This study sought to determine if the nature of disability (visual, motor, or both) could be diagnosed for children with visual-motor integration disabilities and to determine methods by which appropriate diagnoses could be made. Results were seen as supporting the existence of semiautonomous visual and motor systems. (Author)

Families having the extraordinary caretaking demands of a developmentally delayed child are at risk for added stress, social isolation, and reduced feelings of autonomy. Stress-coping theories relevant to these families are reviewed, and specific social work roles are recommended for maintaining and developing "normalized" family resoures.…

The Saginaw Valley (Michigan) Special Needs Clinic serves visually impaired children and adults, multiply impaired low vision persons, and developmentally disabled persons with vision problems and is based on a client-centered concept involving health professionals, rehabilitation specialists, special educators, consumers, and social agency…

Examines 24 mother/impaired infant dyads to study the quality of interaction using the Ainsworth-Wittig attachment paradigm. Measures of general development and degree of child impairment significantly differentiated "classifiability" of attachment in the Ainsworth scheme. Infants rated higher on a social responsiveness measure were more…

A diary study, in which observers recorded occurrences of vocal communications of a severely developmentally-delayed six-year-old, provided a scheme for categorizing and analyzing the vocalizations (into such areas as semantic, communicative, and phonological usage) and establishing a pattern of word development and possible interventions. (CB)

Contrasts effects of developmental characteristics of peer interaction partners on three preadolescent students with severe developmental disabilities observed while playing with (1) children of similar age and comparable diagnosis, (2) nondisabled children of similar age, and (3) chronologically younger but developmentally similar nondisabled…

Discusses "conundrum kids," who are intelligent and talented, but struggle and often fail because their learning styles and developmental timetables do not match the materials, methods, or sequences of a standard curriculum. Shows how one student with receptive language problems was helped by language therapy and alternative teaching…

Open-ended questions of college students (N=60) indicated students clearly differentiated between the mentally retarded and mentally ill. Mental retardation was characterized by physical stigmata, brain damage, developmental delays, and cognitive deficits; mental illness by emotional lability due to environmental, hereditary, or mixed factors.…

A father writes about his six-year-old son born with hydrocephalus. He describes such day-to-day experiences as going to a baseball game and the grocery store, reactions of friends and strangers to his son's social interactions, and a special day at preschool. The boy's medical treatment, including surgeries, are also described. (VW)

In two studies involving seven developmentally disabled children aged 7-14, phonetic sounds and syntactic structures representing different levels of normal development were taught. Results showed that the children's sequence of learning language forms followed the normal developmental model (e.g., earlier emerging forms were acquired in fewer…

The article proposes a six-stage model of the development of communication forms and functions during the prelinguistic period. Applications to the clinical treatment of severely developmentally disabled persons concern expanded targets and procedures for assessment and treatments which are socially interactive and responsive. (DB)

Describes a systematic approach to recruitment of prospective adoptive families for children with developmental disabilities. The recruitment methodology, preliminary conclusions, and implications for future recruitment of families are presented. (Author/RWB)

A survey of 1,629 United States rehabilitation facilities and organizations revealed that more developmentally disabled persons are now being hired in competitive employment settings and that job retention is good. Data also confirm that the movement of this population into competitive work settings is both realistic and financially sound.…

Examined social interactions among developmentally disabled workers (N=30) and the social context of interactions during work and breaks in sheltered and nonsheltered work settings. Studied workers' initiation patterns and the general structure of workers' conversations as well as the social context for these interactions. (Author/ABB)

A symposium on community programs for retarded persons includes a study of resident and facility characteristics associated with participation in day programs and leisure activities among nursing home residents, a survey of services provided developmentally disabled residents in community facilities, and an examination of values among volunteers…