This paper proposes "severe developmental disabilities" (SDD) as a useful umbrella term for various severe handicapping conditions such as autism, severe mental retardation, and multiple handicaps. Diagnostic criteria for SDD include language deficiency, disturbed interpersonal relationships, inconsistent response to sensory stimulation,…

Play is more than just fun; it is a powerful teaching tool that helps young children learn. With this practical, activity-filled guide, teachers will have ready-to-use strategies for weaving individual learning goals into play throughout the school day. Created for use with children ages 2 to 5 who have special needs--but equally effective for…

Camp HELP (Handicapped Experiential Learning Program) at Jacksonville State University (Alabama) offers educational, psychological, and behavioral therapeutic play services, through university students of physical and special education, to multihandicapped children from the community. Activities, facilities, and staffing for the summer day camp…

Social routines, which combined nursery rhymes with carefully planned action sequences, were used to help two young developmentally delayed, visually handicapped children acquire communicative responses. Midway through the 3-year project, one child responded to words for objects, people, and actions. (Author/SEW)

To test a programed instruction in orientation and mobility, 44 multiply impaired low vision children and young adults (ages 5 to 28) were instructed over a six-week period. Instruction was in the areas of motor development, sensory training, concept development, and mobility skills. The experimental group using the materials showed significant…

The article discusses the provision of educational services to multiply handicapped deaf children, as mandated by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142). Some problems of definition and of identification are reviewed, along with considerations in the identification and placement of such children. (DLS)

A Canada Native with hearing and vision disabilities describes his educational experiences of being isolated because he was deaf and Aboriginal. He now works as a deaf/hearing translator and as an advocate for urban Natives with disabilities who need culturally appropriate services. Hearing persons cannot lead deaf Native literacy programs because…

Describes ways in which the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, has been used by students at a residential British school for students with cerebral palsy and severe, or profound and multiple, learning difficulties. The effort's rationale, teaching techniques, and evaluation methods are discussed. A glossary of Internet terms is attached. (DB)

This paper describes a data-based case study of a linked array of community-based treatment services for troublesome, dual-diagnosed children and adolescents. Factors in the program's successes are described, followed by long-term data supporting treatment effectiveness. Results support applied research at this level and present a simple…

Studies of deinstitutionalization for individuals with developmental disabilities show positive effects on skills, behavior, activity level, social interaction, and quality of life. Effects are clearest in adaptive behavior. Outcomes for individuals with severe or multiple disabilities are less positive. Implications for Australian policy are…

Describes behavior change among five behavior-disordered, multiply handicapped primary students exposed to daily play sessions with nonhandicapped children for 10 weeks. Concludes that nonhandicapped children elicited positive social interactions from behavior-disordered playmates, particularly when specific playmates were assigned. Contains 17…

Israeli elementary-level hearing-impaired students (N=188) were studied to determine the relation between background variables (family characteristics, student characteristics, and educational intervention) and educational placement (special schools, special classes, or regular classes). Placement was found to be related to socioeconomic status,…

This case study examines the effects of a systematic functional communication training program on the self-injurious behaviors of an 8-year-old girl who is blind and has severe disabilities. The girl was offered choices among preferred activities and learned to use a communication board. Self-injurious behaviors decreased. (Author/SW)

Forty-seven children (ages 6 to 14) with mild mental retardation, of whom 27 also had an articulation disorder, were evaluated to identify distinguishing characteristics. Task performance results successfully discriminated 89.3 percent of the children with articulation disorders and 80 percent of the children with normal articulation. Fine motor…