ABSTRACT
This study examined the extent to which competence in applying behavioral procedures (time-out from positive reinforcement) was sufficient to establish competence in teaching others to apply the same procedures. During baseline, graduate students attempted to instruct parents with a history of child abuse and neglect in the use of time-out. Students were then instructed in the use of time-out until they achieved proficiency in a role-play context. They then reattempted to instruct the parents. Finally, the students were instructed in certain consultation skills (i.e., teaching others to apply behavioral procedures) and again attempted to instruct parents in the application of time-out. Observations of students' consultation skills, parents' proficiency at administering time-out, and children's compliance to parental instructions revealed that explicit training in behavioral consulting skills was necessary to produce improvements in these behaviors. Students proficiency at administering time-out was insufficient to enable them to instruct others in its application. These results were corroborated by surveys of both students and staff. The implications for graduate training and service delivery are discussed.
Subject(s)
Behavior Therapy/education , Child Behavior Disorders/therapy , Education, Graduate , Professional Competence , Referral and Consultation , Adult , Child , Child Abuse/prevention & control , Child Abuse/psychology , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Child, Preschool , Consumer Behavior , Family Therapy/education , Female , Humans , Male , Parent-Child Relations , Parents/education , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A multiple-probe design across three groups of subjects was used to assess adult-child interaction skills by graduate students being trained to work with children. These skills were subjected to content and social validation by experts in childhood education and behavior analysis. Subjects in our research evinced generalization across settings. It is therefore suggested that when teaching behavior management, affective skills should also be included in the curriculum.
Subject(s)
Behavior Therapy/education , Child Behavior/psychology , Interpersonal Relations , Teaching , Adult , Child , Child Day Care Centers , Child, Preschool , Humans , Observer Variation , Random Allocation , Surveys and Questionnaires , Videotape RecordingABSTRACT
In this study we sought to improve the distribution and quality of staff-client interactions by comparing a traditional paper-and-pencil system of prompts and recording to a computerized system across 4 staff members. Results showed that the computer system produced more positive statements, an improved distribution of interaction among clients, and a larger increase in the delivery of positive reinforcement when compared to a traditional paper-and-pencil system. The use of computer prompts appears to provide a simple method of improving staff-client interactions and provides a method of documenting interactions and staff members' adherence to prescriptive programs.
Subject(s)
Data Collection , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Microcomputers , Professional-Patient Relations , Social Behavior , Software , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Intermediate Care Facilities , Male , Reinforcement, SocialABSTRACT
The low frequency but highly intense disruptive behavior of 10 institutionalized mentally retarded persons was treated by providing them with opportunities for vigorous exercise. In two experiments, severely aggressive and hyperactive clients were exposed to two daily periods of jogging and strenuous activities in multiple baseline designs across clients. Rating scale data collected daily from cottage and school personnel indicated a systematic reduction in problem behavior for 8 of the 10 participants to levels considered "not a problem" or only "an occasional problem." Physical exercise may offer promise as an effective, benign, and practical adjunct to other treatment and management techniques.
Subject(s)
Aggression , Exercise Therapy , Hyperkinesis/therapy , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Hyperkinesis/complications , Intellectual Disability/complications , MaleABSTRACT
The reinforcing function of physical restraint was analyzed for three retarded individuals who had a history of restraint and appeared to enjoy it. Using a preference paradigm with one participant and a reversal design with two others, we found that an arbitrary response systematically increased for each participant when followed by brief periods of restraint. No comparable increases occurred in conditions in which responses were not reinforced or were followed by stimuli designed to control for the nonrestraint components of the restraint consequence. Results were discussed in terms of three clinical issues: determining the possible role of restraint in maintaining behavior problems such as self-injury in natural settings, preventing or eliminating the reinforcing function of restraint, and using restraint reinforcement in treating behavior problems when this consequence is the only identifiable reinforcer for an individual.
Subject(s)
Education of Intellectually Disabled , Reinforcement, Psychology , Restraint, Physical/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Self Mutilation/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Two groups of severely retarded individuals were trained on a work-recognition task: One group was trained individually, i.e., in one-to-one training sessions; the four members of the other group were taught simultaneously by one teacher. The group-teaching strategy resulted in rates of acquisition that were similar to those found with individual instruction. Further, group training proved to be far more efficient in terms of teacher time; i.e., subjects trained as a group acquired significantly more skills in less teacher time than did individually trained subjects. The results indicate that group training is a viable and, at least in some situations, a preferable method for teaching severely retarded persons.
Subject(s)
Achievement , Education of Intellectually Disabled , Group Processes , Teaching/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Reading , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Two experiments investigated the effects of a treatment package on the self-injurious behavior of three profoundly retarded persons who appeared to enjoy the physical restraints used to prevent their self-injury. The treatment package included physically restraining subjects contingent on increasing periods of time during which no self-injury occurred, and providing them with toys and attention during intervals between restraints. A reversal and multiple-baseline analysis documented that the rapid and complete reduction in self-injury by all subjects was due to this treatment package. Because these results suggested that physical restraint might function as a positive reinforcer, in a third experiment physical restraint was applied contingent on a marble placement response with one subject. A reversal design demonstrated that toy play systematically increased when each response resulted in restraint. The experiments have implications for the nonaversive remediation of self-injury in individuals who are restrained, as well as for the development and maintenance of self-injury in natural settings.
