One of a series of materials developed by Project APT (Administrators, Parents, and Teachers/Assessment, Programing, and Training), a program designed to foster home/school coordination in educational planning and program implementation for severely mentally retarded and/or multiply handicapped students; the booklet focuses on techniques for…

Self-induced vomiting in a severely retarded visually impaired adult was reduced by consistent application of restitutional overcorrective strategy. (Author/CL)

Through the use of a multielement design, a procedure incorporating response-contingent music was demonstrated to be effective in increasing upright head positioning for six profoundly retarded, multihandicapped students (14-19 years old). (CL)

Clozapine, a neuroleptic drug, was used to complete a 93-week double-blind crossover trial with a 40-year-old male having profound mental retardation and sensory impairments and displaying self-injurious behavior (SIB) patterns. Findings suggest that clozapine could be an effective pharmacological intervention for some cases of SIB. (DB)

Four profoundly retarded multiply handicapped children (with a mean age of 12 years) were placed in a situation where auditory stimulation was made contingent on a visually directed lever-pulling response. (Author/MH)

The study evaluated the effectiveness of an electric vibrator on the deceleration and/or extinction of 10 self abusive and aberrant behaviors in a profoundly retarded, nonambulatory 25 year old female who could not hear, see, or speak. At the end of 41 twenty minute sessions, seven of the target behaviors approached extinction and three were…

A quasi-experimental approach was used to study the effect of different types of summer programs in Alberta (Canada) on the skills and behaviors of severely handicapped children ages 2 1/2 to 18 years. The experimental group, composed of 98 students, were enrolled in 6-week summer programs characterized as high structure (emphasizing specific…

This case study reports use of ignoring, positive reinforcement, passive restraint, and time-out in treatment of a 10-year-old girl with profound retardation and disruptive behaviors in home and classroom. Time-out was the most effective intervention with all three target behaviors, with improved behaviors maintained for at least six months.…

Thirty-eight institutionalized severely and profoundly retarded blind students (11 to 26 years old) were given a 100-session taped treatment program to increase vocal utterances both qualitatively and quantitatively. Ss made significant gains in quantity of utterances as reflected in a median test. (A categorization schema for quality of preverbal…

The literature on symbolic forms of communication was reviewed, and an experimental program was designed to teach a single set of vocabulary to a group of four institutionalized profoundly retarded blind/mute adults through the use of gestures. Literature about deaf/blind persons suggested the use of coactive movement techniques and facilitation…

An adolescent with severe mental retardation and cerebral palsy who displayed attention-maintained destructive behavior was exposed to noncontingent reinforcer delivery (NCR) with a high-preference or a low-preference stimulus while reinforcement for destructive behavior with attention remained in effect. NCR without extinction was effective only…

The study examined the extent to which momentary DRO (differential reinforcement of other behavior) maintained suppression (following initial treatment with whole-interval DRO) of the maladaptive behavior of nine severely multihandicapped elementary aged students. Results indicated that momentary DRO maintained response suppression comparable to…

In a single-subject design with replication across Ss, teacher prompts were used in an attempt to increase the rate of social behavior of three severely and profoundly retarded adolescents who were legally blind. Training took place in the classroom on successive school days with the teacher prompting each S to engage in positive social…

The relationship between stereotypy and the instructional environment of 3 children, ages 9-13, with severe mental retardation and dual sensory impairments was examined. Reductions in stereotypy were associated with staff-resident interaction and the presence of certified teaching staff; the children responded differently to various types of…