Reevaluation of two studies on relationships between nonhandicapped and severely mentally retarded children (ages 8-12) suggested that nonhandicapped children work harder, receive and emit fewer social reinforcers, have less opportunity to play and have fun, and achieve lower levels of social play when the playmate is physically handicapped as…

Evaluation of the relationship between hyperactivity and learning difficulties in 1,593 Australian elementary students indicated twice as many males as females with learning difficulties; 11% of the sample were hyperactive; 41% of the subjects with learning difficulties were also hyperactive; and 3.2% of all subjects had both hyperactivity and…

An automated training device was used in the differential reinforcement of an incompatible behavior in the treatment of hand mouthing of a boy with profound mental retardation and blindness. The presentation of music and vibration contingent upon bilateral hand-switch placement resulted in substantial and sustained reduction of hand mouthing with…

The article describes adaptive techniques used to evaluate and teach mobility to the physically handicapped blind individual, with emphasis on users of wheelchairs and walkers. The use of electronic travel aids is discussed, and a system is designed by the authors to mount the Mowat Sensor to a walker is described. (Author/CL)

Crossmodal transfer of stimulus control procedures was used to establish reliable responding to an auditory cue in three severely multiply handicapped students who had previously failed to demonstrate reliable responses to stimuli presented in the auditory mode. As a result, all three students were able to participate in formal audiometric…

Response-contingent learning capabilities of six profoundly retarded, multiply handicapped infants were examined using an operant conditioning paradigm. Results showed that infants learned criterion behavior although conditioning latencies were likely to occur when the children were required to produce free-operant responding. Findings are…

A survey of visually impaired children (from birth to age 12) in the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains region indicated that the majority were multiply handicapped, and that within this group, the greatest number were in the mild to moderate range. Data are presented on age ranges, current service delivery options, vocational and alternative-living…

The capacity of high technology to expand the limited capabilities of young disabled children is discussed. The role of technology in cognitive development, communication, self-help, and socialization skills is discussed. The appropriate goals for utilizing technology in early childhood special education, and steps for implementing those goals,…

The study investigated how the responses of three multihandicapped students (seven-eight years old) differed in 1:1 and 3:1 arrangements. Results indicated that the students made more task-relevant responses and fewer counterproductive responses during the 1:3 than during the 1:1 arrangements when the data from the free time portions were included…

The article addresses the issue of definitional problems in the area of severely disabled. The historical evolution of definitions of the term is outlined. Introductory and specialized texts are analyzed and major definitional problems are identified. Recommendations for improving population descriptions are offered. (Author/CL)

A social language program was designed for severely and multiply handicapped secondary students. Through role play, students are exposed to a range of functional activities: socially appropriate informal and formal greetings, socially appropriate language in different settings, language appropriate to group situations, and appropriate responses to…

Direct-care and professional staff serving profoundly and multiply disabed persons in small community settings or in a large specialty hospital generally expressed positive attitudes regarding jobs and resident care. Staff members who worked with the most disabled residents did not differ from employees serving profoundly but relatively less…

The article provides guidelines for developing curriculum objectives for multiply involved hearing-impaired students. Emphasis is placed on procedures for establishing instructional priorities, assessing the learner against these priorities, selecting and using prosthetics to overcome learning and behavioral deficits, providing educational…

The use of nonspeech symbol sets (including manual signs and Blyssymbols) in language intervention with mentally retarded students is discussed. The selection and use of aided or unaided nonspeech symbol sets are considered, along with cognitive, sociocommunicative, technological, and motoric factors. (CL)

Regular-class elementary students (N=240) were questioned about their attitudes toward integrated multiply handicapped children. Factor analysis of the attitudes questionnaire revealed four dimensions of attitudes: causal-contact, contact-desire, deviance-tolerance, and peer acceptance. The effects of sex, grade (or age), and integrated school…