The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the comorbidity of substance abuse and psychiatric disorder. The paper examines the medical, psychosocial, and vocational rehabilitation concerns associated with substance abuse and psychiatric disorder comorbidity. A greater emphasis is placed on vocational concerns and the role of…

Described is a hospital school program for multiply handicapped children aged 6 to 18 years. (DB)

Forty-four mothers of children ages birth to 17-years-old with spina bifida were interviewed to determine whether primary physicians, specialists or other sources had taken responsibility for providing each of nine areas of health care. (CL)

Described the contribution of a preschool treatment program for multiply handicapped children and how the approach may be adopted by others. (Editor/RK)

Listed in the directory are over 200 educational programs and services for deaf blind children in the United States and U. S. territories. It is noted that the 10 coordinators of regional centers for services to deaf blind children have aided in compilation of the directory. Listings are arranged by state within the New England, Mid-Atlantic…

The study was undertaken to develop casefinding criteria for identifying deaf-blind children. Referral sources and investigative potentials were obtained from a demographic survey of 164 cases of deaf-blind persons in Louisiana. Inquiry sheets on the possible sources of casefinding twice were sent to and ranked by a panel of 20 persons, including…

Described is the comprehensive residential program for deaf multihandicapped students at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside. (CL)

The study examined correlates of psychiatric illness in 600 children (ages 2-16) with speech and language disorders. Findings indicated that 50% had diagnosable psychiatric disorders. The majority of differences between "ill" and "well" children were found in the areas of linguistic functioning, suggesting an association between linguistic and…

Differential diagnosis of epilepsy versus pseudoepileptic seizures in the developmentally disabled by use of an eight-channel radiotelemetered electroencephalograph-video recording system suggested that traditional diagnosis on the basis of clinical description, interictal electroencephalogram, and medical history may be inaccurate. (Author/DB)

Investigation of the reinforcing properties of vestibular stimulation with five multiply disabled severely retarded young children indicated that vestibular stimulation (10 seconds of swinging) was reinforcing to all subjects and was preferred (over food, praise, visual, and auditory stimulation) by four of the five children. (Author/DB)

The Symbolic Play Test was given to 31 socially impaired and 29 sociable elementary grade children retarded in language comprehension, of similar intelligence (profoundly retarded to normal). Play test age and spontaneous pretend play were similar in sociable Ss but, in the socially impaired, spontaneous pretend play was lower than play test age…

Research and practice suggest that the application of orientation and mobility (OM) services to severely multiply handicapped learners is a useful approach. Future assessment, instruction, and personnel preparation activities are presented as they relate to the development of services for a range of people who have mobility limitations. (Author/CL)

Three children with severe and multiple disabilities (8-25 months old) were provided contingent learning experiences via electromechanical apparatus. Results indicated that all three children increased the frequency of the target behavior. The data are equivocal as to whether or not children showed an awareness of the response-contingent feedback.…

A vision evaluation and enhancement program was used with 59 elementary multihandicapped students to prevent future problems in educational and social development. Ss with eye-movement difficulties, eye-hand coordination problems and/or difficulty in visual perception skills improved after program participation. (CL)

The article describes a group motor-route activity to help mulitply handicapped blind students develop a complete understanding of spatial-movement concepts and to increase their cognitive motor skills. (Author/CL)