A nonverbal learning disability is believed to be caused by damage, disorder or destruction of neuronal white matter in the brain's right hemisphere and may be seen in persons experiencing a wide range of neurological diseases such as hydrocephalus and other types of brain injury (Harnadek & Rourke 1994). This article probes the relationship…

In this study we characterized profiles of communicative functions and forms of children with autism and intellectual disability (n = 26), as compared to typically developing children (n = 26) with a comparable nonverbal mental age (2-5 years). Videotapes of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales--Developmental Profile were analyzed using…

Choice in the job seeking process may lead to increased satisfaction with the chosen job, and improve attention, performance, and motivation. Consequently, providing opportunities to express choices and interests while planning vocational activities is a key factor in achieving employment outcomes. Despite their commitment to promoting…

Three studies examining the effects of correspondence training (reinforcement for matching verbal and nonverbal behavior) with 22 mildly and moderately retarded students revealed that the approach can be used to decrease maladaptive and increase adaptive behavior and that it can produce generalized behavior change. (CL)

In two studies of verbal instruction of young mentally retarded adults, increasing the speed of verbal instruction reduced the level of nonverbal performance, particulary in subjects with poor nonverbal scores. Slight increases in speed of instruction can have major and negative impacts. Redundancy in verbal instruction inhibits nonverbal…

Results of a study comparing the outcome of a reinforcement (do only) procedure with correspondence (say/do) training indicated no apparent differences in generalization between two groups of mentally retarded adults (N=12). Rule-governed behavior, rather than verbal regulation of behavior, may best account for behavior changes seen in…

The educational relevance of a nonverbal procedure for assessing learning potential in educable mentally handicapped persons was tested with a classroom laboratory science program in electricity. (Author)

A battery of immediate memory tests was given to eight mentally retarded Down's Syndrome Ss, eight controls matched on chronological age (CA), and eight controls matched on mental age (MA). All Ss were required to identify both receptively and expressively 24 items from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. There was no significant difference…

"Picture Exchange Communication System" (PECS) training was implemented with 5 nonspeaking adults with mental retardation who were not currently using any type of functional communication system. A modified ABAB, single-subject design was used to assess the effectiveness of PECS in enhancing the functional communication skills of these…

Evaluated were variables effecting the differential performance of 627 educable mentally retarded Ss (mean age 14.5 years) on a test-train-retest task designed to measure learning potential. Family, social, health, schooling, and testing data were collected for the Ss of which 75% were students in public school special classes and 25% were…

The purpose of this study was to examine effectiveness of simultaneous prompting in teaching pointing to numerals to individuals with autism. Three individuals with autism were taught pointing to numerals, which were orally named by the teacher using simultaneous prompting. A multiple probe design was used across three behaviors and replicated…

It was found that Ss in all conditions showed significant pretest to post-test performance increases on the telephone skills tasks--suggesting that, for skill development tasks with retarded adults, demonstration and verbal summaries may add little to the practice experience and that group delivery of training procedures is cost-effective.…