Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities最新文献

The effectiveness of a self-management training program in maintaining productivity rates of four severely multi-handicapped students was investigated. In a multiple baseline design, the subjects' productivity on a paper-and-pencil task was increased with an externally managed token economy. Subjects were then instructed to self-manage the token economy. Generalization across time and tasks was measured in consecutive sessions. Two of the four subjects accurately self-managed the token economy, although all subjects maintained productivity levels. Generalization across tasks and time was also evident across individuals.

Little information is available on the use of social skills by persons with disabilities in work settings. Positive styles of interaction in the workplace might include the job-related social skills of explaining a problem to a supervisor, providing constructive criticism, accepting criticism, accepting a compliment, accepting an instruction, and providing a compliment. The effects of training procedures for these social skills were evaluated with two learning disabled adolescents. The results showed the procedures to be effective in increasing the level of job-related social skills performed by the participants in analogue situations. Direct observations of performance taken at the adolescents' place of employment suggest some generalization of training effects to actual work environments.

Four low-functioning mentally retarded subjects learned conditional discrimination performances in two-comparison auditory-visual and visual-visual identity matching-to-sample paradigms. Auditory stimuli were spoken food names and visual stimuli were food items. The subjects were also taught, by means of a stimulus shaping program, to perform a variant of the auditory-visual task in which only one comparison was displayed on each trial: if the correct one was displayed, to select it; if an incorrect one, to select a blank alternative. Following the program, subjects performed auditory-visual conditional discriminations on the basis of relations between either the sample and the correct comparison (positive relations) or the sample and the incorrect comparison (negative relations). Additional tests, conducted in the single comparison positive and negative relations (1) in auditory-visual performances with foods that had a two-comparison history, but had not been used in stimulus shaping, and (2) in visual-visual identity performances. All subjects proved capable of such performances. The results suggested that acquisition of both postive and negative conditional relations may occur when developmentally-limited individuals are trained with matching-to-sample procedures. This outcome may be relevant to designing remedial communication programs for this population—especially those concerning generalized “Yes”-“No” concepts.

This study examined the ability of preschool-age children to solve five format exemplars of number-numeral correspondence (e.g., mark the group with three things; color in three pictures). The children were given an initial series of probes in all five formats using a set of three numbers (e.g., 1, 2, and 3). One of the formats in which the child performed poorly was trained, and generalization to other formats was then examined by a second series of probes. The results indicated that some children were able to solve number-numeral correspondence problems in some formats and not in others; this deficiency was remediated by training in one, two or (at most) three format exemplars. Performance in two of the formats was highly correlated in 3 of 4 children, suggesting that there exists a response class structure of number-numeral correspondence. The theoretical and treatment implications of analyzing response structure are discussed.

The present study evaluated a physical fitness program with external control and self-directed components for use with mildly and moderately retarded adults in a sheltered workshop situation. A multiple-baseline design across three groups was used to assess the effectiveness of this program for producing, generalizing, and maintaining the participant's attendance and use of an exercise program in a nontraining setting. In addition, physical fitness, as measured through a variety of physiological (weight, blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skinfold) and general performance tests, was systematically evaluated. Moreover, the accuracy of participant self-monitoring and self-reinforcement, two program components, was assessed during the exercise period in the nontraining setting. Results indicated that the subjects could be taught accurate self-monitoring and self-reinforcement, that marked changes in exercise behavior occurred during the treatment and maintenance conditions, and that there were some changes in the other indices of fitness. Issues relating to the efficiency and general acceptability of the program, the contributions of the external and self-directed components of the training package, and the development of future physical fitness programs were discussed.

In the human-made environment, much human behavior produces outcomes important to the well-being of the individual that, nonetheless, fail to reinforce or punish that individual's behavior. However, rules describing such ineffective contingencies can control the relevant behavior, if the person has the prerequisite skills, including self-management skills. Perhaps such rule-governed behavior is another repertoire the developmentally disabled need in order to approximate normal performance in our culture.

The development of social-leisure skills among higher functioning mentally retarded persons has received considerable attention in recent years. There is relatively little research, however, examining procedures for increasing social-leisure skills with severely retarded individuals. Where such skills have been taught to severely mentally retarded persons, they have been quite simple. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a treatment package which included self-instructional training for increasing a complex social-leisure skill, game playing, in severely retarded adolescents. A design across three games and situations was used to assess the direct and generalized effects of the treatment package with two boys while two other boys served as controls. Both boys learned to perform and verbalize individually the game steps. Although minimal generalization to dyad- and free-play situations initially occurred, with minimal prompts and specific dyad training the boys were able to play the three games accurately in both situations. Follow-up assessments indicated that with occasional reviews, the clients were able to maintain their game skills. Data also suggested increases in the boys' verbal interactions. The implications of the results for future social-leisure skill programming with the severely retarded are discussed.