The handbook describes the structure and process of practica for teachers of students with severe and multiple handicaps at the University of Alberta. Guidelines for introductory practica are presented and eligibility, practica duration, and location of the practica are discussed. The handbook includes forms of evaluating individual and group…

The paper discusses ways in which the Apple II plus and Apple IIe computers can be adapted to become highly effective tools in the education of the physically/multiply handicapped student. The role of word processing programs as communication aids, alternative input and output devices, and innovative software programs is examined. Among the…

The differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is a procedure in which one reinforces an individual when particular behaviors are not emitted for specific periods. This study was designed to determine whether a treatment package consisting of a modified DRO plus momentary restraint and/or noncompliance training could be used to reduce 12…

The collection of papers by Swedish special educators, addresses approaches to helping mentally retarded and multiply handicapped people communicate. The papers are written by psychologists, educators, speech therapists, music instructors, and researchers and focus on the following topics: the context of communication (Mats Granlund), early…

The mother of a child with spina bifida recounts her difficulties in trying to obtain services for her disabled son. She touches on such topics as her feelings on being told her infant was disabled, treatment by medical personnel, reactions of family and friends, home therapy with the Doman Delacato patterning program, testing and evaluation,…

The paper reviews problems and challenges in serving blind children in mental retardation facilities. Incidence figures for institutionalized blind multiply handicapped children are cited, and problems of assessing such residents are seen to include uneven development and lack of standardized evaluation measures. The impact of ward management and…

The use of trampoline activities with multiple handicapped students is discussed. Management considerations in safety are noted, and developmental trampoline skills are listed beginning with bouncing for stimulation. Progression to limited independence and finally independent jumping is described. The position statement of the American Alliance…

The guide is designed to facilitate communication training in the classroom and at home through involvement of parents in the education of their severely multiple handicapped child. Section 1 addresses the advantages of family involvement in the areas of assessment, programing, classroom assistance, and advocacy. The next three sections deal with…

The paper reports on a program to change behaviors of six blind multihandicapped adolescents with severe behavior disorders at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind. Examples are drawn of the program's effects on a 17 year old male, Joe. Program principles include reduction of stressful situations for the students, expansion of…

Intended for those working with deaf blind children, the document discusses strategies for developing language. Information on objectives, materials, and methods are presented for 10 levels of language development: the nonresponsive child, the child with differentiated crying, the child who demonstrates "stimulus-response" behavior to situational…

To explore the effects of the use of sign language as an intervention technique to facilitate the development of expressive and receptive communication skills, manual sign language (Signing Exact English) was employed with 12 multihandicapped, language delayed and/or nonverbal Ss (18 to 36 months old). Sign language was studied both as a…

The document describes the services offered by the Chicago Goodwill Rehabilitation Center. A brief, general description of the goals and activities is provided for each of the following services: personal and vocational evaluation of clients, community and job placement, vocational orientation and exploration, counseling and psychotherapy, social…