Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales scores and measures of intellectual functioning obtained for 44 children (ages 4-13) with autism, 21 with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and 30 with developmental disorders, indicated autism and combined nonautism groups could be differentiated on socialization, daily living skills, and…

The industrial arts and home maintenance curricula for TMH students are structured to train and prepare them for work, in a program for children 5 to 21. The basic unit, presented monthly by the academic classroom teacher, is daily reinforced by all special areas. Task analysis unifies teaching and evaluation. (AJ)

The curriculum guide is intended for those who live and work with mentally retarded adults and for mentally retarded adults attempting to succeed in community living. The first section focuses on training staff and provides guidelines for describing the content and methods employed in the curriculum. Research on such issues as self-concept, sex…

A program created to help mentally retarded adults move from a state facility to an independent living situation in Jackson, Mississippi, is described. The three stages of the program are outlined as follows: (1) new clients are housed in a cluster unit of apartments close to staff housing, during which time they are assessed according to the…

This paper discusses the instruction of adult performance outcomes and life skills in classes for students with mental disabilities. Basic considerations in teaching life skills include teaching for lifelong learning, teaching for relevancy, and teaching beyond textbooks and classrooms. Several strategies have contributed to the success of…

The effectiveness of independent living programs for developmentally disabled persons in Los Angeles County was examined using a sample of 33 clients (ages 18-50) who exited such programs between June 1984 and June 1986. All but one were mentally retarded; seven also had either cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Survey forms for each client were…

Presented is an instrument (behavior checklist) designed to assess the skill of trainable mentally retarded (TMR) students in performing specific tasks at all levels. Self care, motor, social, and cognitive skills or tasks are categorized according to three levels of competency. The first level includes the development of the very basic…

Thought processes involved in counting and comparing small amounts of money were studied among 34 children and adolescents with Down's syndrome or mental retardation of unknown etiology and 15 normally developing first graders. Few intergroup differences were found in children with mental retardation. As complexity of counting tasks increased,…

The behavior chain interruption strategy was used to teach four students with mental retardation and severe communication disorders the skill of requesting. All students learned requesting with a routine using graphic symbols and generalized these skills to two untaught routines. All also generalized requesting to out-of-routine contexts involving…

Residential specialists (N=759) in public and private facilities for mentally retarded adults were surveyed to identify the skills that they consider essential for mentally retarded adults to function in different residential settings (unsupervised apartment, supervised apartment, and group home). Significant differences were found among settings…

The Storefront School for mentally disabled youth in Ottawa (Ontario) serves as both a classroom and a headquarters for students who are assigned work in the shopping mall. Visibility of the program makes the public more aware of the potential of the mentally handicapped. (MLF)

A review of the literature identified 43 studies that provided instruction in money skills for individuals with mental retardation. Most studies taught money skills in the context of making purchases or classroom instruction on money computation. Guidelines are offered for research and practice. (DB)

Twenty individuals with mild retardation and 20 individuals with moderate retardation participated in simulated instruction and/or community training of four functional living tasks. Participants with mild retardation performed better on simulated tasks and in the community settings, however, in many situations, community training was sufficiently…

The father of a retarded adult describes the development of a course designed to teach independent living skills to mentally retarded adults living in a group home in Israel. The course included instruction on home management, food preparation, and interpersonal skills. How initial neighborhood opposition diminished is recounted. Difficulties…