It is argued that self-injury should be conceptualized within accepted diagnostic schemes prevalent in the United States and abroad. This approach would more clearly emphasize to practitioners the nature of the problem and would legitimize it for reimbursement by third party payers. (Author/CL)

Depression in mentally retarded persons is examined in terms of incidence and prevalence, diagnostic issues (including assessment approaches), and treatment procedures (including drug therapy and behavioral approaches). (CL)

Background: The behavioural function of handmouthing has been assessed across various studies utilising analogue functional analyses. The aim of the current study was to expand upon research on this relatively understudied behaviour by examining the relationship between handmouthing and "Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder" (GERD), and the potential…

Since their introduction, antipsychotic medications have been used widely to treat conditions other than psychiatric disorders, especially among individuals with mental retardation. Researchers have shown that the prevalence rates of psychotropic medication prescriptions among this population are extremely high. Given the limited empirical data to…

Fifty-seven individuals with severe mental retardation, including 18 with a diagnosis of depression, 19 with autism and 20 without emotional disorders, tested the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped II (DASH-II) depression subscale. Results found DASH-II to be a valid indicator of depression. (CR)

A study of 233 individuals with severe mental retardation examined the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) through correlation with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). DASH-II as a whole was found to have a high degree of convergent validity with the ABC total score. (CR)

Prevalence rates of epilepsy are much higher among persons with developmental disabilities compared to the general population. Anticonvulsant medication is the most common method of treating seizure disorders. Many of these antiepileptic medications (AEDs) are associated with various side effects, which may have detrimental effects on the social…

A study tested the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) for determining the presence of mania (bipolar disorder) in 22 individuals with severe mental retardation. Results found the mania subscale to be internally consistent and able to be used to classify manic and control subjects accurately. (Author/CR)

An evaluation was made of the empirical validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) with 51 individuals with severe/profound mental retardation, some of whom were also diagnosed with autism, and controls. The Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder subscale of the DASH-II was internally consistent and just as…

This study, involving 1,245 institutionalized adults with severe and profound mental retardation, compared individuals with and without autistic features, as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II). Core and associated features of autism in this population are identified, and characteristics of persons with…

This study represents the first to assess whether a relationship between manic symptoms and feeding/mealtime behavior problems exists in individuals with ID. Participants were compared across three groups (manic, non-manic psychiatrically impaired, and controls) on the diagnostic assessment for the severely handicapped-revised (DASH-II) and young…

The initial psychometric properties of the Assessment for Dual Diagnosis (ADD), a new scale designed to screen for psychopathology in individuals with mild and moderate mental retardation, was examined. The ADD was found to have high stability across raters, high stability over time, and good internal consistency. (Author/DB)

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…