This study evaluated an HIV/AIDS education program provided to 31 employees of a sheltered workshop for persons with developmental disabilities. A survey of sexual activity supported the need for such a program. Comparison of pretest and posttest scores on an AIDS Risk Knowledge Test revealed an increase in knowledge that was related to the…

This paper outlines and reviews two types of interventions used with students with learning disabilities. Cognitive cue cards are regarded as a form of cognitive intervention and correspondence training is regarded as a behavioural intervention. It is concluded that both kinds of interventions are valuable and result in improvements in the…

Under Israeli law, national health insurance covers basic health care for all of the nation's residents, but health services users have to copay for medications and therapy. This study examined whether the requirement to copay for therapy services among certain subpopulations influences their compliance with meeting rehabilitation therapy…

The paper examines four assumptions of intervention programs that must be clarified before the question of efficacy can be addressed: (1) implicit theory of human development, (2) conceptualization of the specific interventions, (3) how developmental change is measured, and (4) strategies used for selecting program participants. A final discussion…

Sixty-four high-risk children were randomly assigned at birth to a more intense treatment condition (Educational Daycare Plus Family Education) or a less intense treatment condition (Family Education Alone). Both groups were compared to control Ss. IQ score gains at 36 months were greater for the more intense group than for the other two groups.…

The paper reviews research on training programs for parents of handicapped children, identifies shortcomings, and recommends remedies. Research is examined regarding overall effectiveness, differences in effectiveness attributable to certain program features, and durability and generalization. Recommendations include using a model of human…

Research is examined on the use of family members in interventions with children having severe handicaps. First, interventions addressing inappropriate behavior are reviewed, and then skill acquisition research is discussed. In general, evidence to date suggests that family members can be effective interventionists. (Author/CL)

A study of 156 K-3 classrooms revealed that the Adaptive Learning Enviornments Model, an educational approach that accommodates, in regular classes, a wider-than-usual range of individual differences, can be implemented effectively in a variety of settings, and that favorable student outcome measures coincide with high degrees of program…

Over 60 studies using behavioral strategies to suppress sterotypic responding in handicapped individuals were reviewed to identify populations studied, behavior observed, interventions employed, and relative effectiveness of interventions used alone or in combinations. Discussion center on relative effectiveness of interventions and their…

The effectiveness of the Developmental Educational Birth through Two Project is shown in increased developmental scores of the handicapped young children (changes indicative of up to four or five months of progress beyond expected levels) and less restrictive follow-up placements. (CL)

Evaluated impact of Rehabilitation Services Administration supported-employment system-change grant to Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation on supported employment outcomes. Compared differences between supported employment closures in system-change and non-system-change counties that could be attributed to system-change grant. Found…

Outlines considerations for program managers working with volunteers who have disabilities: accessibility of facilities; potential pitfalls; teamwork; placement; problem resolution; and communication with other staff. (SK)

A common deficiency in the verbal repertoires of individuals with autism and related disorders is the absence of socially appropriate vocal mands. The vocal mand repertoires of these individuals may be lacking in several respects: (a) The individual might engage in no mands whatsoever, (b) the mand might be topographically dissimilar to an…

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), LitTECH Outreach was a 3-year technology-based preschool literacy project conducted by staff at the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood, a research and development division of the College of Education and Human Services at Western Illinois…

This research synthesis verifies the effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for improving the functional communication skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The research synthesis was focused on the degree to which variations in PECS training are associated with variations in functional…