Abstract
This paper describes a research project which attempted to determine techniques and modalities that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of developmental disabilities in general. A specific emphasis was placed on how these issues affect this population in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A review of the peer-reviewed and relevant literature is followed by an assessment of the significance of the research and its implications for policymakers and practitioners. A summary of the research is provided at the conclusion.

Outline:
Abstract
Disabled in Albuquerque
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Importance of the Study
Review and Discussion
Developmentally Disabled in Albuquerque Today
Creating a Collaborative Environment among Service Providers
Significance of Analysis
Implications for Policymakers
Implications for Healthcare Practitioners
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper
"Because resources are by definition scarce, it is important to identify the most effective treatment modality available for helping people who are developmentally disabled. While most healthcare practitioners today may debate the fine points, a virtual consensus has emerged in recent years that suggests a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment is the most effective clinical intervention available because it makes the most of the resources that are available. By treating children and adults with developmental disabilities in an interdisciplinary setting characterized by culturally sensitive practitioners, the knowledge and expertise of a wide range of practitioners can be brought to bear on these challenging problems."

Tags:resources, treatment, developmentally, disabled

Abstract
This work attempts to describe various aspects of parents' coping styles with their developmentally challenged child, assuming that, with the help of therapeutic intervention, both the developmentally challenged child and the family system as a systematic unit, and, of course, each one of its members individually, will draw much benefit and gain the power to efficiently cope with their life.

Outline
The Birth of a Developmentally Challenged Child
Emotional Difficulties in the Family of the Developmentally Challenged
Child
Coping with Stressful Situations in the Family
Coping Theory According to Menushin's Family Therapy
The Structural Approach Therapeutic Conclusions
Family in Therapy
Generation of the Therapeutic System Therapeutic Intervention by Way of Therapeutic Group

From the Paper
"The crisis of change stems from the sudden change that occurred in the parents' perception of themselves, their family and their future. Each parent has plans for the new born. The expectations are broken when they receive the new that their child was born with mental deficiency and diminished capacity, and they are replaced with an attempt of the parents to rehabilitate their world in light of the sad news."

Tags:guilt, denial, protection, grief, deficiency, disability, handicapped, different, normal

Abstract
The paper identifies some of the potential problems a company may have in hiring developmentally challenged workers, and makes recommendations for addressing those problems. It assesses corporate obligations under government regulations. The writer concludes that there is a place for handicapped workers in the business world, under certain conditions.

From the Paper
"When it comes to integrating, training, supervising and empowering the more developmentally disabled, one mistake that could easily be made is to separate them, and isolate them from the rest of the work force. It is important that company guidelines, an employee handbook of regulations, and a staff meeting resolve the problems when a developmentally disabled person is hired and assigned to a specific group or division. The goal must be to create an effective work environment. Yes, some supervision may initially require lengthier training and adjustment time, but the eventual goal of any company willing, able, even anxious to give developmentally challenged workers an opportunity is to create an atmosphere of "human value management". "Human value management can be described in one short phrase: create value through and with people." (Fitz-Enz, 1990, p. 45) It must be clearly understood by managers, supervisors, as well as "ordinary" workers, that developmentally challenged co-workers are not being given job opportunities merely out of charity. They are able and willing to contribute. They are not "dummies", perhaps only slower to learn and adapt. It is important to communicate to every worker that these people were hired because they can contribute, but may need some help in "getting up to speed". It would be a good idea for the Human Resources Department to appoint one staff member to meet with the developmentally challenged workers on a regular basis as a means of listening to their problems, trying to solve them, and to praise them for valuable contributions to the overall product or services output. More than others, these workers need reassurance and the knowledge that management cares about their feelings, their problems, and their accomplishments."

Tags:labor, regulations, disabled, disabilities, retarded

Abstract
This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of both home care and residential placement where the developmentally disabled individual is concerned. The analysis is based upon the assumption that any decision as to placement must be made with reference to specific circumstances pertaining to the individual case and takes the position that residential placement is a viable option, which may sometimes be discounted due to feelings and psychological concerns of the caregiver, as opposed to an objective consideration of what is in the best interests of the client. The analysis also takes into consideration the fact that, "There is a growing recognition for the need to move beyond a system that is still organized around programs and professionally driven to one that is truly a part of the community" (Simon et. al, 2001, p. 88) within residential programs.

Outline
Residential vs. Home Care
Residential Placement Is Not "Institutionalization."
The Place of the Disabled Is within the Community
Conclusion

From the Paper
"In terms of severity of disability, it is almost self-evident that the greater the severity, the greater will be the pertinence of arguments in favor of residential placement as opposed to home care, and vice versa. In many residential settings, "People with lower assessed adaptive behavior have been found to be unoccupied for the majority of the time" (Jones et. al, 2001, p. 345). This analysis will for the most part assume a moderate to severe but educable category of disability in regard to which both home and residential placement alternatives would be relevant."

Tags:significant, learning, deficits, mental, retardation, behavioral, iq, score, ranges, severity, levels

Abstract
This paper considers the many challenges and obstacles encountered by individuals with developmental disabilities and the caretakers of those individuals. The paper discusses the stress of caring for someone with a developmental disability, the harmful effects caused by negative stereotyping of the developmentally disabled and functional difficulties that the developmentally disabled experience in society.

Outline
Societal View
Stereotypes
Challenges for Families
Functioning in Society
Assisting Transitions

From the Paper
"The societal view of people with developmental disabilities such as autism, down's syndrome, and mental retardation is complicated. On the one hand, there is a tradition in Western healthcare of institutionalizing these clients and keeping them separate from society. On the other hand, there is a growing movement for the integration of these individuals into productive roles into society through assisted living, independent living, and other alternatives stressing independence and empowerment of the disabled individual. This is sometimes known as the respective eras of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization in respect to individuals with developmental disabilities and how society views them. Seltzer et. al (2001) remark that "Many agencies that provide services to individuals with mental retardation were created in the era of deinstitutionalization (sic) and many still serve individuals who previously lived in state institutions whose families may not be highly involved."

