A multiply-handicapped totally dependent young adult exhibited a steadily increasing rate of response in learning to turn her radio on and off by moving her head to activate a controlling device mounted on the headrest of her wheelchair. Positive reinforcement, prompting, and fading were employed during the intervention (Author/JW)

A severely intellectually delayed and physically handicapped 18-year-old woman was taught a direct select color encoding strategy as a potential means of increasing the available vocabulary on her communication board using a "chained matching-to-sample" procedure. The skill was maintained and generalized to new exemplars. (Author/DB)

Responses of itinerant, resource room, and residential school teachers to a questionnaire regarding adaptive hand function of blind, visually-impaired, and visually/multiply-handicapped 2- to 19-year-olds (N=148) indicated that physiological integrity was not a sufficient condition for development of adaptive hand function, suggesting that manual…

Such everyday paper materials as cash register receipts, labels, travel pamphlets, and train schedules provide a wealth of excellent materials for teaching life skills and functional reading to multihandicapped hearing-impaired students. Possible activities include comparing grocery receipts and conjecturing about the shoppers and reading medicine…

A variety of battery operated leisure materials were adapted for easier activation by 10 profoundly mentally retarded nonambulatory and nonverbal institutionalized adults. Demonstration and instruction results supported the use of the adapted materials as a cost-effective means of increasing the independent leisure activity engagements of such…

A multiple-probe design demonstrated the effectiveness of a match to sample paradigm using tactile recipe cards, a positional tray, and systematic prompting in teaching a severely handicapped deaf-blind retarded woman the independent preparation of three breakfast foods. (Author/DB)

Positive reinforcement was used to effectively treat aggressive and noncompliant behavior of two visually impaired, multiply handicapped male students (an 18-year-old and an 11-year-old). In one case positive effects of treating aggressive behaviors generalized to a reduction in self injurious behaviors. (DB)

Analysis of diagnoses made and treatment recommended by school psychologists (N=100) for a case study (half identifying the student as deaf and half not identifying the student as handicapped) suggested the existence of "diagnostic overshadowing" (when a primary disability diagnosis alters diagnostic and treatment recommendations…

Two case studies involving preschool children with developmental learning disabilities (one with nystagmus and one with a hearing impairment) point to the need for appropriate ability as well as disability identification and assessment procedures (both had been diagnosed as mentally retarded) the potential of early diagnosis and intervention for…

Five articles focus on school-to-work transition issues from the perspectives of administrators, consultants, and parents of visually handicapped and multiply impaired/blind students. Programs described include community-based training, state-sponsored vocational training, one-day training seminars, and a job readiness clinic. (Author/CL)

An independent living curriculum builds skills in home management, money handling, on-and off-campus living, public transportation, and employment in secondary students at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. (CL)

Three mildly and moderately retarded, physically handicapped institutionalized men (17-30 years old) successfully participated in a recreation program involving adapted videogames. Doubles play fostered cooperative social interaction between players. (CL)

Discusses a residential treatment program model for involving families in the education and training of their young multihandicapped children. Describes six developmental stages of family involvement. (HS)