Abstract
We assessed whether eight persons (children and adolescents) with multiple disabilities would succeed in combining the use of a microswitch and a VOCA. The microswitch served to gain direct access to selected environmental stimuli and the VOCA served to contact the caregiver and obtain her social attention or mediation toward other forms of stimulation. The study also included a social validation assessment of the aforementioned microswitch-VOCA combination. Data showed that participants could learn to use the microswitch and the VOCA profitably. The social validation assessment showed that 64 university psychology students and 64 postgraduate clinical trainees employed as raters favored the combination of microswitch and VOCA over the microswitch and the VOCA alone.

Abstract
Research on students with developmental disabilities in Italian schools (Vianello & Lanfranchi, 2009) suggests patterns of greater than expected performance in scholastic and social skills compared to the presumed cognitive abilities of these students based on their genetic profiles. Vianello and Lanfranchi suggest that this may be attributable to the inclusion of almost all Italian students with intellectual disabilities in typical classrooms alongside their peers without disabilities. This article includes considerations for team members working in inclusive schools by: (a) presenting a conceptual framework within which to pursue inclusive education, (b) encouraging us to look beyond students’ disability characteristics to examine our own attitudes and practices, and (c) changing our expectations and expanding opportunities available for students with disabilities. This article supports the contention that environmental influences (e.g., inclusive schooling) can be potent contributors to student performance and reminds us that we should not allow disability related information to put limits on what students are capable of learning, what they might be interested in, or what opportunities are available to them – we should continually push the boundaries of these perceived limits – as we seek to do for all students.

Abstract
Vianello and Lanfranchi (2009) have provided evidence that individuals with mental retardation are capable of performing in academic and social areas well above expectations taken from intellectual assessments. They suggest these important gains may be due, at least in part, from the enriched inclusive education students with mental retardation receive in Italian schools. In response, we discuss some existing evidence of individuals with developmental disabilities in comparative placements in the United States and other countries.We also discuss the implications of a survey of Italian and American teachers of attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, and we describe the implications of efforts to train appropriate life skills to individuals with disabilities, conducted largely in separate settings.We conclude that inclusive placements apparently have done much to improve the functioning of individuals with mental retardation, but additional structures and supports may be needed to maximize their potential.

Abstract
In a previous work, published in this Journal (n.10/2), we outlined the utility to find shared criteria for diagnosing the levels of Intellectual Disability / Mental Retardation.We presented a computerized algorithm based on the predefined and standardized integration of scores derived from intellectual and adaptive tests. In this paper we will report the results of the comparative analysis between the commonly used clinical diagnoses and those derived from the automatized procedure, applied to the same cases. The study was conducted on a sample of 100 diagnoses, regarding different levels of Mental Retardation (n=56), Borderline Intellective Functioning (BIF, n=25), and cases without disability (n=19). The comparison of the two modality of diagnosis was performed through factorial analysis of correspondences. The analysis showed that the clinical diagnosis an that based on the computerized algorithm agree with respect to the principal dimensions explaining the evaluation criteria. The overall concordance is 68%, with higher peak for the normal subjects and lower for the BIF, resulting the more complex diagnosis. The main differences were object of an in-depth analysis, at a qualitative level, examining the profiles of discrepant cases, regarding always adjacent levels. It was further verified how much the diagnosis was related to the only value of IQ, obtaining a correlation (Spearman’s rs) of .44 with the clinical diagnosis and .47 with the computerized one. In conclusion, the standardized algorithm applied by the software supplies a diagnosis largely overlapping with that based on the clinical evaluation, but with differences justifying the comparative use of the different approaches.

Abstract
Any educational policy addressed to people with intellectual disabilities should pursue a main goal: to obtain their greatest possible autonomy. In this article, we underlined two different points. The first and most important one is the ‘functionality’ of contents and activities, which will make possible the subsequent generalization or practical application of what is learned in different contexts. The second one refers to an appropriate methodology, in agreement with the characteristics of the disabled persons’ groups. The Integral Program of the Education for Health, which is described in this paper, was designed under these premises. The program was tested in a pilot-study and has been (and still is) the subject of research in Spain as well as in other countries.

Abstract
This article reviews studies that compare different groups (about culture, national, racial) in order to propose a summary of results about the role played by caregivers’ cultural influences in the management of patients. The paper, after a brief introduction, illustrates the research conducted about mental representations concerning the body, health, illness and practices of care. The focus, finally, is on recent studies about caring professions. The Authors also indicate future lines of research.

Abstract