The effects of three prompting sequences on the acquisition of independent living skills with 14 mild and moderately mentally retarded vocational rehabilitation clients (16 to 50 years old) are examined. (Author)

An evaluation of Individual Education Programs (IEPs) for 41 children (ages 7-11) with Down Syndrome enrolled in public schools indicated that the learning of functional skills in natural settings was rarely addressed in the IEPs. No relationship was found between overall functionality and either reported intelligence test scores or age.…

Interviews were conducted with 25 landlords who had rented apartments/rooms to mentally retarded individuals. Although 22 landlords would rent to retarded individuals again, a significant number had experienced some problems because of poor independent living skills, extreme dependence on the landlord, or deviant behavior exhibited by the retarded…

Retrospective analyses were conducted on a remainder population of 361 individuals with mental retardation at a rehabilitation institute. One-third of the clients appeared to be gaining from the institute's programs. Programs dealing with daily living and more conceptual material appeared to be more effective than vocational programs. (Author/DB)

A forward-chaining, partial-task training method was found effective in teaching bill paying skills via check writing to four adults with developmental disabilities attending a day treatment program. The skills were maintained over a two-month follow-up and generalized across novel types of bills. Bank personnel and teachers validated the improved…

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.…

Analyzed were the consumer behaviors of 22 institutionalized retarded clients in a sheltered workshop token economy. (CL)

Adults (N=48) with mild to moderate mental retardation were interviewed concerning the skills they considered important for successful community living. Vocational and social skills were rated as most important, followed by personal, academic, and leisure skills, a ranking similar to that by the significant others questioned in a previous study.…

Eighteen mentally retarded adults were taught pedestrian skills using either classroom or community training procedures. Community training procedures resulted in significant improvement from pretest to posttest; however no significant change was seen in the classroom group. (Author/MC)

The author seeks to show how appropriate and reasonable risk-taking can and should be worked into the daily living experiences of the mentally retarded in America. (Author)

This article critically comments on previous articles that question the benefits of inclusion for students with severe disabilities. It argues for the inclusion of students with disabilities and suggests that functionality is not found in segregated classes but in one's thoughtful immersion into the complexity of community. (Contains references.)…

Ninety-two primary caregivers in residences for the developmentally disabled were surveyed on residential staff roles, training responsibilities, and perception of resident needs. Among results are that residential staff viewed basic facility maintenance as a primary responsibility; and that less than 50 percent of the staff could define basic…

The study found that use of the Dial-A-Phone instructional package plus a least intrusive prompt teaching strategy was more effective than the prompts alone in training two adults with moderate developmental disabilities to match digits of personal phone numbers with digits on a dial telephone. (Author/DB)

Analysis of the functional and personal characteristics of 336 persons with mental retardation living in 181 small, specialized foster care homes and group homes found some differences in resident characteristics across facility type, including communication and toileting skills, age, and mobility. (Author/DB)