Doug Guess

Concepts and Issues Related to Choice Making and Autonomy among Persons with Severe Disabilities

This paper discusses issues related to concepts of preferences and choice-making among persons with severe disabilities. Included are suggestions for acknowledging preferences, teaching choice as a decision-making process, and the broader implications of choice-making among persons with severe handicaps as an expression of personal autonomy and dignity. Directions for future research are discussed.

Opportunities to Express Preferences and Make Choices among Students with Severe Disabilities in Classroom Settings

Classroom observations were made on staff and students with severe disabilities to record opportunities to express preferences and make choices. Included in the study were 48 staff members and 37 students located in public schools, institutions, and university demonstration sites. An observational code was used to record staff- and student-initiated expressions of preference and choice in structured and nonstructured classroom activities. Results indicated that, regardless of age level or setting, classroom staff responded at very low rates to student-initiated expressions of choice or preference and that staff-initiated opportunities for student expressions of choice or preference were significantly higher in the 0 to 5 age range. Additional findings indicated that staff and students used distinctly different response modalities to communicate. Results are discussed in relation to the development of communication and social skills, with implications for current educational practices, personnel training, and further research.

A Blueprint for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support: Implementation of Three Components

This article provides a case study (focus on an eighth-grader with autism) within a case study (focus on an urban middle school) in terms of the implementation of positive behavior support (PBS). Information is provided on the characteristics of three key components of schoolwide PBS-universal support, group support, and individual support. For each component, information is presented on policy, assessment, and intervention in terms of an evolving approach to schoolwide PBS with descriptions of how the components were implemented at the middle school with a particular emphasis on the eighth-grade student. The authors conclude with implications for practice in terms of assessing current resources, providing professional development, and intensifying universal support within urban schools to address some of the complex issues associated with poverty.

Self-Determination for Individuals with the Most Severe Disabilities: Moving beyond Chimera:

Individuals with the most severe disabilities may be unsuccessful in effecting changes in their environment for various reasons. Because of limitations in cognitive and expressive language skills, their attempts at communicating may be overlooked or misunderstood, or may be knowingly or inadvertently obstructed. Consequently, self-determination is often dependent on our interpretation of what people with the most severe disabilities are communicating. This article explores the implications of making interpretations, the need for such interpretations, and the dangers. Current progress in supporting and promoting self-determination are acknowledged. It is suggested that although these procedures may be intended to increase self-determination, they do not automatically do so. In fact, they may function to limit self-determination. Strategies and methodologies must be critically evaluated to ensure that such efforts reflect the tenets and spirit of self-determination.

Implications of Biobehavioral States for the Education and Treatment of Students with the Most Profoundly Handicapping Conditions.

Implications of biobehavioral state measures for the assessment of students with profoundly handicapping conditions are discussed in relation to similar behaviors observed in infants and among persons recovering from severe head trauma. Data are presented showing different profiles in biobehavioral states among students with severe and profound disabilities. These profiles are compared with similar descriptions of physical and psychological functioning described in the head-trauma literature, with a discussion of similar education and intervention problems and the need for more exchange of information between special education and rehabilitation therapy for persons with severe neurological impairments. Additionally, biobehavioral state measures among persons with severe and profound disabilities are offered as a potentially valuable assessment tool with important implications for improved intervention strategies and future research directions.

Assessment and Analysis of Behavior State and Related Variables among Students with Profoundly Handicapping Conditions.

Behavior state is potentially a major variable that affects the level of alertness and responsiveness of persons with profoundly handicapping conditions. Two studies were conducted involving 50 students with severe, profound, and multiply handicapping conditions who ranged in age from 1 year and 8 months up to 21 years. In Study 1, behavior slate conditions for each student were observed across 20 sessions in classroom settings. Data were analyzed according to profile groups that reflected similarities and differences in behavior state conditions. The analyses also included short and long term measures of state stability. Results indicated that these stability measures further differentiated the profile groups. The data also showed that the students were observed to spend an average of 42% of their classroom time in slate conditions that were not judged optimal for learning. In Study 2, developmental, medical, environmental, and student characteristic data were compared statistically for the profile groups identified in Study 1. These results showed some different characteristics and conditions associated with each of the behavior state profiles. Overall results suggested that behavior state conditions have significant implications for the education and treatment of students with the most profound handicaps.

A Functional Curriculum Sequencing Model for Teaching the Severely Handicapped

This paper presents the rationale and structure for a curriculum model for educating the severely handicapped. The model combines the advantages of the two logics used up to this point in developing curricula: the developmental/cognitive logic and the remedial/behavioral logic. It provides for sequencing of skills to be taught across and within levels of difficulty and across six content domains: self-help skills, sensory-motor skills, socialization, language skills, academic skills, and vocational preparation. Some preliminary applications of the model are given.

Chaos Theory and the Study of Human Behavior: Implications for Special Education and Developmental Disabilities

An introduction to the concepts and terminology many diverse fields and disciplines, such as matheof chaos science, a contemporary approach to sysmatics, physics, meteorology, economics, biology, tern theory, is provided, along with its implications chemistry, and psychology. This paper presents for the behavioral and social sciences and, espesome basic tenets of chaos science, defines a numcially, the field of developmental disabilities. ber of the key concepts of chaos modeling that Chaos is a dynamic, macroanalytic approach to hold particular relevance to the social sciences, understanding interactive components of complex and discusses applications of chaos science to spesystems. Chaos represents a rapidly growing body cial education and the field of developmental disof knowledge that has attracted the attention of abilities.

Longitudinal Analysis of State Patterns and Related Variables among Infants and Children with Significant Disabilities

Behavior states and related developmental and medical variables were observed during all or part of the first 4 years of life for 34 infants identified with severe cognitive and multiple disabilities. Eight infants died before 1 year of age. Extensive data were then collected for an additional group of 8 infants who were observed through the age of 4 years. Findings demonstrated emerging state profiles during this time period that were consistent with those found among older populations observed in previous investigations. Different behavior state profiles at age 4 years were indicated by several developmental skills in the first year of life. These results suggest the need for specific, early interventions with infants whose state patterns are inconsistent with optimal learning and development.

Analysis of State Organizational Patterns among Students with Profound Disabilities.

A review is presented of recent research on state behavior among children and youth with profound disabilities. A model depicting interactions of state with endogenous and exogenous variables is presented along with a discussion of the importance of state diversity potential to this analysis and considerations for investigating and understanding state organization patterns in this population. Applications of the model are illustrated through case studies of four students with profound disabilities who display different state patterns. Measurable attributes of state reveal major characteristics that define functionally profound disabilities and have important implications for intervention.