Interpersonal problem solving skills training, an approach to increasing social support and decreasing stress, was found to be a relevant and potentially helpful service intervention with three single parents and one couple, all of whom had developmentally disabled children. (CL)

Argues that knowledge from studies of individuals with sex chromosome abnormalities can further understanding of aspects of normal human development. Studies of XO girls, XXY boys, XXX girls, and males with a fragile X chromosome are summarized to demonstrate how results contribute to knowledge about normal cognitive development and about…

The author reviews principles of developmental programing for students with developmental delays. The stages of this approach begins with eye contact and other readiness skills and continues through instruction in cognitive, math, leisure, and independent functioning skills. (CL)

The article reviews literature pertaining to general effects of a developmentally disabled child on a family with particular emphasis on implications for families with learning disabled children. Covered are aspects of individual and family life cycles during various life stages, sibling adjustment, and intervention approaches with the child and…

This booklet presents ideas and experiences of members of People First of Tennessee, including those with disabilities, an organization that is working to improve the lives of people with disabilities who still live in institutions. Emphasis is on their role as "next friends," people who get the attention of a federal judge regarding…

This publication describes the programs and services offered through the Office of Developmental Disabilities of the Illinois Department of Human Services. Introductory information includes an overview of supports and service, a definition of "developmental disability," and a guide to the publication. This is followed by a description of…

This paper explains the brief stimulus preference procedure (SPA), which is designed to identify efficiently the effective reinforcers for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. SPA involves presenting the child with four items he/she generally responds well to plus one new item. After allowing the child to pick his preferred…

Investigated were J. Piaget's ideas of the sensory motor stage of intelligence by determining whether six developmentally delayed children (aged 21 to 31 months) could use two different strategies appropriately to look for two different tokens. (Author/DB)

A four-phase project to validate a graduate psychology training program in delopmental disabilities included development of a questionnaire, a survey of 94 professionals who rated competency areas, validation of subskills within each area, and revision of the final 15 competency areas. (CL)

For 80 developmentally disabled children (ages 6-10), scores on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests correlated moderately and significantly with IQ. Abstract reading skills correlated more fully with WISC-R Full Scale IQ than did concrete skills. The emotional importance of concrete learning patterns to these children is noted. (Author/SJL)

Letters were sent to 27 directors of sheltered workshops serving the developmentally disabled requesting their suggestions for topics considered relevant for the inservice training of direct line staff. The area of concern most frequently selected and rated as highest priority by direct line staff was ways to deal with the low-functioning client.…

Investigated the role of sensory reinforcement in motivation of rituals. Assessed the effect of sensory extinction for two children. Results showed light-switching rituals decreased when a certain sensory consequence was removed, then increased when that consequence was reintroduced. Different sensory consequences were functional for the children.…

A life career education program for 35 elementary multiply handicapped retarded students resulted in positive changes in areas of academics, communication, interest, self-concept, self-help, and task performance. (CL)

Individual Program Plans (n=163) from adults with developmental disabilities receiving community living support services in Australia were analyzed. While plans prepared by nongovernmental agencies were generally superior to governmental agency plans, the average level of plan presentation was poor. Only 14% of the plans offered any criterion for…

Seventeen patients with Asperger syndrome (AS) and a mean IQ of 97 were compared with a control group of 13 patients with normal intelligence or high-functioning autism. Results found that pedantic speech was common in the patients with AS and may help differentiate AS from high-functioning autism. (Author/CR)