the rudiments and total communicative value of typing. (CL)

The authors describe behavior modification treatment procedures applied by direct-care staff in a residential school to conrol severe aggression and self-injury in two developmentally disabled, visually handicapped students. Techniques included positive practice overcorrection, verbal command, and response immobilization. (Author/CL)

Use of the Sonicguide, a binaural sensory aid, by a quadraplegic, totally blind 18-year-old student is described. The rationale for training, device adaptations, and the eventual use of the device as a primary mobility aid in areas familiar to the student are explained. (Author/MC)

The association of hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa has been generally recognized as the genetic disorder of Usher's syndrome. The article reviews findings of this syndrome and suggests strategies for dealing with the clinical and psychological problems displayed by Usher's syndrome patients. (Author/SW)