Issues raised concerning the relevance of the principle of normalization to serving persons with developmental disabilities include the principle's unattainable goals, its lack of emphasis on individual client needs, its discouragement of diversity, its use to mask inappropriate practices, and its failure to address client deficits. (DB)

The commentary on the consensus statement (EC 232 063) of a panel of experts on treatment of destructive and self-injurious behaviors in persons with developmental disabilities is generally supportive but notes the absence of certain prominent individuals on the panel and questions the panel's recommendation concerning pharmacological treatment.…

Highlights adolescence as age of crisis and concern for those with developmental retardation. Considers complexities of this stage of life from the perspectives of the individual's development and commitment required by family, school, professional services, and society. Illustrates these issues with case vignette, examining them critically using…

Claims the aging-related and disabilities fields are concerned that their constituencies hold on to what they have, receive recognition for their special characteristics and status, and receive appropriate benefits. Notes the two fields need to understand what differentiates them. (Author/ABL)

Reports of injury/illness incidents involving 123 adults with developmental disabilities were studied to determine the incidence of pain insensitivity/indifference. A significantly elevated pain threshold was noted for 25% of subjects and was related to severity of mental retardation. Medical and rehabilitation implications in terms of risking…

Management of psychosocial aspects of Prader-Willi syndrome is considered for several quality of life issues, including social change, increased life expectancy, parent stress, child stress, independence, residential options, and access to services. (JDD)

Research points to two distinct regions within the Prader-Willi chromosome region: one for Prader Willi syndrome and one for Angelman syndrome. Genetic mechanisms in Angelman syndrome are complex, and at present, three mechanisms are recognized: maternal deletion, paternal uniparental disomy, and a nondeleted nondisomic form. (Author/JDD)

Examined the informal social support systems of 89 mothers of children with severe developmental disabilities. Mothers were shown to take on most of the day-to-day responsibility for the care of their children with handicaps, and analysis by marital status showed few differences in the help received. (LLL)

This article discusses the ideas of Michel Foucault, a French postmodernist, as they pertain to issues related to the provision of services to people with developmental disabilities. It focuses on four specific theoretical concepts: (1) the power/knowledge nexus, (2) the political construction of the "other," (3) the disciplinary…

Thirty-nine children (younger than 40 months) with developmental disabilities and identified as at risk for self-injurious behavior (SIB) were studied using video sampling, observation notes, parent reports, staff reports, and clinical records. Twenty-one children or 4.6 percent of the original group exhibited SIBs. Almost all children in the…

In this study, the outcomes of descriptive, experimental and informant-based methods of functional assessment were compared in four individuals with developmental disabilities who showed problem behaviors. Results indicated that the descriptive and experimental assessments were concordant in only one of the four cases whilst informant-based and…

In Study 1, we examined the independent effects of reinforcer consumption during sessions and meal consumption prior to sessions on performance maintained by food reinforcement. Nine individuals with developmental disabilities participated. On alternate days, a preferred edible item was delivered during (a) seven sessions conducted before lunch…

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of functional mathematics instruction, specifically purchasing skill instruction, for individuals with disabilities. Twenty-eight intervention studies were identified and reviewed. Because all studies employed single-subject research designs, a nonparametric procedure, the percentage of nonoverlapping…

Individuals with developmental disabilities are at high risk for developing mental health problems. The prevalence of psychopathology is approximately 4 times higher than that found in the general population. Yet there is a tendency to underdiagnose psychiatric disorders in the developmentally delayed population because of diagnostic…

Group-matching designs are commonly used to identify the diagnosis-specific characteristics of children with developmental disabilities. In this paper, we address three issues central to the use of this design. The first concerns the alpha level to be used for considering groups to be matched on the control variable(s). The second involves the…