The GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and A/AS-level examination results for 295 United Kingdom students with blindness/visual impairments were analyzed. GCSE data showed no difference between visually impaired and sighted students, whereas visually impaired students performed better than sighted students on A/AS-level…

A survey involving 445 children (ages 0-19) with mental retardation in Castilla-Leon (Spain) found that about 11% were subjected to maltreatment, with physical neglect being the most frequent. The survey also addressed the relationship between maltreatment and age, maltreatment and degree of disability, socioeconomic and educational levels, and…

This study found that word learning ability in only 10 of 20 children (ages 7-10) with hearing impairment (HI) was comparable to performance of 20 hearing children matched for receptive vocabulary knowledge. Degree of hearing loss was not related to language or word-learning abilities. Results suggest the coexistence of a language impairment for…

Phonological abilities of 12 Cantonese-speaking children (ages 4-7) with hearing impairments are described in terms of consonant, vowel, and tone inventories; phonological error patterns; and lexical comprehension. Unexpected results were seen in children's mastery of the perception and production of lexical tone and the lack of performance…

An open, prospective assessment of the treatment of severe aggression and self-injurious behavior (SIB) with paroxetine in 15 institutionalized persons with mental retardation was undertaken. Frequency and severity of aggression and SIB were charted. Results found that aggression severity only was reduced over the entire four-month follow-up…

A survey of 460 parents of children with mental retardation found that perceptions of inclusion were significantly influenced by characteristics of the parent and the child as well as by factors associated with the child's placement history. Factors influencing these perceptions differed according to varying dimensions of inclusion being…

Uses a table to summarize the literature on the relationship between the degree of hearing loss (normal, minimal, mild, moderate, severe, profound, and unilateral) and possible effects on speech and language comprehension, possible socioemotional impact, and potential educational needs and programs. (DB)

This study examined the relationship between degree of visual impairment and the self-reports of psychological distress by 167 Icelanders (ages 18-69) and 100 between the ages of 70-97, who were blind or had low vision. The study found that self-reports of psychological distress and perceptions of unhappiness varied significantly with the degree…

According to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, persons with disabilities--especially those with severe disabilities--had lower rates of laborforce activity, were more restricted in their choice of occupation, were less likely to work full time, and were less likely to work in higher paying occupations than their counterparts with no…

A study investigated the situation and characteristics of people with mental retardation reported to exhibit challenging behaviors in two areas of England. Results indicate challenging behaviors were shown by 10-15 percent of people with mental retardation, two-thirds were men/boys, and close to two-thirds were adolescents or young adults.…

Forty seven children with severely impaired hearing, fitted with a cochlear implant, and 40 children with moderately impaired hearing, fitted with hearing aids, were evaluated using speech perception, production, and language measures over a 3-year period. Few differences were found between the groups, suggesting the implant improves hearing…

This attempt to determine the reliability of the Modified Ashworth Scale for assessing the severity of muscle spasticity for ankle plantarflexors in 30 patients with traumatic brain injury concluded that the reliability was minimally adequate to support the scale's continued use. Interrater reliability was less than that previously reported for…

Responses from 1,430 elementary teachers to a mail survey found that most had at least 1 student with a disability, that teachers of students with disabilities reported a greater need for most resources and supports, and that teachers with students they rated as more severely disabled were more likely to report needing additional…

Sixty children (ages 8-10) with severe reading disabilities received daily intensive one-to-one instruction that differed in depth and extent of instruction in phonemic awareness and phonemic decoding. Both approaches were highly effective in improving reading accuracy and comprehension although measures of reading rate showed continued severe…

A study investigated phenotypic effects seen in 114 females with premutation and 41 females (ages 18-58) with full Fragile X mental retardation gene mutation. Those with the full mutation had a greater incidence of hand-flapping, eye contact problems, special education help for reading and math, and grade retention. (Author/CR)