Five young adult rehabilitation clients (IQs 69-88) were successfully trained use written prompts to plan meals within a budget, write grocery lists, and shop effectively. Training consisted of experimenter modeling, subject rehearsal, and experimenter and peer feedback in a multiple probe design. All subjects maintained all skills at acceptable…

Brief daily notebook entries by the teachers and therapists who worked with a developmentally disabled child provided valuable information for parents. The notebook served as a summary of daily activities and noteworthy events, a diary of developmental changes, and a record of medical information. (JW)

Parents and teachers of 98 developmentally delayed children (ages 5-17) rated the childrens abilities for self-help, speech/language, and play skills and for the presence of behavior problems. Significant agreement was found on 77% of the items. The mean level of agreement was 68%. (Author/DB)

Attitudes of 184 Arab families in Israel toward their developmentally disabled children were assessed. Questionnaire results indicated that, of the three religious groups represented in the sample (Christian, Muslim, and Druze), the Druze showed the most positive attitudes. Higher levels of education were found to correlate with less positive…

A review of existing emotional disorder assessment techniques confirmed that they are inappropriate for most children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and pay inadequate attention to affective symptoms in these subjects. A new instrument designed to evaluate mood and affect which has shown good interrater agreement is described.…

School refusal was one of the behavioral symptoms exhibited by a 12-year-old Japanese boy with Heller's syndrome, a disorder in which normal or near-normal development for the first few years of life is followed by a loss of speech and social skills, along with other behavioral symptoms. (JW)

Eight mothers of developmentally disabled children (ages 2-11) were individually trained in eight skill domains (e.g., preparation, complete communication, clarification, consensus, feedback) to enhance their communication skills with professionals. Each parent acquired the targeted skills during simulated conferences, and correct responding…

Assessed the extent to which the presence of a young developmentally disabled or nondisabled male child affected adaptation and family roles for mothers and fathers, using a multimethod approach. Proposes the concept of harmonic responsiveness to explain how proffered support must be tuned to the perceived needs and expectations of spouse. (RH)

The peer interactions and cognitive levels of play of mildly developmentally delayed preschool children were compared as they participated in mainstreamed and specialized settings. They engaged in substantially higher rates of peer-related social behaviors and constructive play when mainstreamed. Factors affecting early childhood mainstreaming…

The study assessed the effects of a negative practice contingency plus DRO on the self-stimulatory hand-clapping of three developmentally disabled students, aged 6-9. The procedure was effective in suppressing the behavior, and follow-up observations showed that the occurrence of hand-clapping continued to be low. (Author/JDD)

Offers selective reviews on adult outcomes of severe mental retardation, autism, conduct disorders, mild retardation and adjustment disorders of childhood. Discusses important prospective study of mild retardation. Stresses that adjustment disorders of childhood only rarely continue into adult life; but incidence of these disorders is on the…

Professional review teams in nine Third World countries assessed a sample of children referred as probable cases (or as controls) from a door to door household survey of 1000+ children aged 3 to 9 years. Examines the criteria used by the teams in determining whether or not the children should be classified as severely mentally handicapped. (RWB)

The computer has been used successfully in the education of persons with handicaps. Five subjects with developmental disabilities were selected for a six-month study and trained to use the microcomputer in performing basic data entry and word processing tasks. Four of the five subjects were placed in computer-related occupations following the…

The article cites projects and activities of the Utah State University Developmental Center, including the use of applied technology, in preschool, academic, and social curricula; the use of "expert systems" for special education consultation and decision making; a cost-effectiveness study; early intervention; and an interdisciplinary…

The article describes a programmatic approach that measured the qualitative dimensions and performance of functional movement in 43 infants and young children with delayed motor development (ages 4 weeks to 5 years). Procedures involved selection of posture and movement intervention targets, baseline assessments, intervention sequences,…