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This study explores the content validity of a pro le used to describe the communication behaviour of people with intellectual disabilities. The pro le, named Biala-II-a Wiradjuri (an Australian Aboriginal language) word for "I understand you"-makes use of the knowledge of informants who are able to provide speci c and detailed information on the ways in which a person communicates. This information can be used by "communication partners" to guide their interactions with a person whom they do not know well. Five samples of experts-parents, researchers, residential workers, speech pathologists, and special education teachers-rated 16 "best practice" indicators and then rated Biala-II in relation to these indicators. They also answered questions about speci c features of the pro le with attention to the methodology employed and the likelihood that its use would improve communication with people with an intellectual disability. The results reveal a high level of support for the pro le. tive impairments. Instead, Biala-II emphasises and operationalises recent themes in the literature that are based on the conceptualisation of communication as a transactional process "in which those persons communicating are mutually responsible for what occurs" (Verderber, 1991, p. 4). These themes emphasise functionality, contexts, and the responsiveness of communication partners.A range of factors appears to be involved in the attention now given to the functions of communication. Research has demonstrated that the communicative intent of the behaviour of individuals with severe disabilities can be reliably inferred (). As in other skill development programs, communication programs now tend to focus less on remediation and more on the skills required for successful participation in the community (Brown et al., 1988). Increasing prominence has also been given to "quality of life" and the role played by functional communication, particularly in making personal choices (Cummins, 1992;Parmenter, 1988;Shaddock, 1991). Finally, the growing in uence of the theory of pragmatics has highlighted the functionality of communication. Consistent with these emphases, Biala-II acknowledges the legitimacy and functions of the person's communication, however unconventional it may appear.Research has also drawn attention to a variety of contextual in uences on communication and it is acknowledged that narrow, clinical assessments of communication may place undue emphasis on "within person" cognitive and motor de cits and their impact on successful communication. Focusing on the social bases for communication, Calculator (1988) and Morse (1988) have proposed widening the approach to communication assessment by including observations in different settings, at different times, under different circumstances. Therefore, comprehensive assessment of communication should not only deal with cognitive, motor, and sensory factors; it should also provide broadly-based information about how the person interacts.Although the "theory of pragmatics" has stressed that...

This research examines the strategies reported by teachers who have managed aggressive and extremely disruptive behaviour of students who have special needs. A sample of 52 teachers from mainstream and special settings listed the strategies that they have used to respond to this behaviour, the reasons for their choice and their estimate of the effectiveness of the strategies. The results indicate that teachers of students with special needs encounter a significant amount of challenging behaviour directed towards themselves and others. The study found that although teachers’ years of experience and level of training were unrelated to their choice of strategies and their perceived success, the majority of teachers relied heavily on their own and their colleagues’ experiences rather than on evidence‐based/empirical research. The study also found a low reported incidence of negative or coercive interventions and that approximately half of the teachers adopted strategies that involved some form of functional assessment of aggressive and/or extremely disruptive behaviours. The implications for further research, policy development, in‐service training and professional development were explored.