A program was implemented to increase the manual signing of five profoundly retarded (mean age, 19 years) and four autistic (mean age, 9 years) youth within their daily environment. (Author)

Replicating previous findings that the inability to "shift" conceptual attitude on the Weigl is consistent with indices associated with cortical dysfunction, the Weigl is shown to possibly serve as a nonverbal instrument to assess cortical dysfunction where inability to "shift" appears to tap a dysfunction in symbolic rather…

Administered the Hopelessness Scale to criminal psychiatric inpatients, general psychiatric inpatients, and college students. Both psychiatric groups endorsed significantly more items in the hopeless direction. Found the scale more reliable with the psychiatric patients. Item analysis of the Hopelessness Scale suggests that three items were not…

Institutionalized retarded clients (N=142) were assessed on the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) within six months of their admission to Woodhaven Center (Philadelphia) and approximately 12 to 18 months later. While clients were found to progress significantly on seven of the 10 domains of Part One of the ABS, no significant gains were noted on Part…

Summarizes the design and effects of a group therapy project using videotape feedback with seriously disturbed adolescents. Offers anecdotal evidence that the feedback facilitated the correction of the participants' distorted body images, low self-esteem, lack of capacity for self-observation, and poor peer relationships. (SS)

A study of 64 British people with learning disabilities examined the differences in the levels of engagement in purposeful activity between the people living in staffed homes (n=34) and those living in the hospital (n=30). Results found that differences in the level of disability between the two groups predicted the observed differences. (CR)

The representativeness of behavioral observation samples with durations of less than the whole time of interest was investigated with five profoundly mentally retarded physically handicapped adults in an institutional setting. It was found that the session representativeness was a function of the relative duration of the behavioral categories and…

Psychological distress, marital satisfaction, family adaptability, and cohesion are explored in 41 families with mentally retarded (MR) institutionalized youth and 38 comparison families. Multivariate analyses found no differences between groups, but univariate analyses revealed greater cohesion in families with MR offspring and stressed the…

A multidisciplinary team, including representatives from medicine, psychology, and residential living, examined 436 mentally retarded residents' regimen of psychotropic medications, with the goal of finding the least restrictive method of behavior management and lowest drug dosage. Significant reductions in psychotropic drug use were observed,…

Examines the overhaul of the treatment of Dutch criminal children between 1830 and 1880. Discusses reforms taken, including the placing of children considered reeducable in separate youth prisons. Argues that private institutions, like the Dutch Prison Society, sponsored these reforms. Analyzes the success rate of educating these children. (DB)

Describes the Maison Paternelle de St Antoine near Tours, France, which operated as a private institution for the correction of recalcitrant bourgeois adolescents from 1855 until 1909. Cites the suicide of an inmate as the factor which led to the closing of this facility and the focusing of attention in France on the rights of children. (KO)

A measure of quality of life called PALS was developed, focusing exclusively upon subjective psychological dimensions. The measure contains 4 scales (Perceived stress, Affect, Loneliness, and Satisfaction) and was normed with 100 individuals with mental retardation residing at a large facility. Potential uses and limitations of PALS are discussed.…

Examined adolescents' perceptions of their family environments and suicidal behavior. Fifteen suicidal adolescents, 14 psychiatric controls, and 14 normal controls rated their families on cohesiveness, adaptability, parent-adolescent communication, parental caring, and parental overprotectiveness. Suicidal adolescents rated their families as least…