This report describes a project that uses existing data sets to describe the population of students with significant cognitive disabilities and known or suspected dual sensory loss. It includes students with suspected dual sensory loss because students with significant cognitive disabilities are reported to have unidentified sensory loss (Erickson…

Background: Increased post-void residual urine volume (PVR) is often seen in geriatric populations. People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have risk factors in common with these populations. Aims: To investigate in adults with ID: (1) Feasibility of portable ultrasound bladder scanning; (2) Prevalence of PVR; and (3) Relations with proposed…

Findings from the British Columbia Health Surveillance Registry revealed information about the age specific prevalence of mental retardation with no known etiology; association of mild and profound retardation with microcephalus, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy; and survival rates. (Author/CL)

Through the use of surveys, the article discusses the number of noninstitutionalized visually impaired individuals who also have other disabilities. The main finding is that, even excluding many chronic conditions, a majority of severely visually impaired persons have one or more additional impairments. (PHR)

This study assessed the prevalence of epileptic seizures in 378 children attending special education centers for students with intellectual disability in Amman, Jordan. Findings indicated that 20% had a history of epilepsy. Epilepsy was more prevalent among children with severe disability than mild intellectual disability, males than females, and…

The survey of hearing loss among residents (N=398) of a long-stay hospital for persons with mental handicap found 10 percent of those over 18 and 70 percent of those aged 70-79 had socially significant hearing loss. Possible reasons are offered for this higher prevalence in the mentally handicapped population and for poor utilization of hearing…

Among developmentally disabled persons (N=35,000) young and middle aged adults were found to receive psychotropic medication at higher rates than children, adolescents, or elderly persons. Medication increased with severity of retardation, restrictiveness of residential setting, severity of problem behaviors, and presence of a psychiatric…

This study evaluated vision and hearing impairment in 45,500 adults (age 35 and older) with an intellectual disability. Visual impairment or blindness were found in 25 percent of the total sample, impaired hearing or deafness in 22 percent. Breakdown by age group indicates increasing frequency of impairment with advancing age. Implications for…

Of 124 students (ages 5-15) with behavioral/emotional problems, 38 percent were identified as also having learning disabilities and an additional 17.8 percent as having learning problems. The incidence of learning disabilities decreased with age, but that of learning problems remained stable regardless of age groupings. (DB)

This article reviews current epidemiological studies estimating the prevalence and incidence of permanent hearing loss in children. In particular, it addresses trends in ages of onset of hearing loss and causes. Studies estimating the number of children with hearing loss and additional special needs in various countries are presented, as well as…

The survey of 79 group homes for persons with mental handicap in two provinces of the Netherlands found a positive relationship between age and certain sensory handicaps and chronic diseases, as well as the co-incidence of certain health problems. (Author/DB)

This brief paper reports on a study of learning disabilities in students with deafness. The study attempted to first determine to what extent deficiencies in communication skills affect the screening of deaf students for learning disabilities and, second, to describe the phenomenon of learning disability in students with deafness. The research…