For years the text of choice for developing excellence as a teacher of K-12 students with moderate and severe disabilities, this clearly written work has now been revised and updated. Chapters provide step-by-step procedures for designing standards-based individualized education plans and evaluating and enhancing student progress. Methods and…

This essential text and practitioner guide is unique in its emphasis on fostering academic learning as well as life skills. In-depth chapters cover reading, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as health care needs, communication and social skills, daily living, and job skills. The expert authors present research-based best practices…

Current federal policy requires that students with disabilities participate in large-scale assessments and be included in schools' scores for adequate yearly progress. Students with significant cognitive disabilities may participate in an alternate assessment with alternate achievement standards, but these standards must be linked to grade-level…

This review addresses some crucial teaching and learning issues involved in community-referenced instruction for persons with severe disabilities, including environmental assessment, task analysis, trial sequencing, control, empirical and social validity, and measurement. Standards from the literature reviewed are presented to guide and evaluate…

The functional or community adaptation approach to curriculum development for the severely handicapped is described using the curriculum characteristics (1) philosophy and research support, (2) content and sequence, and (3) individualization. The model is further clarified through a wheel design, a complete curriculum example, and guidelines for…

To maximize effectiveness of instruction in daily living skills, teachers need procedures that are applicable to small group instruction, that promote generalization, and that can be replicated across skills. Eight moderately mentally retarded adults acquired and generalized daily living skills through a combination of instructions in reading…

The characteristics of the skill clusters involved in community living response chains were studied, focusing on the length of the chain, the response classes contained in the chain, and the implicit variations within the chain. Instruction of response chains can be enhanced through consideration of the stimulus control strategies used.…

The study evaluated the use of simulated instruction on vending machine use as an adjunct to community-based instruction with two moderately retarded children. Results showed concurrent acquisition of the vending machine skills across trained and untrained sites. (Author/DB)

This article addresses the need for a multicultural perspective on life skills assessment for students with severe disabilities. Guidelines for making a life skills assessment process more multicultural are offered. (Author/DB)

A review of the literature identified 43 studies that provided instruction in money skills for individuals with mental retardation. Most studies taught money skills in the context of making purchases or classroom instruction on money computation. Guidelines are offered for research and practice. (DB)

Two educators describe the changes in a severely retarded, multiply disabled 12-year-old resulting from a functional curriculum approach. Assessment of his life needs and skills produced a new curriculum with emphasis on age appropriate interests. (CL)

The pyramid training model was evaluated as a means to teach six supervisors and aides working with profoundly retarded adults the training skills of increasing assistance prompt hierarchy and specific praise in developing clients' daily living skills. Providing training to supervisors resulted in improved training skills for them and subsequently…

Three students (ages 12 and 13) with developmental disabilities and severe behavior disorders were taught independent purchasing skills. To bypass the need for money computation skills, discrimination between three stimulus classes of frequent purchases (vending machine snack, convenience store snack, lunch) were trained. Two students mastered the…

The effectiveness and efficiency of stimulus fading, stimulus shaping, time delay, and a feedback only procedure were compared in teaching three adults with moderate developmental delays sight words. Results showed no clear advantage for any one procedure. The benefit of conducting a preliminary evaluation of instructional procedures during…