A study examined differences between 30 high school students who participated in a peer buddy program with peers with severe disabilities and 30 who chose not to volunteer. After one semester, participants showed greater social willingness to interact with those with disabilities, greater knowledge of disabilities, and increased contact scores.…

A study involving an adult with severe mental retardation and other disabilities found that the addition of a communication device, job coach social facilitation training, and eliciting co-worker support for social integration increased the social interactions of the employee in a supported employment setting. (Contains references.) (CR)

A study investigated the effects of the Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) curriculum on the functional walking skills of five elementary students with severe, multiple disabilities. Repeated measures were taken during baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. All students demonstrated progress in taking reciprocal steps during…

This article reviews research on inclusion of students with severe disabilities and concludes that greater attention to the acquisition of functional skills may be necessary if inclusion is to realize its promise as an instructional model that benefits students across the range of skills areas necessary for independent adult life. (Contains…

This article describes the intervention strategies and quantitative analyses used to address the challenging behaviors of a 9-year-old boy with severe disabilities. A collaborative team including his mother designed and implemented functional assessment and hypotheses-based interventions that reduced problem behaviors and increased desirable…

A study of 151 parents of adolescents with severe disabilities found the adolescents primarily participated in family and home activities, with less frequent participation in school and community functions. Child characteristics and family variables influenced an adolescent's level of integration in home and community, with only child…

This article reviews the development of curriculum practices for students with severe disabilities and examines 3 components of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including: an emphasis on preparing for employment and independent living, access to the general curriculum, and participation in district-and state-wide assessments.…

This article describes a process for customizing instruction for students with profound multiple disabilities that has been used to design instructional programs and maximize attainment of functional outcomes. The process focuses on collaborative teamwork and problem solving to design and implement instructional programs and includes five major…

Observations in 100 congregated community and institutional day-program sites for individuals with severe disabilities indicated that approximately half of consumer time was spent in purposeful activity, 75 percent of which was age-appropriate. In 20 percent of the sites most activity was age-inappropriate. Recommended program evaluation and…

This study examined effects of an intervention consisting of a classwide peer tutoring program, multi-element curriculum, and accommodations on the academic responding and competing behaviors of three students with severe disabilities enrolled in general junior high school classes. Results indicated improved academic responding and reduced rates…

One hundred forty-nine inpatients within a maximum security psychiatric facility were assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995). Within the total sample, 68% had a psychotic disorder and 30% met criteria for psychopathy. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors tested the…

Background: Assessing and measuring subjective quality of life (QOL) for individuals with profound multiple disabilities (PMD) remain amongst the most difficult challenges for theorists and practitioners in the field. The usual approaches using proxy reporting by familiar others have been demonstrated to be of questionable reliability and validity…

Many parents of children with autism and other severe disabilities report heightened levels of stress due to the unique challenges their children present. Respite care is likely to alleviate some of the stress associated with caring for a child with a severe disability. However, it is often difficult for families to identify motivated and…

A comprehensive review was conducted of intervention studies designed to teach component skills of self-determination to individuals with severe disabilities. Twenty-one articles were analyzed regarding content and methodology. Results (a) support previous research on the efficacy of teaching choice making; (b) increase awareness of teaching…

Findings from two studies of 42 children with profound developmental delays (26 males and 15 females) using systematic and intense response-contingent learning opportunities interventions are reported. Response-contingent learning games were used to promote the participants' use of behavior that either produced environmental consequences or…