The mother of a Down's Syndrome child describes the program provided by P.E.E.R.S. (Parents are Effective Early Education Resources), an infant stimulation and parent training program that accepts children from birth to 3 years of age with developmental delays. (SBH)

Mothers' use of true (non-controlling) and limiting (controlling) questions with 26 developmentally delayed and 26 nondelayed preschool children were examined. More true questions were asked with 4- than 2-year-olds, and with nondelayed than delayed children. Limiting questions decreased as nondelayed children grew older, but increased as delayed…

Results of a nationwide study of public mental retardation/developmental disabilities spending in the states during Fiscal Years 1977 through 1986 were analyzed and identified trends such as continuing growth in spending for community services, contraction of total spending for institutional operations, and predominance of support for intermediate…

In response to comments on his nationwide study of public mental retardation/developmental disabilities spending in the states, the author considers classification of funds (income maintenance, large private facilities and prisons, nursing homes, and education/vocational rehabilitation), values, determinants, civil rights, and reform. (DB)

The article describes the conflict between parents and state governments regarding the relative liability in financial responsibility for residential placement of handicapped, particularly developmentally disabled, children and comments on implications of the "Parks v. Pavkovic" decision in Illinois which held the state financially…

A successful intervention to establish independent eating behaviors in a developmentally handicapped, autistic-like three-year-old involved teaching appropriate behavior in a hospital setting (where he was being treated for dehydration and malnutrition) and then teaching his mother to implement the strategies at home. Skills were maintained at…

The "3D" approach to providing speech/language service for developmentally delayed preschoolers involves three instructors (speech/language therapist, classroom teacher, aide) plus three motor tasks (gross, fine, oral), while bringing speech therapy into the classroom. The article discusses team planning sessions and provides a sample curriculum…

Among developmentally disabled persons (N=35,000) young and middle aged adults were found to receive psychotropic medication at higher rates than children, adolescents, or elderly persons. Medication increased with severity of retardation, restrictiveness of residential setting, severity of problem behaviors, and presence of a psychiatric…

Proposes six guidelines for art educators working with mentally and physically challenged children and youth. Discusses the use of a multicultural approach to art education and age-appropriate materials. Concludes that these guidelines will provide mentally and physically challenged youth with improved opportunities to learn art. (GEA)

The Pathways to Employment model, designed to help developmentally disabled adults, presents five stages in the career decision-making process: (1) pre-action (not at decision point); (2) action (employment-oriented decision-making); (3) service (job training); (4) outcome (degree of self-support); and (5) review action (changes in current…

Four developmentally disabled children (ages 3-5) identified as noncompliant received a standard set of adult requests under three conditions: no reinforcement, noncontingent reinforcement, and reinforcement contingent on compliance. Among results was that the contingent reinforcement procedure produced covariation in all subjects' compliance and…

The article describes the implementation and components of a program to train direct care staff working on community adjustment of developmentally disabled persons. Developed in response to local needs and respresenting an ongoing collaborative effort, the program also illustrates the role of the University Affiliated Facility in promoting…

The Carolina Record of Infant Behavior was used to assess the stability from 3 months to 1 year of such characteristics as activity level, irritability, and social responsiveness in 39 preterm infants at risk for developmental disorders. The most stability was observed on such developmentally based items as social orientation. (Author/JW)

The report presents findings regarding the characteristics of 22,256 persons with severe or profound mental retardation in New York institutional and community settings. A subpopulation with profound disabilities who were additionally classified as physically frail is described in terms of physical and adaptive characteristics, therapeutic service…

The article reviews the evolution of socio-political attitudes toward developmentally disabled and other handicapped children in Italy and analyzes the current role of behavior modification in rehabilitation efforts in that country. (CL)