Six high school students with multiple disabilities, including mental retardation, were taught community living skills through the establishment of a shopping service for people who were elderly or who had disabilities. Students increased their competence in community survival skills and also experienced a new role as helper. (JDD)

The project used multiple adaptive methods and teaching procedures to reinforce school mobility skills for seven severely handicapped secondary students. Student ambulation became more functional when present skills were reinforced by sequential teaching with daily practice. (CL)

General case programing can enhance generalization in individuals with severe disabilities. Making the procedure effective involves: considering activities appropriate for general case programing, selecting examples for teaching and probe testing, determining order of presentation of examples, and determining location of instruction. A list of…

This article describes several strategies to mitigate the effects of poor time management skills in postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Strategies focus on using a calendar; wearing and/or referring to a wristwatch or clock; and practicing punctuality. (DB)

A framework is provided for selecting and analyzing social skills curricula for teaching students with learning or behavioral difficulties. The framework emphasizes analysis of such programing considerations as individualization, cost-effectiveness, assessment, maintenance, and generalization. Presented are a checklist for analyzing the curricula…

By recognizing the importance of early transitions for young children with handicaps and viewing transition as a lifelong process, professionals can guide parents in developing skills that can be applied to subsequent transitions throughout the child's life. Described are steps in the transition process, parents' transition skills, and expected…

The use of a token economy in teaching special needs students is outlined. Steps in establishing a token economy are presented and activities, such as the use of charge cards and a classroom bank, which help develop related skills are discussed. (PHR)

Described are strategies for teaching social communication skills to 8- to 10-year-old students with mild handicaps. The instructional model involves determining behaviors to be taught; assessing social communication skills; teaching skills through motivating student performance, modeling, and practicing; and maintaining and transferring skills. A…

Students with learning disabilities and behavior problems need instruction designed to increase active thinking and questioning skills. Described methods for teaching these skills include T. Raphael's question-answer relationships, A. Hahn's questioning strategy, reciprocal teaching, and the "ReQuest" procedure. Practice activities for…

Students with learning disabilities can learn strategies to improve their organizational and time management skills. Antecedent strategies, which set the occasion for students to become more organized, include assignment logs/charts, work stations, color coding materials, timers, and guided notes. Consequence strategies include reinforcement,…

Incorporating group socialization procedures into a classroom with young children with developmental difficulties requires identifying target children, implementing the procedures, and evaluating the procedures. Socialization activities may include encouraging children to interact with one another, frequent modeling of prosocial behavior, frequent…

This paper describes two alternative strategies for fostering communication skills in preschool children with disabilities: one that teaches normally developing peers to use specific communication strategies when interacting with their less skilled classmates and one that teaches both normal and disabled preschoolers to enact sociodramatic play…

Many pupils with mild handicaps are failing to succeed in mainstream placements because of their poor social skills. Social skills training is increasingly part of the special education curriculum for these pupils. This article examines issues and strategies regarding the generalization and maintenance of social skills in mainstream settings. (JDD)

This article describes how classroom discussion and field trips can be used to teach students with disabilities to engage in comparative shopping and informed choice making when they dine in fast food restaurants. (JDD)

This paper describes the Early Childhood Social Skills Program developed at the University of Pittsburgh's Early Childhood Research Institute. The paper discusses specific social skill strategies as well as steps for implementing the peer-mediated social skill program in an integrated preschool setting. (JDD)