Two studies are reported on the assessment and training of parent-child interactional skills in developmentally handicapped mothers. The results suggest that developmentally handicapped mothers can be taught to provide more effective and stimulating interactions for their young children. (Author)

Strong evidence of overall effectiveness was found for a language intervention training program featuring parent training to facilitate early language acquisition in 11 developmentally delayed children (19-55 months old) in natural environmental settings. Gains were strongest at completion of the intervention period, but some children continued to…

Correlational results involving 60 developmentally handicaped adults indicated that a computerized cross-modal memory game had a highly significant relationship with most cognitive and motor coordination measures. Computer aided training was not effective in improving overall cognitive functioning. There was no evidence of cognitive skills being…

Among major results were that nonhandicapped preschoolers tend to select nonhandicapped friends of their same sex and age, and the same nonhandicapped preschoolers tend to select handicapped children who are older than themselves, who are more advanced cognitively than other handicapped children, and who are of the same sex. (Author/CL)

Parents' reasons for failing to keep appointments at a child behavior management clinic were investigated. Explanations given frequently included: poor health status of parent or child, inadequate transportation, competing home and work responsibilities, and sudden crises. Further research is needed to assess the effects of interventions intended…

An approach to independent living for adults with developmental disabilities features "chaperoned" condominium boarding houses which allow the residents to own their own homes while experiencing the support of other unit owners and around-the-clock staff. (CL)

Effects of a movement suppression time-out, which involved punishing any movements or verbalization while a client is in the time-out area, were evaluated in four experiments. The procedure produced a larger reduction in the target behavior in all three children and effectiveness was explained in terms of suppression of self-stimulation during…

The development of a microcomputer assessment system is described with respect to establishing its reliability, validity, utility, and cost-effectiveness. Using the system, nonprofessionals, in less than an hour, generated an in-depth inexpensive comprehensive individualized 5-10 page behavior assessment which was judged superior in quality by…

Two developmentally disabled children were held in seated position during application of timeout procedure. For autistic-like girl procedure produced dramatic reduction in tantrums and aggressive behavior and for mentally retarded boy reduced aggression. For both, immobilization timeout proved more effective than reinforcement methods alone. (CMG)

A workshop for those who work with developmentally disabled children was designed so that the participants could experience some of the limitations and frustrations of their clients. (ST)

Eight autistic children, who evidenced overselectivity on a preassessment task, and 8 normal children with similar mental age levels were trained on 3 tasks to determine if overselectivity varied as a function of different stimulus conditions. Stimulus overselectivity was found not to be a generalized deficit in autistic subjects; instead it…

A survey of each state's mental retardation/developmental disablity agency determined results such as that each state has group home programs, that at least 57,494 persons reside in 6,302 group homes, and that 42,212 persons were in group homes of 15 persons or less. (Author/MC)

The Developmental Disabilities Information Survey was used to derive information about 36,334 developmentally disabled persons (34 percent children and 66 percent adults) in New York. Among findings were that 24 percent of children and 45 percent of adults were in institutions, that most were retarded, and that half had self-care skills.…

Four developmentally delayed babies were given semicircular canal stimulation in an effort to facilitate their motor and reflex development. All of the children showed motor and/or reflex changes that were attributable to the vestibular stimulation. In addition, some evidence was obtained linking changes in stereotypic responding to the vestibular…