An interview study of 2,271 mentally retarded residents in public and community residential facilities revealed that maladaptive behavior was more prevalent among residents of public residential facilities, but the frequency of maladaptive behavior and the responses, elicited from direct-care staff members, were similar in public and community…

Effects of scheduled activities versus scheduled activities and supervision on staff-mentally retarded residents' interactions were investigated. Results showed that a supervision package added to scheduled activities produces a statistically significant decrease in the time that ward staff spent on custodial care as well as off-task and an…

Forty-four mentally retarded individuals were studied to determine if relocation syndrome can be averted in interinstitutional transfer. (Author)

Two regression equations using chronological age and either IQ or the Fisher and Zeaman K score were developed to predict Developmental Record ratings of institutionalized mentally retarded children over a two-year interval (N=200), a four-year interval (N-165), and an eight-year interval (N=95). The equation using IQ yielded more accurate…

Maladaptive behavior of 474 persons from a residential facility for mentally retarded individuals was investigated. Multiple regression analysis revealed that maladaptive behaviors were related to sex, social age, chronological age, resident's time spent on outside activities, number of residents per direct-care staff member, presence of sensory…

Institutional residents with Downs syndrome (N=413) were matched on sex, length of hospitalization, and IQ with residents of other diagnostic categories. Comparisons were made on 62 items of the Client Development Evaluation Report. Significant effects of age were found on 38 items and of diagnosis, on 19 items, but significant Age X Diagnosis…

A social/sexual skills training program for institutionalized mentally retarded adults using a commercially available table game and a specially designed card deck featured response-specific feedback, self-monitoring, individualized reinforcers, and individualized performance criterion levels. There were increases in all skill areas.…

Inappropriate or inadequately documented medication for patients in mental retardation institutions is a major medical and economic problem. Within a 127-patient ward, 41 patients were treated with anticonvulsants. Of these patients, 24 had no documented indications for usage. (Author)

Two large and five small institutions were rated on resident management practices, aid attitudes, and demographic variables. Institution and resident variables were used to predict responsiveness to social reinforcement, wariness, and outerdirectedness. Of the predictor variables, only mental age (MA) was related to all three. (Author/CL)

The relationship between training history and the distinctiveness of stimulus cues in original learning and in transfer on the learning of intradimensional and extradimensional shifts by 96 adult institutionalized, retarded Ss was investigated. (Author)