This study examined the effects of two training methods (interest-based method vs. traditional method) in improving independent problem solving performance of students with mild mental retardation representing three cultural backgrounds (African-American, European-American and Nigerian) as measured by Edeh Scale of Interpersonal Problem…

We examined the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS; Frost & Bondy, 2002) on the manding (requesting) and speech development of school-aged children with autism. In study 1, two participants, Damian and Bob, were taught PECS within a delayed multiple baseline design. Both participants demonstrated increased levels of manding…

Students with disabilities often have difficulties acquiring basic reading skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if private or public timed assessment readings with the Corrective Reading Program were more effective in improving students' reading fluency. An alternating treatments design was used with three male middle school students…

Curriculum modification strategies, particularly curriculum adaptations and augmentations, have been identified as important to enable learners with disabilities to achieve access to and progress in the general curriculum. There is, however, relatively little research on the effect of these strategies with students with intellectual and…

Numerous researchers have employed functional communication training (FCT) to address both the communication and behavioral needs of children with autism. Thus, the purpose of this review is to examine FCT, particularly, the environments and individuals involved in the training and the effectiveness of FCT with children who have a diagnosis of…

A multiple probe study across behaviors, replicated across students, assessed the effectiveness of simultaneous prompting (SP) in a small group teaching arrangement on teaching (a) to show the provinces, rivers, and border countries of Turkey on a map and (b) to expressively identify the names of the symbols which are usually used in math.…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of pyramidal training with direct care staff in group homes. Training focused on teaching staff how to provide opportunities for communication to non-speaking children with developmental disabilities to communicate. Staff were taught through a combination of a workshop, and nondirective consultation following…

Two staff members working in different preschools received training in the form of instructions, modeling, immediate feedback, and social reinforcement of good performance. Effects of training were assessed with a multiple baseline ABCDCDCD design. Correct use of basic behavioral teaching techniques increased from 16-31% to 92-95% and the rate of…

The purpose of the study was to investigate practices that high school teachers in Taiwan use to facilitate school-to-work transition, and to determine the importance ratings of each of these transition practices. A questionnaire with 28 transition practices was developed and sent out to the 125 participants in 24 special high schools in Taiwan;…

Music therapists regard music therapy as a valuable intervention for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability or multiple disabilities, but many special educators would regard it as a controversial practice, unsupported by empirical research. This paper reviews the goals and strategies used by music therapists working with students…

The psychometric properties of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Rating scale (Eaves, 2003) and the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (Gilliam, 1995) were investigated in this study. One hundred thirty-four individuals with autism, other pervasive developmental disorders, or conditions frequently confused with autism participated in the study. The…

We compared two procedures (video prompting versus video modeling) for teaching six adults with developmental disabilities to set a table and put away groceries. Video prompting involved 10 separate video clips, each showing one step of the task analysis. Video modeling involved a single video showing all 10 steps from beginning to end. After…

Parents of 209 children (162 males and 46 females) with autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome or learning disabilities ranging in age from 4 to 21 years were surveyed about their perceptions of the education of their children. Items on the survey were categorized into 7 areas: school personnel's knowledge about the disability, best practices,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of providing middle school students with moderate intellectual disabilities with letter-sound correspondence instruction using the Corrective Reading Program. The study also examined the generalization of decoding skills to untaught functional and community words. Participants were three…

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of the "cover write" method of teaching word-naming and spelling to two Turkish students with developmental disabilities. A multiple-probe design across three, 5-word sets was employed to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The "cover write" method was modified to…