Psychotropic drug use in a large Massachusetts public facility for mentally retarded adults was reduced to and maintained at approximately 20 percent over an eight-year period during which a monitoring and evaluation procedure (including interdisciplinary team review, identification of target behaviors, and concurrent alternative forms of…

Developmental Record protocols were obtained from archival files for 1,069 institutionalized mentally retarded adults and children. Analyses revealed high internal reliabilities, but questionable validity. The Developmental Record did not adequately discriminate the five areas of functioning it purportedly assesses (self-care, perceptual-motor,…

Staff members (n=152) assigned to 76 clients with moderate to severe mental retardation in Norway received training in behaviorally oriented treatment and assessment. Results did not support the hypothesis that training in treatment and assessment would produce greater improvement in client behavior than would training in treatment alone.…

The Personal Appearance Index, an assessment of physical appearance and personal care, was used to assess 12 youngsters with autism who lived at home, in group homes, or in institutions. The index showed differences in the appearance scores of institutionalized children compared to others and was used to provide feedback to the children's…