Background: Increasing attention has been paid to the executive dysfunction hypothesis argued to underpin stereotyped behaviour in autism. The aim of this study is to investigate one component of this model, that stereotyped behaviours are related to impaired generativity and compromised behavioural inhibition, by examining whether episodes of…

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are at risk for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and disruptive behavior. This pilot study explores temporal characteristics of EDS and severe disruptive behavior across time of day and day of week in seven individuals with PWS (aged between 33 and 49 years) of whom five were matched to controls.…

Background: Behaviour problems and a preference for adult contact are reported to be prominent in the phenotype of Smith-Magenis syndrome. In this study we examined the relationship between social interactions and self-injurious and aggressive/disruptive behaviour in Smith-Magenis syndrome to explore potential operant reinforcement of problem…

Harassment and bullying among 186 students with intellectual disabilities, ages 12 to 21 years, in special education schools were examined. The differences between bullies and victims in terms of social adjustment and social skills were investigated. No prototypes characterizing differences in social skills were found between the three subgroups:…

Literature on sensory deprivation is reviewed to provide a theoretical basis for treating the self-abusive mentally retarded. Treatment procedures and progress are presented in a case study. (Author)

Factor analyses of ratings received by 617 patients in a state hospital for the mentally retarded, concerning 26 problem behaviors, indicated that five factors describe the behaviors. (Author)

Children of ages 8-14 at the borderline of mental retardation (IQ of 60-85) who present serious behavior problems have been variously described as impulsive, lacking facility with concepts of time, overinvolved in fantasy, depressed, and hyperactive. This study sought to test the appropriateness of such descriptive terms. (Author)

Descriptive information is presented about the physical characteristics and health problems, behavioral characteristics and maladaptive behavior 2271 retarded individuals in 236 public and community residential facilities. Behavioral characteristics were assessed using a model that incorporated specific levels of independence. Residents of…

A review of current treatment studies of pica or scavenging behavior in the mentally retarded is presented. (Author)

Three models of behavioral effects of genetic disorders characterized by mental retardation were compared: (1) no-specific effect model (all genetic disorders have identical behavioral outcomes); (2) totally specific model (each genetic disorder has unique outcomes); and (3) partially specific model (two or more genetic disorders share outcomes…

With deinstitutionalization of the retarded, there is greater opportunity for them to be subjected to possible misuse of alcoholic products. Findings indicated that the mentally retarded population under study did not differ significantly from the general public as far as the number of problems associated with consumption of alcoholic beverages.…

For all California state hospitals, percentages of 11,139 mentally retarded patients were presented for different levels of physical disability and self help skills and for different frequencies of problem behaviors. (Author)

An 11 year old Blind, Retarded male, was treated for self abusive behavior by creating a feeding response incompatible with it. When head beating had been eliminated at feeding time, additional techniques, involving rewards, were used to extend its elimination beyond the eating situation. (Author)

A study of 41 adults with mental retardation (11 with Prader-Willi syndrome and 30 with mental retardation due to other causes--13 overweight and 17 with normal weight) sought to determine differences in food preferences. While controls selected sweet food over larger quantities of unpreferred food, individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome selected…

This study compared maladaptive behavior in 23 people with Prader-Willi syndrome due to paternal deletion and in 23 age- and gender-matched subjects with maternal uniparental disomy. Controlling for IQs, the deletion cases showed significantly higher maladaptive ratings, more symptom-related distress, and more behavior problems. Findings suggest a…