This fact sheet on mental retardation is offered in both English and Spanish. First it provides the federal definition of mental retardation and discusses components of the definition. Causes of mental retardation are briefly noted, and incidence figures are provided. Typical characteristics of people with mental retardation are mentioned.…

This paper reviews the literature on the intellectual abilities and performance of deaf learners within educational settings. The paper addresses such questions as whether deaf learners learn differently from hearing learners; whether deaf learners have the same intellectual capacity as hearing learners; how opinions have changed regarding the…

This guide outlines who may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches, such as individuals with speech handicaps, visual impairments, physical disabilities, and cognitive impairments. The guide distinguishes between "low tech" approaches such as signal systems and communication boards and "high…

This report analyzes the incidence of learning disabilities among individuals in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and other employment training programs and the impact of these learning disabilities on programmatic approaches to functional literacy assessment and training. The report examines the proportion of target individuals likely to be…

This leaflet discusses alcohol and other drug abuse prevention for individuals with hidden disabilities such as cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, kidney failure, hemophilia, hypertension, early stages of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or heart disease. Their increased risk for alcohol and other drug abuse and reasons for increased risk are…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of living in dual parent or single parent families on the school readiness of preschool children. The subjects were 40 prekindergarten children attending a program for at-risk children in a suburban school district. The results of an annual preschool screening test were utilized to determine…

This document provides a guide to quality treatment foster care programming for children with special emotional, behavioral, medical or developmental needs. Treatment foster care meets the needs of such children and their families through implementation of home-treatment plans by foster parents who are trained, supervised, and supported by social…

Suggestions to help school administrators develop and implement a systematic crisis response system are provided in this guidebook, which focuses on system organization rather than staff training. The guidelines are designed to help administrators prepare for, manage, and evaluate site-based responses to various crisis situations, specifically,…

This practicum attempted to modify the antisocial behavior of 25 early adolescent children classified as having emotional disturbances by a training program to facilitate the development of affective skills in their mothers. The 8-month training program involved discussion groups, social activities, and individual and/or small group meetings with…

The purpose of these Utah behavioral intervention policies and procedures is to provide state-of-the-art guidelines for educators dealing with the behavior problems of students with disabilities. The standards serve to assure that students have access to effective education procedures and due process, and that school districts minimize their risk…

This paper presents a case study of successful intervention with a boy (in fourth grade at the time of the intervention) who would not speak in the school environment. Intervention involved medication with Fluoxetine to relieve anxiety, parental involvement, and a six-step behavioral therapy plan of gradually increasing speech demands in the…

This fifth annual report describes activities of Colorado's Statewide system of services and supports in compliance with Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report notes an increasing emphasis on the following: values-oriented planning with extensive family involvement, interagency coordination, coordinated…

This final report of the Wisconsin Family-Centered Inservice Project describes the development, testing, implementation, and evaluation of an interdisciplinary inservice course for early interventionists and parents. The inservice course focused on attitudes, knowledge, and skills in four principal topic areas: (1) family-centered care, (2)…

This booklet summarizes the activities of Reading Recovery programs in North America for the period 1984 to 1993. The first section of the booklet provides an overview of the program, presents a typical Reading Recovery lesson, and discusses professional staff development in Reading Recovery. The second section considers whether Reading Recovery…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of the first two years of the Reading Recovery program at the McAllen Independent School District, Texas. Thirteen campuses participated in the first year (1991-92) while 16 campuses participated in 1993. In addition, the Literacy Program, designed to expand the positive effects of Reading Recovery strategies in…