This report describes a program designed to increase opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to lead good lives in places of their own, strengthen their communities, and enjoy a genuine sense of self-worth. In addition to offering independent services, the Training Toward Self-Reliance (TTSR) program staff have increased their…

This paper briefly discusses: violence as a context for verbal abuse; the legacy of student discipline in schools; a model indicating that verbal abuse is learned; data showing teachers do verbally abuse students; and a variety of ways to deal with this problem. Factors inducing teachers to exhibit aggressive behavior are identified and include:…

This paper introduces the subjectivist teaching/learning paradigm (STP), which uses students' social and cultural enculturation processes to structure affect-laden constructivist learning experiences focused in the subject area being taught. STP uses powerful learning experiences to promote two goals: enculturation into the subject area and…

Five severely disabled middle school students received peer training in self-monitoring their classroom behaviors. Teachers chose 11 target behaviors to increase student participation in the general education classroom. Each participating student was assigned a nondisabled eighth-grade peer tutor who received 8 weeks of training in delivery of…

This study investigated the need to include explicit attributional retraining in a program designed to teach self-regulation reading comprehension strategies to 60 Spanish children (grades 5-6) with learning disabilities. Regardless of attributional retraining, children improved on measures of cognitive strategies, but their gains were very low on…

This paper reviews what is known about the effectiveness of the more controversial use of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with people who have mental retardation. It examines self-management approaches (problem solving, anger management, and cognitive therapy) and psychodynamic psychotherapy. The paper concludes that there has…

This article is written by two British people with learning disabilities and their health care team. It is about their wish to move into homes in the community after years in hospitals. They explain the service experiences they have had and what they are looking forward to in the future. (CR)

Presents a study focusing on the effect of a self-management intervention. Included self-recording and goal setting for the behavior of eight-year-old boys attending a large suburban primary school. Suggests that the intervention was socially valid and cost effective. Includes references. (CMK)

This article discusses the writing problems of children with disabilities and the hallmarks of effective writing strategy instruction. Potential obstacles to strategy generalization are presented, followed by effective interventions, including: explicit modeling and practice of writing strategies, training self-regulatory behaviors, communicating…

This study describes the use of self-management procedures to improve the productivity of two women with mild mental retardation who worked in restaurants. Substantial improvements were observed as a function of treatment, and the procedures were deemed acceptable by the participants, their coworkers, and their supervisors. (Author/CR)

Outlines a curriculum designed to teach self-control skills to children. Presents ideas for impulse control, following school routines, managing group situations, managing stress, and solving social problems. Gives a detailed process for teaching a self-control skill and emphasizes the importance of practical experience. (RJM)

This study evaluated effects of a training package to improve behaviors of residents with mental retardation and staff responses. The training procedure included video feedback and self-management procedures (for residents) and video and graphic feedback (for staff). Results showed improved behaviors for residents with both internalizing and…

This article provides a rationale for the use of choice in home and school environments, advocates for the systematic and careful use of choice as an intervention strategy, provides examples for embedding choice, and discusses guidelines for use and factors that may limit the use of choice. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This study found six students (ages 5-7) with multiple disabilities correctly used a choice card to set goals, assign worksheets, complete work, and evaluate results more frequently during independent work sessions that followed a student choice condition than in independent work sessions that followed a teacher choice condition. (Contains 8…

Notes that the challenge for state child welfare services when young people leave care is to prepare them to cope with pressures surrounding this transition. Reviews existing research to explore current practice in England and Northern Ireland, and considers whether recent legislative reform in the two jurisdictions will help develop policy and…