Described are the objectives, activities, and outcomes of a program to provide individualized educational programing to 55 multiply handicapped children from preschool through primary grades at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in 1971-72. Noted are staff cohesiveness in defining and implementing instructional programs and the…

A continuation of a report (EC 004 818) presents appended case studies of 15 children involved in a residential school program for the multiply handicapped blind. Each study provides information and developmental history, medical data, personal hygiene, eating habits, physical development, psychological adjustment, object recognition, classroom…

Critiques the assumptions about the nature and meaning of disability advanced in social-psychological writing, suggests the origins of these assumptions, and proposes a return to a Lewinian/minority-group analysis of the situation of people with disabilities. Introduces the other articles in this issue. (Author/ BJV)

Suggestions for resource room teachers working with visually impaired learning disabled students include: consideration of students' unique learning needs; assessment of functional vision; use of assistive devices (such as closed-circuit television); classroom arrangement that facilitates organization and movement; and basic skills instruction…

Follow-up study of mildly mentally retarded adults (N=40) hospitalized as adolescents for psychiatric disorders 10 years earlier rated 30 percent as having "fair to good" vocational and social adjustment; 42.5 percent indicated "marginal" adjustment. These ratings were poorer than those found for mentally retarded individuals without psychiatric…

Four interdisciplinary programs for the developmentally disabled are described: (1) a paraprofessional degree training program; (2) supported employment for institutionalized adults; (3) a service/research program in the area of communication technology and training for nonspeaking persons; and (4) a communication skills program for persons who…

A staff supervision and classroom management program to increase involvement in functional task activities (e.g., self-help, leisure, social/communication) was implemented in three classes serving 19 students (ages 11-36) with profound mental and physical handicaps. Large increases in functional task involvement and smaller increases in student…

This videotape explains common vision tests used with infants with multiple disabilities, shows how to gather information from parents on their children's use of vision, and demonstrates selected early intervention strategies for encouraging infants and young children with multiple disabilities to use their vision in functional ways. The videotape…

Now in its fourth edition, this highly respected, bestselling textbook gives undergraduate and graduate students up-to-the-minute research and strategies for educating children with severe and multiple disabilities. This popular core text--for 15 years, a staple of teacher training programs in special education and related fields--thoroughly…

This paper addresses the special problems in assessment of pupils who are congenitally or prelingually deafblind and who may have other disabilities, and argues that nonintrusive instruments and procedures are the assessment tools of choice. It contends that not enough attention has been given to developing, validating, and applying assessment…

Over a 3-year period, interviews were conducted with parents, caregivers, teachers, and social workers of 29 young children with complex multiple disabilities in rural Alaska. Discrepancies were found between perceptions of parents and professionals about the nature of support and the focus of intervention policies and delivery systems. (RE)

Describes procedures for mainstreaming multihandicapped children at the elementary level in a program designed to meet children's individual needs while developing positive social skills, self-esteem, communication skills, and daily living skills. Notes benefits for regular education students. (Author/SV)

This overview describes the prevalence and etiology of the population of children who are deaf blind; considers service delivery and resource systems currently in place; and discusses current and future issues including provision of transition services, lack of qualified teachers, and lack of related and support services. New initiatives are…

This article describes an assessment approach for students with severe and multiple disabilities, SMH.PAL, that employs expert system technology. The system matches behavior topography with studies describing treatment approaches and then generates case-specific, annotated descriptions of potentially useful articles. It also models an approach to…

This article describes the Bay Area Personnel System, a consultative resource program which provides supported employment services for individuals with dual sensory impairments (and often severe mental retardation). A case study details a specific instructional mobility program, focusing on job tasks at a pizza restaurant and instructional…