Over the past few decades, the role and presence of the paraprofessional, that is the educational assistant, within the classroom has evolved from providing teacher and student support to involving greater decision-making concerning instructional content and practice. The extent to which this shift is impacting students with a variety of mild to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the concurrent validity of subtests on the "Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language" (CASL) by comparing them with the assessment of communication and social skills on the "Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales" ("Vineland"). The participants were 35 children and…

Research has shown inclusive education to be extremely beneficial for students with developmental disabilities. One reported benefit is the increased accessibility to typical peers with the implication of increased opportunities to develop meaningful friendships. Many researchers and educators have developed strategies to help facilitate the…

This study examined sources of variability in physical activity (PA) of youth with developmental disabilities (DD), and determined the optimal number of days required for monitoring PA. Sixteen youth with DD wore two pedometers and two accelerometers for 9 days, including 5 weekdays (W) and 2 weekends (WK). A two-facet in fully crossed two-way…

This paper proposes that an organism's integrated repertoire of operant behavior has the status of a biological system, similar to other biological systems, like the nervous, cardiovascular, or immune systems. Evidence from a number of sources indicates that the distinctions between biological and behavioral events is often misleading, engendering…

Objective: The authors evaluated the confidence and willingness of resident graduates to treat individuals with intellectual disability (ID), following a residency rotation in developmental disability. Methods: Thirty-two graduates of a single residency program were surveyed regarding their post-residency experience with patients with intellectual…

Sensitivity theory attempts to account for the variability often observed in challenging behavior by recourse to the "aberrant motivation" of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this article, we suggest that a functional analysis based on environmental (challenging environments) and biological (challenging needs) motivating…

The ability to make choices, plan, and self-evaluate are among the primary skills included in the development of self-determination. This study was designed to determine if a teaching paradigm, which incorporates key elements of self-determination, is as effective and more efficient in teaching syntax than a traditional, clinician-directed…

In this report, the authors look at the freshman year course performance of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students who receive special education services and ask whether grades, course failures, absences, and on-track status are useful for identifying students who are at risk of dropping out. They also examine how academic behaviors, such as…

Background: Figurative language, such as metaphor and metonymy, is very common in daily language use. Its underlying cognitive processes are sometimes viewed as lying at the interface of language and thought. Williams syndrome, which is a rare genetic developmental disorder, provides an opportunity to study this interface because individuals with…

The booklet examines approaches in public awareness that may be used by Developmental Disabilities (DD) Councils. The eight chapters are explained to be an outgrowth of a national meeting of DD Councils. L. Wiseman, in "Beyond the Sixty-Second Solution," suggests that political action should be thought of as a public awareness resource,…

The presentation addresses the meaning of normalization and the dilemmas and challenges that confront social service professionals involved in attempting to incorporate the normalization principle into day treatment programs for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled persons. Effects of the current conservatism in governmental and social…

Five adults with developmental disabilities participated in a keyboard skills training program employing color coded keys and typing drills. Through typing skills, the subjects were taught basic computer operations such as taking disk directories, loading programs and executing the programs. Repetitious learning was the model used. Data collected…

Written primarily for founders and coordinators of citizen advocacy (CA) programs for the developmentally disabled, the manual provides practical tips on how to establish and administer a CA program. Part 1 (six chapters) gives an overview of citizen advocacy and tells how to start a CA program--how to assess community support, find a sponsor,…

The handbook is designed to assist parents of handicapped children with their estate planning and to provide relevant information for other interested persons such as attorneys and advocates. Considered are various ways of providing for handicapped individuals when parents can no longer care for them because of death or long term illness. Major…