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…

Mothers of 23 infants with developmental disabilities were given suggestions for ways to interact in a contingently responsive manner. Compared to a control group, the interaction coaching group mothers increased responsivity and decreased stimulation, and the infants were less fussy and performed better on developmental assessments. (Author/JDD)

The Regional Intervention Program supports 21 programs in 13 communities and is a community-based family-centered program in which parents of young children with behavioral disorders and/or developmental delays serve as primary therapists for their children, as principal trainers of other parents, and as daily operators of the service delivery…

This brief paper reviews six studies which examined out-of-home placement by Israeli parents of children with severe developmental disabilities. Implications for policy and practice are drawn, including the need for respite-care services, extended hours in schools, recreation programs, support services for parents, and training programs for…

This paper describes some of the procedures most frequently used in research on staff training and reviews the research in relation to outcomes for clients with developmental disabilities as a function of staff training, maintenance of staff skills, and transfer of staff skills across settings, clients, and programs. Issues in behavioral…

Reacting to an article describing the Individualized Support Project Program (EC 618 445) for young children with autism and their families, this article notes that the program's primary purpose is family preservation through restoring family efficacy, solving child behavior problems, and establishing child communication. The program is seen as…

Responding to an article (EC 618 445) describing an individualized program for young children with severe disabilities, including autism, and their families, this article notes features of the program such as its individualized nature, its emphasis on building capacity in families and early intervention providers, and its integrative practices…

Questions the assumptions of those advocating full inclusion for children with developmental disabilities. It suggests that such programs are not improving the cognitive development of students with disabilities, that individualized programming while fully mainstreamed is rarely feasible, that the general education curriculum doesn't focus on…

Denounces the mechanical application of "diagnosis and treatment" of educational ills to children and proposes to seek wider contexts in which to view the life of the child and of the teacher. Uses a case study employing a Native American archetypal character to explore ways of reading differently the difficult, abnormal, troubled children in the…

The influence of employment on parenting stress among 122 mothers of 5-year-olds with developmental disabilities and the influence of parenting demands and family support on work quality and absenteeism was examined. No significant associations were found among employment status and parenting demands, daily support, or stress. (Contains…