The University of Vermont offers an introductory undergraduate course in developmental disabilities based on the support model of services. Parents and individuals with developmental disabilities play a major role in planning and team teaching the course. The course emphasizes a family-centered philosophy, respect for individuals with…

Comparison of 28 young children with autism, 29 children with other developmental disabilities, and 28 typical children found that autistic children were significantly less compliant with parental prohibitions than were control groups. This behavior correlated with chronological age, not with mental age, language development, or parental behavior.…

The current conceptualization in the mental retardation-developmental disability field regarding quality of life, quality enhancement, and quality assurance is summarized. Implications of these issues for program planning and evaluation are discussed, with attention to management and a framework for quality assurance. (SLD)

This response to previous symposium papers (EC 604 155-161) concerning regulations and quality assurance in Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) sees regulations as the bureaucratization of values, identifies paradoxes implicit in regulatory controls, and urges reform of the current developmental disability service…

Interviews with 34 persons with developmental disabilities in supported employment indicated that the majority liked their jobs, were satisfied with the help that their job coach had provided, had a voice in choosing their job, would rather work in the community than attend a workshop, and reported having friends at work. (Author/JDD)

This study reports on nonmedical expenditures and opportunity costs in maintaining a child or young adult with serious developmental disabilities in the home or residential care and discusses policy implications for assisting families. The paper makes proposals concerning the scope of health care, family-centered care, programs for young adults,…

Provides an overview of play in occupational therapy. Examines how occupational therapists' view of play has evolved and offers a model of play as occupation to illustrate how children's ability to play is influenced by developmental disabilities. Also outlines occupational-therapy assessment and treatment practices that use play and identifies…

A study examined suicidality in 223 children with developmental disorders (ages 4 to 18) and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Twenty percent experienced either suicidal ideation, threats of, or attempts at suicide, with hanging being most frequently considered. Suicidality was most often encountered in individuals with oppositional defiant…

Teachers of middle and high school students with developmental disabilities embedded planned incidents in instruction to prepare students for appropriate decision making. Teachers were consistently able to provide choice-making opportunities without significantly disrupting core lessons. (SK)

This study tested the predictive validity of the Communication Composite of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales with 58 children (ages 17 to 34 months) functioning at the prelinguistic stage of language development. Evaluation of expressive vocabulary 1 year later found that the Communication Composite and all tested clusters were…

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…

Describes a group program designed for high school students with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disturbances, using Novaco's cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of anger. Multiple techniques allowed multiply handicapped students to learn the physiology, triggers, and consequences of anger as well as to develop coping strategies for…

Visually impaired persons (n=871) with developmental disabilities, in 42 states, were surveyed to determine effects of separate state blindness-specific vocational rehabilitation agencies on the receipt of services. Results suggest that clients in states with specialized agencies were less likely to receive services, except when the agency in…

A study of 1,878 persons with developmental disabilities who had been transferred from California state institutions into community care found the mortality rates for movers exceeded institutional rates by 51%. The effect was largest shortly after the move and in subjects who had moved most recently. (Author/CR)

A study evaluated teaching a technique for self-control to three adults with developmental disabilities. Concurrent fixed-duration/progressive-duration reinforcement schedules were introduced in which both smaller and larger reinforcers were available immediately. When progressively increasing delays were introduced for the larger reinforcer,…