A review of problems faced by sheltered workshops for disabled persons (low placement rates in open employment, nonconsideration of individual needs, poor financial rewards) includes an outline of a habilitation model featuring improved staff training, production and wages, vocational and nonvocational options, organization of training, and…

A within-subject reversal design was employed in a sheltered workshop to assess the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) in reducing inappropriate verbalizations by a severely retarded adult with Down's syndrome. (Author/CL)

In the first of a series of papers describing social relationships among mentally disabled adults who worked in four sheltered workshops, procedures for observing and interviewing clients and for interviewing staff members are reported and data on reliability and general levels of social behavior are cited. (Author/SBH)

Describes the job worksite program developed by Altro Workshops, Inc., Bronx, New York, to serve as an intermediate step between the protected vocational training workshop and the unprotected work world. Psychiatric clients of the workshop selected for the program were placed in facility-supervised or company-supervised jobs with generally good…

A two-stage problem-solving strategy involving cue cards and their gradual withdrawal was used to teach nine sheltered workshop employees how to prevent work-related accidents. Results indicated that participants used the strategy appropriately and generalized their skills to similar and dissimilar situations up to eight weeks after training.…

A survey of 216 adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities who belong to self-advocacy groups found that individuals unemployed and employed in sheltered settings perceived themselves as having less control than individuals employed competitively. Results are examined in light of quality of life findings, focusing on the need to include…

Analysis of videotapes of training procedures with 12 developmentally disabled adults in a horticultural day work program found an overall staff emphasis on selectively attending to workers' successful behavior with evidence of both efficiency and effectiveness of this approach. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses a German program that provides a network of sheltered workshops for those unable to work under competitive conditions. Specifically described is the program at Detmold, Westphalia, which uses job analysis and detailed appraisal of workers' social and psychological characteristics in its training program. (Author/DB)

Employers (N=1,369) on the Navajo reservation were identified, and a subgroup (N=122) participated in an Employer Account System (EAS) to provide detailed information about types of jobs available at their organizations. In addition, 239 closed client case files from the Navajo Vocational Rehabilitation Program (NVRP) were reviewed to determine…

Informal discussion groups, "rap groups", have been found to be an effective method for establishing rapport and understanding with mentally retarded adults in sheltered workshop settings. To investigate the use of rap groups as a field research approach with mentally retarded adults, four groups of 6 to 9 mentally retarded adults,…

Matters related to commission fees paid to the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and to the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH) were reviewed. These fees were paid by sheltered workshops that employed blind or other severely handicapped individuals and produced goods and services under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. The…

Effects of a self-instructional training procedure on the on-task behavior of four mentally retarded young adults in a sheltered workshop were investigated using a multiple-baseline design across subjects. The subjects chosen had been identified as demonstrating a high incidence of off-task behavior for small assembly tasks such as stamping and…