The study investigated the effects of a self-instructional training package on the on-task behavior of four adults with mental retardation employed in a sheltered workshop. On-task behavior increased substantially across all subjects following the training and the behavior generalized from the training setting to the actual work environment.…

This study of 3 low-functioning children (ages 6-9) with autism found that subjects could successfully use pictures to manage their self-care behavior in the absence of a treatment provider, generalize their behavior across settings and tasks, and maintain behaviors at follow-up. When picture order was manipulated, subjects followed the new…

This article addresses teaching students with visual impairments metacognitive learning strategies to improve their academic performance. Topics discussed include intrinsic motivation and self-concept; structuring and activating schemata; using cognitive modeling and verbal self-instructional procedures; teaching self-regulatory procedures; and…

This study tested whether the application and transfer of segmentation and letter knowledge to reading could be encouraged by teaching spelling alongside code-based reading instruction, with five matched pairs of kindergarten children with developmental delays. Spelling and word reading performance significantly improved for the experimental…

This article presents the whole-language approach as an environment that is particularly suitable for students with learning disabilities. This approach can allow students control over their learning, encourages them to experiment and take risks in their learning, promotes self-monitoring strategies, and enhances memory. (SW)

Strategies and considerations for establishing initial communication repertoires in young children with severe disabilities are described using a case example of a four-year-old nonverbal child. Issues include: assessing unconventional forms of communication, motivating the child when being taught new communication forms, and promoting…

Evaluation of a classroom mnemonic instructional method to teach science content to 19 mildly disabled students (grades 6-8) found mnemonic instruction resulted in improved initial content acquisition, higher delayed-recall scores than traditional instructional procedures, and generalization of mnemonic strategies to novel content. Students…

Presents a method that connects the area formulas for triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids by focusing on the relationships between the bases and heights of each figure. Transformations allow figures to be reconceptualized to establish a general concept of area that can be applied to other figures. (MDH)

Peers with mild intellectual disabilities taught first aid skills to 4 students (ages 7-11) with moderate intellectual disabilities. Results suggested that the peer teaching program resulted in acquisition of first aid skills, and the participants' skills generalized to the home, to novel simulated-injury locations, and to new trainers.…

This study, which involved training four young adults with moderate or severe mental retardation on housekeeping and janitorial work skills, found that simulation instruction based on general case methodology can be used to teach complex sequences, that naturalistic instruction seemed more efficient than simulation instruction, and that neither…

This literature review examined the effectiveness of seven training programs for parents of junior high school students with learning disabilities. Parent training usually resulted in an increase in desired behaviors both at home and at school; difficulties encountered in parent training programs included lack of cooperation from parents and a…

Three typical preschoolers were trained as peer tutors for three young children with autism. Tutors used incidental teaching to obtain verbal labels of preferred toys by children with autism. Adult supervision and assistance were faded systematically with resulting maintenance of increased reciprocal interactions. (Author/JDD)

Thirty-one primary caregivers at group homes for clients with developmental disabilities completed a one-week workshop in behavioral theory and treatment techniques. Trainees showed increased treatment skills, but preworkshop and postworkshop observations indicated no evidence that the workshop had any effect on group home client functioning.…

Three children (ages 4-5) with autism and mental retardation were treated for deficits in self-initiated speech. A treatment package employing visual cue fading was compared with a graduated time-delay procedure. Both treatments included training multiple self-initiated verbalizations using multiple therapists and settings. Both treatments were…

This study of the effects of intensive multisensory speech training on the speech production of a profoundly hearing-impaired child (age nine) found that the addition of Visual Phonics hand cues did not result in speech production gains. All six target phonemes were generalized to new words and maintained after the intervention was discontinued.…