The feasibility of a pedagogical approach--MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)--was investigated in collaboration with a teacher and a student with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD). Educational research for this group of learners is scarce, but research has suggested the potential of integrating music and multisensory…

Background: Adults with severe challenging behaviour can achieve good "quality of life" outcomes in small supported accommodation services. Yet, the research indicates that they typically experience poorer outcomes than other adults with intellectual disability. This raises questions about the degree to which research has informed…

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains largely untreated among adults with severe mental illnesses (SMI). The treatment of psychotic symptoms usually takes precedence in the care of adults with SMI. Such oversight is problematic in that PTSD in SMI populations is common (19%-43%), contributes a significant illness burden, and hinders mental…

The article offers guidelines for severely handicapped personnel preparation programs. Five areas which need to be addressed by such programs are addressed: need for the program, adequacy of resources to develop and maintain the program, staff needs and instructional integrity, program limitation, and a process for program evaluation. (SB)

A respite care program in New Jersey provides 50 families of mentally alert severely disabled adults with periodic relief. The program, which featured recreational and social activities, promotes the mental health of parents and families. (CL)

The development of effective community integration training programs for persons with severe handicaps is examined in terms of the human needs of severely disabled persons, the importance of comprehension and community-oriented training, emphasis on generalization, and consideration of individual preferences and interests. (CL)

The article describes a program model for meeting the needs of a widely diverse range of clients using nonaversive strategies to deal with severe behavior problems in community environments. Data from two years of implementation and follow-up designed to evaluate the program are also presented which support the effectiveness of the model.…

A coordinated home and school planning process via a transdisciplinary model is designed to serve severely/profoundly handicapped students in functional curriculum areas. Planning begins with identification of needs, constraints, and resources, and formulation of student objectives. (CL)

The frequency of the child's excess behaviors had significant impact on the nature of identified educational programing priorities, while developmental level did not. (Author/SB)

Annual program plans for residents written prior to and following the implementation of the IPP (Individual Program Planning) system were rated to determine the extent of changes that resulted. More departments attended meetings, stated objectives, described intervention plans and evaluation procedures for proposed objectives, and reported…

Instructional development, particularly for the severely and profoundly handicapped, should stress the delineation of clearly stated functional goals and objectives and the use of systematic instructional strategies to facilitate the acquisition and generalization of target skills. (Author)

If chronological age appropriate and functional curricular content is to be developed, the basic components of an individualized education program (IEP) mandated by P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) must be supplemented, and instructionally defined for each severely handicapped adolescent or young adult student. (Author)

The article examines effective teaching methods for students with severe disorders of language and discusses planning the physical education program to include identification and awareness of body parts, understanding of spatial/directional concepts, and appropriate social interaction skills. Management suggestions based on behavioral principles…

Programing for vocational instruction is examined in a general sense and several programing steps are discussed, including identifying component skill areas, determining the behavioral and stimulus control requirements, sequencing instructional content, and designing instructional tasks. (DLS)

A research and demonstration computer center for severely handicapped autistic children, STEPPE-Lab, which uses computers as an augmentative communication and instructional system, is described. The article first reviews the keyboard, joystick, mouse, and drawing tablet as augmentative devices for helping communication disordered children interact…