Teaching developmentally disabled children with chronic illness to swallow prescribed capsules.

Child noncompliance with prescribed medical regimens, including nonacceptance of oral medication, frequently impedes medical treatment and achievement of clinical aims. During this study, we used a single-subject experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of a capsule-swallowing training curriculum specifically developed to promote acceptance of oral medication by multihandicapped children. Four such children participated, each diagnosed with a chronic pediatric illness requiring daily intake of oral medication. Training consisted of verbal instruction, demonstration, reinforcement for swallowing candies/capsules progressively larger in size, ignoring mild inappropriate behavior, and gradually providing less guidance and structure. In each case, the curriculum produced routine independent swallowing of prescribed capsules/tablets. Follow-up assessments, coupled with parent satisfaction ratings, suggest that skill acquisition was both enduring and clinically significant. This study validates a brief, readily exportable, and effective approach to teaching handicapped children to swallow capsules.

Communication skills training for parents: experimental and social validation.

Coordination of professional services of behalf of children often hinges on the involvement of informed parents. The purposes of this study were to identify and experimentally and socially validate skills required of parents for effective communication with professionals. Target skills were identified on the basis of judges' social validation ratings of (a) sample interactions between parents and professionals and (b) the behaviors comprising a resultant task analysis. Eight parents were then trained in these skills via an instructional package. Results of a multiple baseline design across subjects and grouped skill domains showed that each parent acquired the targeted skills during simulated conferences and that correct responding usually generalized to actual conferences. Independent judges validated training outcomes, and participating parents indicated satisfaction with the curriculum.