Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities are able to reliably express their likes and dislikes through direct preference assessment. Preferred items tend to function as rewards and can therefore be used to facilitate the acquisition of new skills and promote task engagement. A number of preference assessment methods are…

The interdisciplinary evaluation has been a well-established process in centers for neurodevelopmental disabilities, but it is costly and may generate long waiting lists that can delay early diagnosis and treatment. An alternative evaluation paradigm was designed, using a specific screening approach, to improve use of staff time without…

Pragmatic language skills are important for developing relationships with others, and for communicating with a range of interlocutors in a variety of contexts, including preschool and elementary school classrooms. Pragmatic language difficulties frequently are a primary area of disability for children diagnosed with autism, Asperger's syndrome,…

Literature-based quality of life dimensions for individuals with disabilities were derived and proposed as a conceptual model, which was supported by 1,243 empirical measures in 87 studies. The studies were analyzed for demographic variables, type of investigation, methods of assessment and their psychometric properties, and common dimensions of…

A conceptual model of quality of life, developed at the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Toronto (Canada), and associated instrumentation for collecting data from persons with developmental disabilities are presented. Results from a preliminary study with 41 participants support the reliability and validity of the model's…

Research is cited to corroborate the lack of conceptual models for building a functional psychological evaluation system for developmentally disabled persons. A model is proposed for individualized evaluation/assessment using a functional approach and based on the cognitive-behavioral perspective. The model can be used to determine directions in…

Discusses the use of different medications for people with developmental disabilities and presents a paradigm for integrating behavior-analytic and psychopharmacological treatment interventions. The model is consistent with the least restrictive, yet effective, treatment philosophy and addresses assessment and treatment of medical issues,…

Research in assessment and intervention with developmentally disabled children has led to important advances in recent years. This article identifies conceptual and practical issues important to the process of behavioral assessment, and presents a framework for the behavioral assessment of the developmentally disabled, with special emphasis on…

The concept of quality of life (QOL) has become an important public policy and service delivery issue within the mental retardation/developmental disabilities field. QOL measurement focuses on a number of personal and environmental factors, including independence, productivity, living/residential environment, interpersonal and community…

This article describes a comprehensive model of clinical peer review that was established at a large behavioral healthcare organization serving children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities. The purpose of peer review is to provide routine evaluation of practice standards that will produce the highest quality of habilitative…

Provides an overview of play in occupational therapy. Examines how occupational therapists' view of play has evolved and offers a model of play as occupation to illustrate how children's ability to play is influenced by developmental disabilities. Also outlines occupational-therapy assessment and treatment practices that use play and identifies…

This article describes an ecocultural approach to assessing families of young children with developmental disabilities, drawing heavily on information about families' daily routines and accommodations. The role of place and context in assessment is discussed, and case material from two current projects is provided to illustrate the assessment and…

This paper outlines a framework for documenting the impact of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities' University Affiliated Programs (UAP) on three domains: clients and their families, systems of services or higher education, and leveraging of resources. The paper identifies characteristics associated with successful UAP development and…

The paper compares evaluation requirements established under P.L. 94-103 (Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act) and P.L. 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act). The correspondence of the requirements to traditional evaluation models is noted, and obstacles to implementation of the evaluation procedures are…

The document is designed to provide practical information for teachers, parents, group home workers, work activity personnel, and others interested in developing social interaction skills and appropriate social behaviors in developmentally disabled adolescents and young adults. An introductory section discusses social problems of the…