We conducted an analogue functional analysis contrasting motor tasks with varying types of social consequences for movements associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD) in 2 men who had been diagnosed with developmental disabilities and TD. Our findings suggest that TD-related movements were not a function of social reinforcement contingencies.…

Characteristics of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities may make this population especially vulnerable to the effects of stress. Prior research on stress and its measurement in this population is reviewed. Using a single-case multi-element design, this study explores the feasibility of measuring cardiovascular responses to four…

Background: This paper reports the findings of a study of individual budgeting practices in state-financed developmental disabilities services in the United States. The study's purpose was to describe key process components and methodological variables integral to consumer-controlled, individual budgeting formats employed in state-funded services.…

Human service programs often have major problems ensuring that all direct-care staff positions are filled and keeping staff members after they are hired. Work schedules may have an effect on maintaining the longevity of staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a revised direct-care staff-scheduling system in community homes…

The concurrent validity of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) and the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) was investigated in an Australian sample of 38 girls and 91 boys aged 9-12 years (M = 11.15, SD = 0.81). The MAND identified 44 children with motor impairment (MI) and 85 children without MI. The…

Feeding problems are common even in typically developing infants and children. However, they are more frequent and persistent in children with developmental disabilities. This article will provide an overview of current literature and a rationale underlying the interventions used for children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have eating impairments…

While many explanations have been offered for the increased rate of autism, the true cause remains unknown. Nonetheless, in the United States, "diagnoses of autism are increasing faster than any other diagnosis of developmental disability in children." But this statement, like others pertaining to the characteristics of autism and the relevant…

The aim of this study was to employ the single case study approach to address unresolved issues in our understanding of Developmental Coordination Disorder. From a large cohort of clinically referred UK primary school children, six boys and one girl were selected to participate. The experiences of each child as he/she journeyed through the process…

Young children with developmental disabilities may be at heightened risk for experiencing problem behavior. Evidence suggests that inappropriate behavior in young children may be related to negative parent-child interactions. Parent education and support programs have a long history of utility and effectiveness in reducing negative parent-child…

Over the past few decades, the role and presence of the paraprofessional, that is the educational assistant, within the classroom has evolved from providing teacher and student support to involving greater decision-making concerning instructional content and practice. The extent to which this shift is impacting students with a variety of mild to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the concurrent validity of subtests on the "Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language" (CASL) by comparing them with the assessment of communication and social skills on the "Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales" ("Vineland"). The participants were 35 children and…

This paper proposes that an organism's integrated repertoire of operant behavior has the status of a biological system, similar to other biological systems, like the nervous, cardiovascular, or immune systems. Evidence from a number of sources indicates that the distinctions between biological and behavioral events is often misleading, engendering…

Objective: The authors evaluated the confidence and willingness of resident graduates to treat individuals with intellectual disability (ID), following a residency rotation in developmental disability. Methods: Thirty-two graduates of a single residency program were surveyed regarding their post-residency experience with patients with intellectual…

Sensitivity theory attempts to account for the variability often observed in challenging behavior by recourse to the "aberrant motivation" of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this article, we suggest that a functional analysis based on environmental (challenging environments) and biological (challenging needs) motivating…

The ability to make choices, plan, and self-evaluate are among the primary skills included in the development of self-determination. This study was designed to determine if a teaching paradigm, which incorporates key elements of self-determination, is as effective and more efficient in teaching syntax than a traditional, clinician-directed…