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Probst, Glen, Spreitz, and Jung (2010) described an evaluation of the social validity of the parenting intervention Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP). In this evaluation, 33 masters-level psychology students viewed one of the program resources and rated the strategies of quiet time and time out as lacking in both ethical acceptability and practical applicability. On the basis of this, the authors recommended revisions to the content of SSTP. The present paper provides additional information about SSTP to correct possible misconceptions, and provide further comments on Probst and colleagues’ (2010) findings. SSTP has been demonstrated to be effective with a range of parents of children with diverse developmental disabilities and there is considerable support for the validity and effectiveness of the specific elements in question. Given this, it is argued that while there will inevitably be variations in how individuals accept program content, rather than altering program, it may be more appropriate to address those variables related to the acceptability of content. To this end, it is suggested that future research could usefully investigate influences on perceptions of content and, in particular, practical strategies to overcome barriers to the acceptance of socially valid and empirically supported methods.

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Results from the recent research literature indicate the urgent need for more intervention outcome studies for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) worldwide, with available interventions commonly being considered a form of “tertiary prevention”. This paper presents a synthesis of two TEACCH-based intervention studies for children and adults with ASD, carried out in Germany: (1) The concept of the “Double ABCX Caregiver Stress-Coping model” (adapted from Pakenham, Samios, & Sofronoff, 2005) having guided our research is outlined and related to tertiary-preventive interventions; (2) based on a broad-category taxonomy adapted from the research literature, and considering recent systematic reviews, three comprehensive intervention approaches are outlined and discussed concerning construct, internal and external validity: (a) “traditional Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)”, (b) “TEACCH” and (c) “contemporary ABA”; (3) the concept of “structured teaching” being a key component of TEACCH (Schopler, 1997) is outlined briefly. The present synthesis aims at examining the effectiveness of TEACCH based interventions within various social settings. The first study, using a controlled individual-subject design, reports on a social communication training with a 7-year-old girl with autism and intellectual disability living in a residential home. In the second, a small group study, the long-term outcomes of a TEACCH based intervention in a day care and vocational setting including three adults with ASD are examined. The synthesis of these two studies provides tentative support for the efficacy and effectiveness of TEACCH based interventions across different ages and life settings within the sociocultural context examined. For future evaluation of the TEACCH approach, methodologically sound both individual and group research is needed.

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The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of research literature that has assessed Expressed Emotion (EE) with the Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) in parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Very little attention has been paid to the parenting relationship in families in which a member has cognitive disabilities. The research that has been carried out has investigated interactive features by means of comparing groups of children with typical development and sample groups of at-risk and disturbed children. Specifically, the literature on Expressed Emotion in parents of children with intellectual disabilities is sparse. A study of PsycINFO found eleven articles about EE in families of adults or children with cognitive disabilities. In these studies, EE was measured by using the CFI or the FMSS.

Abstract
The term Self-injurious Behavior (SIB) represents behavioral characteristics that can damage body tissue. Persons with Intellectual Disability (ID) have a greater probability of developing inadequate behavior such as SIB. Literature indicates the presence of SIB in different syndromes. In the Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) the most frequent physical manifestation is skin-picking, which involves the arms, legs, and hands. In the Down Syndrome (DS), eyes and ears are more greatly affected by SIB. Prevalent SIB regards head-hitting and eyes. In subjects with Autistic Disturbances (AD), effects of SIB can be found more frequently in the head, hands, and legs. The more common typologies of SIB are self-biting and self-hitting. The sample was composed of 84 persons with ID and associated syndromes (PWS, DS, AD). The SIB has been identified through administering a specific assessment instrument to caregivers. The collected data show that self-inflicted injuries are present in all three groups. In groups with PWS and AD most common examples regard the hands, respectively 90% and 55%; subjects with DS show SIB on the mouth (48%). SIB most frequently shown in subjects with PWS are “skinpicking” (50%), in subjects with DS grinding their teeth (32%), in those with AD the prevalent SIB is “body-hand-hitting” and “body-object hitting” (41%). Our data show some convergences with results from literature (e.g., we confirmed that in PWS the most common manifestation of SIB is “skinpicking”), while other results are not confirmed. Differences could be explained according to more restricted or wide definitions of SIB.

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This article aims at joining the debate triggered off by Vianello & Lanfranchi’s (2009) article published in Life Span and Disability, 12 (1), 41-52. The Author highlights the situation of Inclusive Education in Malta and backs Vianello and Lanfranchi’s hypothesis that children with intellectual impairment gain more when educated in ordinary settings. The importance of implementing inclusive education in a ‘good enough’ way with ordinary teachers fully engaged with all their students, including those with intellectual impairment, has been highlighted. The Author discusses the importance of empowering and supporting educators to include all their students in their ordinary classrooms and providing them with the necessary support, without creating structures which could lead to the teacher’s disempowerment and the students’ segregation and eventual exclusion. If inclusive education is such a powerful tool for the development of children, not educating children in an inclusive environment could be seen as an abuse (an educational system’s abuse) on the children whose development it is duty bound to facilitate.

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