The article describes a university-based program in which volunteers were paired one-on-one with developmentally disabled children and engaged in weekly outings. Procedures for recruiting, screening, training, and supervising volunteers are briefly described, and program evaluation data are presented. (Author/DB)

Two teachers of integrated delayed children and two teachers of segregated delayed children were taught to use sample, mand, and delay techniques with five children, aged four-five, with language and cognitive delays. The techniques were successfully and easily implemented by all teachers, and the children significantly increased their language…

Attitudes of 29 special education teachers, 15 regular teachers, and 78 parents toward an integration program involving two special schools for primary and junior secondary aged moderately and severely intellectually handicapped or developmentally delayed children were assessed. Findings affirmed the need for clear objectives, adequate resources,…

Comparison using paired t-tests of parent and teacher ratings for 16 preschool children on the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale found no significant differences between parent and teacher ratings of expressive language, but a significant difference on the receptive language subscale. However, interrater reliability was relatively low…

This study evaluated the Task Demonstration Model for teaching discrimination skills with three teachers and their students (adolescents and young adults with moderate to severe mental retardation). The intervention required students to respond simultaneously. Students increased their percentage and rate of correct responding as well as their…

Twelve children (ages 40-62 months) with developmental disabilities were divided into 2 groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out. Both interventions were initially successful, but durable results were achieved only with functional…

This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

Evaluated effects of procedure to teach appropriate social responses to adolescents with severe disabilities by employing ABA withdrawal design, replicated twice with two students, and AB design with third student. Results showed increases in correct responding and decreases in echolalia following intervention. Generalization of appropriate…

If the medical profession has been caught off guard by the climbing number of cocaine-exposed babies, educators are stupefied. Teachers must become ware of some classic symptoms of drug-damaged children, such as hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, unpredictability, and poor coordination, so that they can alter their teaching strategies. (MLH)

This review describes Rett syndrome as a disorder afflicting females and characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive and motor skills and development of stereotypic hand movements. The paper discusses its clinical manifestations, etiology, diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis, prevalence, pathogenesis, treatment, and educational…

This paper describes a successful model of supported employment developed by a single small agency previously providing services as a segregated day activity center. Included is discussion of the service agency, program methodology, barriers to successful community-based employment, manner in which barriers were overcome, program outcomes, and…

This study, which applied an instructional model based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development, pragmatics theory of language development, and Mahler's theory of development of interpersonal relationships, found that 49 preschool children with autism did not make less progress than a comparison group of 27 children with other…

The study evaluated prediction of language quality using 3 approaches (neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and combination) with 37 developmentally delayed children (ages 5-9). Results indicated that these children had language and speech delays that showed substantial relationships to their verbal cognitive abilities and fine motor skills, in addition…

Using sound field amplification which increased the intensity of the teacher's voice by 10 decibels, 9 primary-level children with developmental disabilities made fewer errors on a word identification task, were more relaxed, and responded more quickly than without amplification. (Author/JDD)

This study evaluated the Consent Screening Interview, which assesses the ability of adults with developmental disabilities to give direct consent for community residential placement. Interviews conducted with 17 adults with mental retardation and a control group of 8 individuals indicated that the instrument differentiated between those subjects…