This paper, in reviewing four different studies, discusses the influence of some basic parameters or aspects of a sign on the accuracy of perceiving that sign. This information can aid the teaching of signs to the mentally retarded, the autistic, the cerebral palsied, and the hearing adult. A series of studies was conducted in which the aim was to…

This paper summarizes the recent advances achieved by research in the area of developmental disabilities, and discusses directions for future research in this area. Approximately 8 to 10 per cent of the pediatric population suffers from one or more developmental disabilities. The most common of these are learning disabilities, which include some…

Viewed from an ecological perspective, maternal sense of competence and social support would be expected to influence a mother's spontaneous interactions with her infant. In this study 29 mother-infant dyads were visited in their homes when the infants with cerebral palsy were 18 months old. Infants' solitary spontaneous play and mother-infant…

The use of Carba-linguaduc equipment (an electronic device that facilitates communication in the nonverbal) in the teaching of basic reading skills was compared to gestural yes/no responses in a study with four severely cerebral palsied/moderately retarded young adults (ages 20 to 30). Results indicated that significant language learning was…

This study examined behavioral development during the first year of life of 41 infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hypotonia, or hypertonia. The KID Scale, an empirically normed, caregiver-report inventory which covers behavior in five domains (cognitive, motor, language, self help, and social) was administered at about 5, 9, and 12 months…

A congenitally blind boy 2 months old, a Down's syndrome girl 4 months old, and a cerebral palsied boy 14 months old were studied in depth to evaluate the impact of an early intervention program focusing on parent training. All three children progressed and achieved near or above normal functioning for their ages within a 4 to 5 month period.…

Contingent social reinforcement was applied differentially to aid the behavioral and educational development of a 9-year-old severely retarded nonverbal female with quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. Four behaviors prerequisite and collateral to beginning language development were defined and measured: eye contact, head control, initiative…

The paper focuses on coordination of an educational program for non-ambulatory cerebral palsied and profoundly retarded clients (21 years old and younger) in a residential setting not being served by the Texas Education Department. Covered in outline form are the school's requirements governing educational programs, program development,…

A case study of a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and severe mental retardation investigated whether he would be able to: (1) benefit from a program of supports which includes neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with intensity sufficient to achieve a tetanic muscle contraction, (2) participate in a weekly program, using NMES, in a…

The paper addresses issues involved in the management of and curriculum for children with sensory impairments combined with cerebral palsy. The first part details typical deformities and their causes in children with cerebral palsy, and describes (with illustrations) techniques for therapeutic handling and positioning in daily living tasks at home…

This paper explains the use of a unique experimental therapy for students with a type of cerebral palsy specifically called Botox. Botulinum Toxin Type A has been tried on a sizable number of students with cerebral palsy in clinical settings to reduce spastic and dystonic movements. By injecting Botox into overly tight heel cords, a normal or near…

The report describes a study which looked at two-way interactions among teachers and severely physically disabled and nondisabled children who were followed from kindergarten through first grade. Seven of the children had cerebral palsy and one a muscular disorders. Data collection included direct classroom observation on 74 days; interviews with…

This paper is concerned with the Aristotelian notion of "universal" as applied to phonological phenomena. It is claimed that speech production in children and adults, in normal and deviant speakers, and in a variety of languages, can all be described according to the same universal phonological rules which constitute the universal process of…

The paper describes a data-based vocational curriculum for multiple handicapped adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy. Three care studies illustrate the different types of curricula that may lead to employment in the areas of micrographics filming, computer skill, and clerical work. The approach incorporates a task analysis orientation…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that used indirect language stimulation techniques and modeling to encourage language development in a 5-year-old child with cerebral palsy. Initially, the student's communication system had very severe limitations. He used fewer than 10 spoken words which were unintelligible to most listeners. Both…