Research points to two distinct regions within the Prader-Willi chromosome region: one for Prader Willi syndrome and one for Angelman syndrome. Genetic mechanisms in Angelman syndrome are complex, and at present, three mechanisms are recognized: maternal deletion, paternal uniparental disomy, and a nondeleted nondisomic form. (Author/JDD)

Examined the informal social support systems of 89 mothers of children with severe developmental disabilities. Mothers were shown to take on most of the day-to-day responsibility for the care of their children with handicaps, and analysis by marital status showed few differences in the help received. (LLL)

This article discusses the ideas of Michel Foucault, a French postmodernist, as they pertain to issues related to the provision of services to people with developmental disabilities. It focuses on four specific theoretical concepts: (1) the power/knowledge nexus, (2) the political construction of the "other," (3) the disciplinary…

Thirty-nine children (younger than 40 months) with developmental disabilities and identified as at risk for self-injurious behavior (SIB) were studied using video sampling, observation notes, parent reports, staff reports, and clinical records. Twenty-one children or 4.6 percent of the original group exhibited SIBs. Almost all children in the…

In this study, the outcomes of descriptive, experimental and informant-based methods of functional assessment were compared in four individuals with developmental disabilities who showed problem behaviors. Results indicated that the descriptive and experimental assessments were concordant in only one of the four cases whilst informant-based and…

In Study 1, we examined the independent effects of reinforcer consumption during sessions and meal consumption prior to sessions on performance maintained by food reinforcement. Nine individuals with developmental disabilities participated. On alternate days, a preferred edible item was delivered during (a) seven sessions conducted before lunch…

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of functional mathematics instruction, specifically purchasing skill instruction, for individuals with disabilities. Twenty-eight intervention studies were identified and reviewed. Because all studies employed single-subject research designs, a nonparametric procedure, the percentage of nonoverlapping…

Individuals with developmental disabilities are at high risk for developing mental health problems. The prevalence of psychopathology is approximately 4 times higher than that found in the general population. Yet there is a tendency to underdiagnose psychiatric disorders in the developmentally delayed population because of diagnostic…

Group-matching designs are commonly used to identify the diagnosis-specific characteristics of children with developmental disabilities. In this paper, we address three issues central to the use of this design. The first concerns the alpha level to be used for considering groups to be matched on the control variable(s). The second involves the…

In the high-probability request sequence (high-p) procedure, a requester presents a rapid sequence of requests a child is known to be likely to comply with, followed by a request to perform a response for which there is a low probability of compliance (low-p request). To extend previous research from institutional and research settings to home…

The authors describe a behavioral intervention designed to reduce sleep problems without increasing disruption at bedtime or throughout the evening. Sleep restriction was used to reduce the bedtime and nighttime sleep problems of two children, a 4-year-old girl with autism and a 4-year-old girl with developmental delay. Sleep restriction involved…

Patterns and correlates of service utilization by adults with a developmental disability were examined using data from 831 mothers of an adult child with a developmental disability. A modified Andersen model of health services was used to examine service utilization in seven domains. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that predictors of…

In this report, the authors look at the freshman year course performance of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students who receive special education services and ask whether grades, course failures, absences, and on-track status are useful for identifying students who are at risk of dropping out. They also examine how academic behaviors, such as…

Background: Figurative language, such as metaphor and metonymy, is very common in daily language use. Its underlying cognitive processes are sometimes viewed as lying at the interface of language and thought. Williams syndrome, which is a rare genetic developmental disorder, provides an opportunity to study this interface because individuals with…

This is the latest edition of the "State of the States in Developmental Disabilities" study--a thorough and the only one of its kind investigation on public spending, revenues, and programmatic trends of intellectual and developmental programs and services within the United States since 1977. Directed by leading researcher, Dr. David…