A study of three children (ages 3-9) with severe problem behavior investigated alternatives to the typical application of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) for problem behavior. Instead of using continuous access to reinforcers and extinction, the study found that an NCR schedule based on latency and NCR without extinction were more effective for…

A program was implemented to teach 19 mothers of handicapped infants about infants' needs, how they affect learning, and how learning activities can be developed. As measured by Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment, the quality of home environment provided by parents appeared to increase after receiving the education program.…

Discusses the National Assessment of Vocational Education report that includes trend data on postsecondary academic and vocational students and the first systematic description of how states distribute Perkins Act funds. (JOW)

Fixed-effect estimates of the impact of vocational rehabilitation on longitudinal earnings were determined for vocational rehabilitation clients with disabilities and a comparison group who dropped out prior to rehabilitation. Women experienced significant earnings increases, despite fairly comparable rehabilitation costs. (SK)

A benefit-cost analysis of the first year of a statewide supported employment initiative involving 394 Illinois individuals with handicaps found that society received a $.75 return for every $1.00 invested, taxpayers received a return of $.66, and supported employees earned an average of 37 percent more in supported employment than in alternative…

Scaling-up (the expansion or development of organizational activities of nongovernmental agencies to achieve greater impact) in community-based rehabilitation is described by using case study materials from industrialized and less-developed countries (India, Canada, and Indonesia) and focusing on differences in structural characteristics of…

A study evaluated an off-site/on-site program for reducing job coach assistance provided for three adults with severe multiple disabilities in a part-time community job. On-the-job assistance was reduced, while the individuals received more traditional day services when not at work. No adverse effects on productivity were observed. (Contains…

This paper reports on a study of the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance. The study found that the 14 successful programs evaluated have shared characteristics, a common set of values, staff agreement about values, the operationalization of the values in staff behavior and…

Historically, most of the professional literature in the field as well as federal funding initiatives in research and program development have been directed at younger students with learning disabilities (LD). The prevailing assumption (or hope) has been that if intervention took place at a young age, many of the manifestations of the learning…

In two studies, three clinicians were assisted in using an outcome management approach to supervision for improving the work performance of their staff assistants. Using vocal and written instructions, feedback, and modeling, each clinician was assisted in specifying an area of staff performance (or consumer activity related to staff performance)…

Students with developmental disabilities often rely on prelinguistic behavior (e.g., reaching, leading) to communicate. When listeners fail to attend to prelinguistic behaviors, students may benefit from responding with an alternative form of communication to repair the breakdown. In the present study, we taught two students with developmental…

While the literature on the assessment, treatment and management of non-learning disabled sexual offenders is well established, it is only in recent years that researchers and clinicians have focused on sexual offenders with learning disabilities. In contrast to mainstream sex offender treatment programmes, there are few evaluated community-based…

Documentation of positive outcomes for severely handicapped learners as a function of their educational programs is receiving increased attention as the major focus of program development, monitoring, and evaluation efforts. At the same time, those strategies that have been used predominantly to determine program effectiveness--particularly…

Background: The No Child Left Behind Act legislation requires both higher standards and higher success rates at the same time. Failure of students to learn to read adequately as shown by national and state test results and the need for continued school success had prompted education officials to implement two reading programs--Voyager Universal…

We reviewed eight studies that described learning differences between students with learning disabilities (LD) and students with mild mental retardation (MMR). A total of 639 students, 6-20 years old, participated in these studies. Study authors examined students' inductive reasoning and their performance during guided inquiry and more lengthy…