The field of developmental disabilities has undergone dramatic and innovative changes. New opportunities exist for social workers because of their rich experience in behavior management, family counseling, and case advocacy, and the author asserts that the profession has a responsibility to make a vigorous response to this challenge. (Author)

The relationship between performance on a Piaget-based infant scale and adaptive behavior was assessed for 25 developmentally disabled infants and preschool children. (Author)

The Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test and parental reports of developmental concerns were compared for effectiveness in predicting school problems four years after a preschool screening program. Results suggested the test accurately identified only those children later found to have severe learning problems. (Author/DB)

A study of a call-in telephone service in Raleigh, North Carolina, which provides developmental guidance, referral, and general information to parents indicated continuous increase in use over a three-year period. Most frequent calls were about negative behavior, development, and toileting. Callers interviewed at follow-up reported a high degree…

Twelve graduate students were trained (using written programed learning materials plus oral practice) in three categories of parent conference skills: (1) communicating diagnostic information, (2) communicating recommendations, and (3) organizing the conference and interacting with parents. Professionals and parents of developmentally delayed…

Six hundred children with communication disorders (mean age 5 years 7 months) were evaluated for psychiatric and developmental disorders. The two subgroups with language involvement had higher rates of both psychiatric and developmental disorders than children with pure speech involvement and different patterns of psychiatric diagnoses. (Author/DB)

This study examined developmental outcome at 1 and 2 years in relation to the presence and severity of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage. Intraventricular hemorrhage related to Bayley mental and motor scores and neurologic ratings at 1 year but not at 2 years. Significant associations were found between the 1- and 2-year measures but not…

Reviews selected papers on fragile X syndrome, a chromosomal anomaly involving a fragile site on the terminal region of the long arm of the X chromosome. Prevalence, recurrence risks, associated developmental disorders, diagnostic screening, and treatment are discussed. (Author/BN)

Camping's benefits apply to disabled and normal children, but mean most to youngsters who lack social relationships. The influences of integrated camping and camp-related activity on a quadriplegic male student are covered in this article, including autobiographical sketches giving insight into the child's thoughts and feelings about camping. (JMM)

Three preschool children with significant behavioral and developmental delays were taught to participate and respond to teacher commands during large group instruction, important skills for later mainstreaming. Techniques included increasing "opportunities to respond" through increased rates of teacher commands to the group and instituting a group…

The significant influential factors which have led to the emergence of more ecologically appropriate language intervention strategies with developmentally delayed young children are reviewed. Changes in intervention are discussed in terms of three features of intervention: the agents of treatment, the environments of the therapy, and the specific…

Comparison of 154 families who placed developmentally disabled family members in residential programs and 377 families who cared for family members at home suggested increased incidence of family problems as well as more severe impairment among families who placed the developmentally disabled. (Author/DB)

Memory-based searching was compared in 15 developmentally delayed and 24 normal two-year-olds. In a relatively easy memory task, individual differences were minimal, but searching for a plausible alternative location based on memory revealed marked individual differences and an important difference in the cognitive functioning of the delayed…

Many resources (including grants and training) that are available from state Developmental Disabilities Councils are of interest to parents of disabled persons about to leave the public education system. The Councils for each state and the District of Columbia are listed. (CB)