Tags:service, providers, involvement, transition, disengagement, adaptive, coping, strategies

Abstract
The conditions that developmentally disabled adults will have to cope with fifty years from now is the subject of this speculative paper. While dire predictions of environmental and social disaster mean that the future for these people will be grim, it is also likely that scientific breakthroughs may alleviate or even prevent some of these conditions.

From the Paper
"Before we address the question of what the world will be like fifty years from now for adults with developmental disabilities (ADD) we have to answer two other questions: who are adults with developmental disabilities and what will the world be like years for now for everyone alive? Adults with Developmental Disabilities is a term used by the federal government. I consulted an abstract that is a summary from a White Paper on Mental Retardation v Developmental Disabilities."

Tags:ADD, disabled, scientific, social, environmental, mental retardation, assisted living

Abstract
The paper discusses how although the study of deviance has a long history in the discipline of sociology, and deviant behavior is a central organizing concept in the criminology, due to these disciplines' almost exclusive focus on the negative consequences of deviance, the term has developed a strongly negative connotation. However, the paper asserts that in recent years, a fresh look at deviance has engendered the concept of positive deviance and has begun to study persons who embody it. The paper focuses on one powerful example of positive deviants, gifted people, and shows how and why such individuals can be seen as positive deviants and how this viewpoint can be of benefit to the individuals and the groups of which they form a part.

From the Paper
"The study of deviance has a long history in the discipline of sociology, and deviant behavior is itself a central organizing concept in the discipline of criminology. However, due to these disciplines' almost exclusive focus on the negative consequences of deviance, the term has developed a strongly negative connotation that has come to be taken for granted. However, in recent years a fresh look at deviance has engendered the concept of "positive deviance" and begun to study persons who embody it, known as "positive deviants." One powerful example of positive deviants are so-called "gifted" or developmentally advantaged people."

Tags:deviance, giftedness, criminology

Abstract
This paper discusses developmental theory and applies it to a specific case of a student in elementary school with ADHD, hyperactivity disorder. Within the paper the practice of developmental theory is discussed, and then the theory is applied to the pertinent case. In this instance the child will need to be observed for what he is doing, and assessments made to provide him with a treatment plan.

From the Paper
"The concept of developmental theory relies on the examination of an individual's life experiences, as well as the person's emotional and physical growth within their society. While there may be standard expectations of growth within certain age groups, there are also elements of growth that can only be determined within each individual (Maier, 1994, p. 58). This is evident when it is considered that each person has varying experiences within life, and that these experiences have a direct affect on the development of every individual. Within the realm of developmental theory a child can be evaluated in several areas. These may include life transitions, personal values, attachments to others, personal interactions, and "trials and errors" (Maier, 1994 p. 59)."

Tags:developmental, theory, case

Abstract
This paper attempts to address the topic of developmental psychology, also known as human development. This scientific area of study within the field of psychology focuses on the study of the gradual psychological changes that take place in human beings as they mature. The paper discusses how, historically, this subject area dealt primarily with the psychological development in infants and children, and later expanded its focus to other periods of psychological and physical change, such as adolescence and aging.

Outline:
Introduction
History
Categorization by Age and Stage in the Lifecycle
Some Important Theories
Stage Theory
Incremental/Continuous Theories
Social Contextualism
Ecological Systems Theory
Methods Adopted in the Field
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The thoughts of the Soviet researcher Lev Vygotsky are gradually gaining more popularity in the field of American psychology. In the field of developmental psychology, in specific, his ground-breaking work relating to the significance of social interactions and the so-called "zone of proximal development" is now recognized. Vygotsy based his theory on three premises namely: (a) humans are associated with the physical world and each other by processes of cultural mediation that utilize both psychological and technical tools of the surrounding culture, (b) cultural mediation and, therefore, human psychological functions go through uninterrupted and lifelong alterations, and (c) human psychological functions arise from practical activity in specific contexts. Thus cultural groups have a significant impact on cognition and its development and cognition is a dynamic activity in which the individual both shapes and is shaped by the environmental surroundings. (The Vygotsky Project)"

Tags:developmental, Psychology, Human Development, Piaget, Infancy, Childhood

Abstract
This paper explains how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) has developed categorization methods for many disorder groups. It also describes the causes of schizophrenia and psychosis, as well as different developmental disorders, explaining the difficulty in identifying them at times due to the state of the individuals involved.

Outline:
Categories of Disorders
Schizophrenic and Psychosis
Developmental Disorders
Classifications of Disorders
Schizophrenic and Psychosis Disorders
Hallucinations
Disorganized Speech or Thought
Disorganized Behavior
Negative Symptoms
Learning Disorders
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Attention Disorders
Conclusion


Developmental Disorders
Mental Retardation

From the Paper
"The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) has developed categorization methods for many disorder groups, including the categories involved with schizophrenia and lifetime development disorders. While there are varying levels of severity with both of these groups of disorders, they are both very difficult to identify at times because of the state of the individuals involved.
"The two categories to be discussed are the schizophrenic and psychosis category as well as the lifetime developmental disorders category.
In psychology, psychosis is tied to many different disorders in which an individual becomes extremely out of touch with reality. While this can occur in more common disorders such as severe depression, it is most commonly tied to schizophrenia (Barlow & Durand, 2009).
Schizophrenia is believed to be mostly tied to genetics and the chemical imbalances tied to improper formation of key areas of the brain."

Tags:psychology, schizophrenia, psychosis, disorder