The prevalence of communication disorders in a population of 242 children with learning disabilities between 8 and 12 years of age was determined. A speech, language, or hearing problem was exhibited by 96.2 percent of the children. Only six percent of the children were considered to be receiving appropriate services. (Author/DB)

Hearing assessments of multiply handicapped children/adolescents were conducted using classical conditioning (with an air puff as unconditioned stimulus) and operant conditioning (with a modified visual reinforcement audiometry procedure or edible reinforcement). Findings indicate that classical conditioning was successful with 21 of the 23…

Thirty-three schools responded to a survey of 87 schools providing residential services for deaf, blind, and multihandicapped hearing-impaired individuals. The survey, focusing on characteristics of caregivers and systems of residential care, found great diversity among salaries, qualifications, and upgrade systems, although job titles were…

Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act are recommended to remedy the negligent hiring practices of some vocational rehabilitation agencies that further disable deaf clients by hiring personnel who lack the skills to work effectively with deaf and multiply handicapped people. (Author/DB)

This document is the approved position paper on recommended assessment procedures for multi-handicapped deaf students, as adopted by the Conference of Educational Administrators Serving the Deaf on April 28, 1988. Recommendations cover initial assessment, follow-up routine assessment, and the in-depth diagnostic/prescriptive program. (Author/PB)

The study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional program designed to promote independent walking in a mentally and physically handicapped (cerebral palsied) preschooler involving a collaborative effort between a behavior therapist and a physical therapist in an interdisciplinary setting, a public school. (Author/DB)

A choice assessment was used to categorize reinforcers as high, middle, and low preference with 4 males (ages 7 to 19) with multiple disabilities including severe/profound mental retardation. High-preference stimuli consistently functioned as reinforcers for all subjects whereas low-preference stimuli did not function as reinforcers. (Author/DB)

This study attempted to operationalize, measure, and increase happiness among five adults with profound mental and physical disabilities. Happiness indices were defined and observed. Most preferred stimuli-produced increases in happiness indices, and practitioner ratings of participant happiness coincided with observed indices. Discussion focuses…

This study examined effects of providing attention (the presumed reinforcer) both noncontingently and contingent upon either self-injurious behavior or self-restraint with a 12-year-old female with multiple disabilities including profound mental retardation. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that both responses were maintained by…

Sixty-eight community-dwelling individuals with mental retardation and mental illness were discontinued from neuroleptics. Those with a psychotic disorder were significantly more likely to be restarted on neuroleptics at 3 months and 12 months. Not having a history of delusions was significantly associated with remaining neuroleptic-free at 3…

Teachers and support personnel (n=38) were asked to use an eight-item Likert-type survey to rate one of three assessment packages for students with severe to profound multiple disabilities: standardized, functional-ecological, and a combined package. The functional-ecological approach was perceived to be most beneficial for educational…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 257 parents of children with multiple disabilities (of which 25 had previously substantiated maltreatment reports) on perceptions of stress and burden of care found no relationship between a history of child maltreatment and currently perceived stress levels. (DB)

This study found little actual integration resulting from placement of 16 high school age students with severe multiple disabilities in special education classrooms within regular high schools. Guidelines for evaluating the integration of students are offered including a two-pronged test and examples of data appropriate for evaluating integration…

Characteristics of individualized education programs (IEPs) of 46 mainstreamed students with multiple disabilities from 9 states were analyzed, revealing that IEPs are vague and inconsistent, list goals for staff rather than for students, and are discipline-referenced. The study recommends that IEPs include individualized learning outcomes,…

The progress of 55 clients (ages 18-71) during their first year in a program for persons who are both mentally retarded and psychiatrically impaired was described. The clients increased their level of independence and decreased their frequency of problem behaviors. Unmet needs of this population for residential alternatives and community supports…