The importance of communication skills for students with the most significant disabilities is highlighted. Specific attention is paid to the need to recognize and understand unconventional means of communication. Ideas for augmenting the student's communicative efforts are provided, and the critical importance of team collaboration is emphasized.…

Happiness is a critical indicator of quality of life in humans. A few studies have measured levels of happiness displayed under different conditions by individuals with profound multiple disabilities. We were interested in determining whether increasing the mindfulness of caregivers would result in increased levels of happiness in adults with…

Three young children with severe, multiple disabilities were taught to utilize a voice output communication aid (VOCA) to request access to preferred items and/or peers during play activities. Acquisition of VOCA use resulted from a naturalistic intervention strategy that consisted of creating communication opportunities, prompting the participant…

This is the 31st Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2009. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA") (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress…

The 2007/2008 Parents of Children with Severe Special Needs Survey is conducted to obtain opinions from parents of children with severe special needs to assess their satisfaction with key areas of the education system. A random sample of 816 parents of children with severe special needs completed the survey. Severe special needs descriptions…

This paper reviews the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. To provide baseline information, consideration is given to outcome studies for adults who were first diagnosed with ADHD as children. Studies of clinical assessment methods are addressed, and previous diagnostic criteria are compared to…

This paper introduces an alternative to the conventional "method-oriented" approach to evaluation of interventions with people having profound/multiple intellectual disabilities (PMPID). The proposed approach uses the principles of theory-driven evaluation, based on a program theory which specifies what must be done to achieve the desired goals,…

The paper reports on a project which examined the communication of a 10-year-old Swedish boy with severe retardation and multiple disabilities. Interviews, observations, and videorecordings were used. Communication categories included body language, gestures, head position, gaze/eye contact, and sound/mouth and tongue use. The child was found to…

Intended for teachers of students with severe multiple impairments, the booklet examines the role of physical activities in the education of this population and suggests approaches to exhancing their motor development. Suggestions are offered for stimulating movement in preschool, elementary, and secondary immobile children, including tactile…

The effectiveness of an objective, systematic assessment and individualized programing approach for discovering new channels of learning is illustrated with case study evaluations of multiply handicapped visually impaired children with complex learning and behavioral problems. (SB)

The Georgia Parent Infant Network for Educational Services (PINES) is a home intervention program currently serving over 300 hearing impaired, visually impaired, and multihandicapped sensory impaired (MHSI) preschoolers. The infant-toddler evaluation component is described, with sections on screening and diagnosis, parent education concerning…

The report examines the status of community integration for people with the most severe disabilities. Information is drawn from literature reviews, telephone surveys of over 50 programs nationwide, and visits to 5 community service systems in 4 states. An initial section outlines basic principles for community integration, followed by a review and…

The study was designed to identify hearing impaired persons (3-21 years old) with emotional disturbances and to examine assessment and intervention approaches. Questionnaires and behavior checklists were completed by 116 public and private agencies serving school age hearing impaired students. Among findings were the following: Ss generally felt…

The paper examines implications of the high incidence of learning disabilities in children with Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle jerks and vocalizations. Approximately 60% of children with Tourette Syndrome are classified as learning disabled. It is possible that this high correlation…