Compared preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders with a matched control group to investigate whether weak central coherence could account for deficits in two behaviors purported to tap capabilities fundamental to a theory of mind: joint attention and pretend play. Found that pretend play did not differentiate the two groups. Weak central…

A study involving 97 participants (ages 9-43) in the Ontario Special Olympics (SO) and their parents, found the more athletes participated in competition the more positive their general self-worth. The length of time in SO and the total number of sports were found to predict self-concept of physical competence. (Contains references.) (CR)

Ten junior high students with developmental disabilities were studied using three conditions--different listening, repeated listening, and repeated listening with immediate retells--to observe the retention and fluency of delayed retelling. Results indicated that repeated listenings of an audiotaped instruction with immediate retells correlated…

Examined adjustment of families who had adopted children with disabilities. Compared 34 families who had adopted a child transracially with 63 families who had adopted a same-race child and 13 families who had adopted both transracially and inracially. Found few differences in family functioning between transracial and inracial adoptive parents.…

The Transition Service Integration Model integrates resources of public schools, rehabilitation, and developmental disability systems. School and private non-profit agencies work together to develop employment and inclusive community activities during the student's last school year. Rehabilitation and developmental disability systems then work…

A pilot project brought 17 high school students with developmental disabilities to a college campus for job sampling. Participants were mentored by 23 college students. Preliminary data indicate the project had benefits for young adults with and without disabilities and supported the use of a community-based service-learning model. (Contains…

Maintains presumed lack of applicability of vocational development theories to persons with developmental disabilities is rooted in assumptions concerning career behavior, scope of career development strategies, and employment potential of such persons. Suggests types of involvement in career decision making that persons with developmental…

The study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of constant time delay and the system of least prompts in teaching sight words to three developmentally delayed preschoolers. Results indicated that the constant time delay procedure resulted in fewer total trials, errors, percent of errors, and minutes of direct instructional time. (Author/DB)

The movements of 2,271 residents of public and community residential facilities for the developmentally disabled were analyzed. In a 1-year period, 8.5 percent of the residents moved, and most moves featured greater integration into the community. Among moved subjects, 3 dimensions accounted for 62 percent of placement status variance: ability,…

Relationships between parenting stress and other maternal and child characteristics were investigated with 66 low income mothers and their five- to eight-year-old children at risk for educational disabilities. Child characteristics (self esteem, behavior conduct, and spelling achievement) and maternal characteristics (self esteem and crowding…

The study compared the motor activities and environmental interactions of sighted and visually impaired children (N=36), ages 7-13. Analysis suggested that some developmental delays in visually impaired children may result from lack of gross motor interactions with the environment. Implications for the design of play environments and personnel…

The article reviews the problem of following up high-risk inner city infants. Only 26 percent of infants discharged from urban neonatal intensive care units are followed developmentally. The high incidence (20 percent) of developmental delay identified during developmental screening in inner city community health clinics suggests the importance of…

The social work practice arena and professional preparation are described as they relate to infants and young children vulnerable to developmental problems and problems of psychosocial dysfunction. Curriculum structure of accredited Master's degree programs and the model curriculum project of the National Catholic School of Social Service are…

Responses to interview questions regarding self-determination opportunities, outcomes, and importance were compared across 21 adults with developmental disabilities and 20 advocates. Self-determination skills in the areas of problem solving, assertiveness, decision making, and goal setting were also addressed. Areas of agreement and disagreement…

This study investigated effects of social interactive strategies (such as, contingent imitation, natural reinforcement contingency, and time delay) in promoting early social-communicative skills of a preschool child with developmental disabilities during daily classroom activities. Results indicated that the child's eye contact, joint attention,…