Reliability and validity data are reported for an instrument designed to identify variables maintaining self-injurious behavior. The Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) is a 16-item questionnaire that addresses the situational determinants of self-injurious behavior in persons with autism and other developmental disorders. The reliability study indicated that teachers of 50 developmentally disabled persons could agree on the variables presumably maintaining their student's self-injury (interrater reliability), and that they would be in agreement again 30 days later (test-retest reliability). The validity study indicated that teacher's ratings on the MAS of 8 subjects' self-injury predicted how their students would behave in analogue situations. Specifically, the MAS predicted the subjects' self-injurious behavior in situations with decreased adult attention, with increased academic demands, with restricted access to tangibles, and in unstructured settings. The MAS is presented as an alternative or adjunct to more formal functional analyses in efforts to identify the variables controlling self-injurious behavior.

The psychotic speech of autistic and other developmentally disabled children can be defined as words or phrases that are intelligible, but appear out of context. In the present investigation we conducted an analysis of the psychotic speech of a 9-year-old autistic boy. Three experiments were constructed to determine the functional significance of this child's psychotic speech and a method of intervention. The first study involved an analysis of the role of adult attention and task demands in the maintenance of psychotic speech. When task demands were increased, the frequency of psychotic speech increased. Varying adult attention had no effect on psychotic speech. We then performed a second analysis in which the consequence for psychotic speech was a 10-second time-out. Psychotic speech increased, suggesting that it may have been maintained through escape from task demands. Finally, the third experiment involved teaching an appropriate escape response ("Help me"). Psychotic speech was greatly reduced by this intervention. Thus, teaching an appropriate equivalent phrase proved to be a viable alternative to interventions using aversive consequences. The present study represents the first observation that psychotic speech may serve to remove children from unpleasant situations and also introduces a nonaversive intervention for this behavior.

Positive behavior support (PBS) has evolved over the past 15 years from an individualized approach to behavior management to one with an increased focus on universal applications. Although there are clear areas of convergence between individualized and universal supports, it is also clear that the provision of individualized supports is an independent activity and an area where there is still much left to be accomplished. We assert that the research agenda is unfinished, crucial research-to-practice questions remain unresolved, and knowledge about the extent to which individualized PBSs are available is incomplete at best. We argue that individualized supports need to be a primary consideration in research and training, particularly as aspects of individualized supports are mandated considerations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Emphasis on individualized supports is important not only because they demonstrate promise but also because of their potential to protect the interests of individuals with severe disabilities.

Parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. Parents with ID can be better served by developing curricula that support various modes of learning. Technology offers a potentially effective tool because it is visual, interactive, and selfinstructional. SafeCare ® is an evidence-based parenting program with flexibility to adapt its curricula while maintaining fidelity. This research presents the results of a pilot study that examined the effectiveness of an adaptation to the SafeCare ® parent-infant interactions (PII) module for a mother with ID by using a digital picture frame with pictures of the mother and her infant engaged in skills that met the performance criteria for PII. A multiple-probe design across behaviors was used with the mother and her infant, showing a dramatic increase in PII skills that was maintained across 3 monthly follow-ups. Although further research is necessary, the preliminary data suggest the digital picture frame enhancement to the SafeCare ® PII module may be a promising instructional tool for parents with ID. Keywords child maltreatment; child neglect; parents with intellectual disability; parent-infant interactions; technology; SafeCare ® ; self-modeling It is estimated that 1,400,000 parents with an intellectual disability (ID) were living in the United States in 2008, though problems with definition of ID suggest this is actually higher (O'Keefe & O'Hara, 2008). Despite recognition that ID is not an adequate predictor of parental competency, parents with ID continue to be disproportionately represented in child maltreatment (CM) cases, particularly neglect. A review of family court cases in 2000 found Address correspondence to John R. Lutzker, Center for Healthy Development, Box 3995, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302-3995. jlutzker@gsu.edu. Booth, Booth, & McConnell, 2004), whereas a review of international studies reported a 40-60% rate of permanent child removal in cases where a parent with ID was accused of CM . ID combined with concurrent social-ecological factors and social stigma reflects increased vulnerability and the need for comprehensive service intervention (McGaw, Shaw, & Beckley, 2007;Tymchuk & Andron, 1990). Although parents with ID exhibit some cognitive and contextual differences that make them susceptible to neglect, teaching methods that address their learning needs are effective in increasing parenting performance (Feldman, 1994;Wade, Llewellyn, & Matthews, 2008). Practitioners who work with parents with ID often have considerable caseloads and do not always receive specialized training making it challenging to provide adequate support (Clayton, Chester, Mildon, & Matthews, 2008). In order to support the specific learning needs and considerations of parents with ID, efforts should focus on increasing the effectiveness of interventions disseminated in the field (Azar & Read, 2009). HHS Public AccessRecommendations for teaching parents with ID support behaviorally based interactive...

Objectives As the U.S. healthcare system shifts toward collaboration, demand for leaders with interdisciplinary skills increases. Leadership competencies guide interdisciplinary training programs; however, identifying cost-effective methods for evaluating leadership competencies is challenging, particularly when interdisciplinary trainees have different areas of expertise and professional goals. Traditional pre-/post-testing, a common method for evaluating leadership competencies, is subject to response-shift bias, which can occur when participants' understanding of a construct changes between pre- and post-test. As a result, participants may rate their knowledge of the construct lower at post-test. Retrospective pre-tests are one method thought to reduce response-shift bias in pre-/post-tests. The current study explores the use of a retrospective pre-test to control for response-shift bias in an interdisciplinary training program. Methods Over three cohort years, thirty-four trainees from an interdisciplinary leadership program completed a self-assessment aligned with MCH leadership competencies. The traditional pre-test self-assessment was completed at the beginning of the training program. The retrospective pre-/post-test self-assessment was completed at the end of the training program. Results Retrospective pre/post-test scores indicate significant self-reported increases in all 24 leadership areas (p ≤ .001). Furthermore, participants' self-ratings were significantly higher on the traditional pre-test for all 24 areas than on the retrospective pre-test (p ≤ .001). Conclusions for Practice Retrospective pre-tests appeared to control for response-shift bias and may be a cost-effective way to evaluate trainee change within an interdisciplinary leadership program. These findings suggest the methodology's usefulness in interdisciplinary training and its potential use in the broader world of community-based MCH training initiatives.