The study's results showed that the self-instruction procedure used by four severely retarded adults led to improved vocational skills as indicated by increased work production rates and a concomitant decrease in the number of errors. (Author/DB)

Three mentally handicapped students (aged 13, 36, and 40) with maladaptive speech received training to answer questions with verbal labels. The results of their cues-pause-point training showed that the students replaced their maladaptive speech with correct labels (answers) to questions in the training setting and three generalization settings.…

The relative effectiveness of three procedures for increasing vocal response to prompt in 15 preschool children with Down Syndrome was compared. Light-dimming and visual screening, when combined with positive reinforcement, were both found to be significantly more effective than positive reinforcement alone. (Author/JDD)

A behavioral consultation approach was effectively used to reduce problem behaviors in 2 field studies with 3 students (ages 10-14) having severe or profound mental retardation and their teachers. Intervention involved extinction of inappropriate behaviors, reinforcement of appropriate play behaviors, and teaching verbal skills functionally…

Two individuals with severe mental retardation, participants in a supported employment program, were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplar training to solve work-related problems. Use of the combined strategy resulted in generalization of self-instruction statements and correct responses to untrained problem…

Seven papers address the teaching of self-management skills to disabled persons in supported employment settings. In "Competitive Employment: Teaching Mentally Retarded Employees to Maintain Their Work Behavior," (Frank Rusch and others), external cues managed by job coaches are contrasted to self-generated cues leading to employee self…

The investigation assessed effects of a self-management training program on the production rates of four severely mentally retarded workers. The program comprised self-instructions, goal setting, and self-reinforcement. Results indicated that the program substantially improved the production rates for all workers for up to three months. (Author/DB)

Parents of four nonverbal and four echolalic autistic children, aged five-nine, were trained to increase their children's speech by using the Natural Language Paradigm. Following training, parents increased the frequency with which they required their children to speak, and children increased the frequency of their verbalizations in three…