Behavioral changes among seven adolescents with severe handicaps after moving to more normalized environments, were compared with changes among matched Ss remaining in an institution. After six months, experimental Ss made significantly greater gains in group maintenance and in the nongoal-oriented behavior subcategory of sitting. Greater change…

A survey was conducted of all 343 residents placed in the community from a large facility for mentally retarded persons, with social work intervention, over a 14-year period. (Author/IM)

The author presents an historical review of normalization and institutionalization of the retarded in the United States. (SBH)

The study found that, in a representative sample of large-city newspapers, three issues were most frequently featured in coverage of persons with disabilities. They were: (1) budget, expenditures, or taxes, (2) housing or normalization, and (3) treatment in institutions. (Author/DB)

The paper reviews problems and challenges in serving blind children in mental retardation facilities. Incidence figures for institutionalized blind multiply handicapped children are cited, and problems of assessing such residents are seen to include uneven development and lack of standardized evaluation measures. The impact of ward management and…

A survey of 131 rehabilitation programs, agencies, and institutions was conducted in order to obtain their assessments of the importance and need for attendant care among their clients; their response to the need for attendant care among their clients; and their perceptions of creative options and ways of making dependable in-home attendant care…

Data gathered from a questionnaire sent to 81 TMR (trainable mentally retarded) certified teachers and 46 paraprofessional management aides (teacher aides) who worked with mentally retarded residents of four state hospitals indicated that the Ss showed only partial understanding of the normalization principle. (IM)

The document cites research to support the viewpoint that community integration is preferable to institutions for the severely and profoundly mentally retarded. Refuted are such arguments against deinstitutionalization as that retarded people should be segregated, that institutions are a more efficient and less expensive way to provide services,…

The author reviews the use of behavior modification techniques in relation to the normalization of institutionalized retarded persons. (IM)

The study evaluated a program for teaching family-style mealtime skills to four profoundly retarded institutionalized adolescents. The program used forward chaining with a less-to-more intrusive prompting sequence and contingent reinforcement to teach the skills. (Author/DB)

Reported are the results of a questionnaire mailed to all public supported institutions for the mentally retarded regarding the physical arrangement of buildings housing the various IQ levels. (DB)

Presented is a step by step procedure for normalizing the life situations of institutionalized handicapped persons by establishing comprehensive community services on a local level. Available from: American Association for the Education of the Severely/Profoundly Handicapped, 1600 West Armory Way, Seattle, Washington 98119. (GW)

Procedures were evaluated for teaching four institutionalized adult males with profound retardation necessary skills to increase their individual freedom of movement. Following baseline, a travel training program with a backward chaining format was implemented to teach each person to walk independently from his living area to school. (Author)