bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilitating the Acquisition of Sensorimotor Behavior with a Microcomputer-Mediated Teaching System: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Horn Eva M. , Warren Steven F.
Published: June 2014

The effects of a combined neuromotor/behavioral approach on the acquisition of basic motor skills by young children with severe and multiple disabilities was examined. Two children, 17 and 24 months of age, were provided training via a microcomputer-mediated teaching system. Specific questions addressed were: (a) Do basic motor skills improve as a result of direct training using a neuromotor/behavioral approach? (b) Does generalization occur to other settings? (c) Do students demonstrate maintenance of the target skills once training has been terminated? (d) Can the microcomputer-mediated teaching system accurately reinforce and measure students' performance of the target motor behaviors? A multiple probe across behaviors design was used. Results indicated that the children increased the frequency and duration of the target behaviors in both the training and generalization settings. Maintenance of the effects was also demonstrated. These findings are discussed in light of the efficacy of using a neuromotor/behavioral training approach. Issues related to the implementation of a microcomputer-mediated teaching system in a classroom setting are also discussed.
Current Practices in the Assessment of Students with Severe Handicaps
Authors: Sigafoos Jeff , Cole David A. , McQuarter Ralph J.
Published: June 2014

Little if any documentation exists regarding the types of tests currently used with students with severe handicaps. The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency with which specific tests were administered to public school children with severe handicaps. The cumulative school files of 143 students (ages 6 years 5 months to 20 years 10 months) with severe handicaps from five metropolitan school districts were examined to determine what tests were administered to these students. Reliability, validity, norming characteristics, and the type of test for each device was determined. Results of the investigation indicated that (a) there is a lack of technically adequate norm-referenced tests appropriate for students with severe handicaps, (b) the technical adequacy of tests does not appear to be a major determinant in the selection of tests, and (c) criterion-referenced tests and adaptive behavior measures are used less frequently than suggested by the literature. Continued documentation of current assessment practices is recommended to determine the generality of the findings, the prevalence of alternative strategies, and the variables that influence current practices.
Adolescent Peer Tutoring and Special Friend Experiences
Authors: Haring Thomas G. , Breen Catherine , Pitts-Conway Valerie , Lee Mellanie , Gaylord-Ross Robert
Published: June 2014

Fifteen high school peer tutors and 15 “special friends” interacted daily for a semester with a class of 9 students with severe disabilities. Two measurement systems were employed: an attitude survey and social behavior probes. Social behavior probes were conducted with a familiar student with autism (i.e., a student from the special education class), an unfamiliar student with autism, and an unfamiliar nonhandicapped student. A pretest-posttest experimental design with control group was employed. In general, statistical comparisons of the groups indicated that serving as a peer tutor was equivalent to serving as a special friend across the two measures. However, on one measure (social interaction with an unfamiliar peer with autism) the special friends showed significantly higher levels of social interaction. Both groups interacted more frequently with the familiar student with autism than the unfamiliar student with autism or the unfamiliar nonhandicapped peer. The experimental groups produced substantially longer interactions than the control group.
Using Pretask Requests to Increase the Probability of Compliance for Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Singer George H. S. , Singer Joanne , Horner Robert H.
Published: June 2014

This article describes a nonaversive procedure to increase the probability that students with moderate and severe handicapping conditions will follow a directive to begin to work. Pretask requesting was evaluated using an ABA and BAB reversal design across four students with moderate and severe handicaps. The study suggests that familiar, rapidly paced, verbal directions with reinforcement can effectively mediate transitions from one activity to another. The theoretical implications of the procedure for a nonaversive technology of preemptive behavioral treatment are discussed.
The Movement of Children with Mental Retardation from Institutional to Community Care
Authors: Mallory Bruce L. , Herrick Susan Carol
Published: June 2014

The post-release experiences of 68 children with mental retardation were investigated to determine the residential and educational consequences of deinstitutionalization. Research questions focused on the type and stability of community placements, the degree of restrictiveness of such placements, and the types of services received during community placement. The findings were interpreted in light of historical factors occurring during the period of community placement (1970 to 1985), with emphasis on the relationship between the experiences of discharged children and the enactment of federal and state special education laws in 1978 and the issuance of a federal district court order in 1981. A relationship was noted between policy development and improved experiences of deinstitutionalized children, particularly those with severe and profound levels of retardation.
An Application of a Leisure Preference Assessment Protocol for Persons with Severe Handicaps
Authors: Dattilo John , Mirenda Pat
Published: June 2014

An investigation was conducted to demonstrate the application of a computerized assessment procedure for determining the leisure preferences of persons with severe handicaps. Three children with severe handicaps who were enrolled in a local public school served as subjects. The experimental apparatus consisted of a switch-activated microcomputer and a computer program designed to interpret the switch activations to produce a variety of leisure activities. A single subject research procedure using a multiple treatment design involving five separate conditions across three subjects was employed. Each subject participated in a series of 3-min sessions during each condition. Each of the five conditions provided students with a choice between two of the following Jive leisure activities: listening to music, watching action videos, activating a blender and drinking a portion of a milkshake, watching a slide show, and feeling the vibrations from a vibrating pad. The results of the investigation demonstrated that the leisure preferences of people with severe handicaps can be assessed systematically.
Acquisition of Conversation Skills and the Reduction of Inappropriate Social Interaction Behaviors
Authors: Hunt Pam , Alwell Morgen , Goetz Lori
Published: June 2014

Three students with severe disabilities were taught to independently initiate a conversation and participate in conversation turntaking throughout a 10-min session across a variety of school and community settings with at least four nondisabled peers as partners. Inappropriate social interaction behaviors that were present at high rates during baseline sessions were observed to decrease as conversation skills were acquired. This finding is discussed in terms of the hypothesis that inappropriate behaviors can serve a variety of communicative functions and may be reduced as functionally equivalent, socially acceptable communication means are acquired.
System of Least Prompts: A Literature Review of Procedural Parameters
Authors: Doyle Patricia M. , Wolery Mark , Ault Melinda Jones , Gast David L.
Published: June 2014

This manuscript describes an instructional strategy, system of least prompts, and reviews the use of the procedure in the applied research literature. The literature is analyzed in terms of the populations for which the procedure has been used, the type of skills that have been taught with the procedure, and the results when the procedure was employed. The literature also is described in terms of previously identified parameters of the system of least prompts including (a) the number and type of prompts included in the least-to-most assistance prompt hierarchies, (b) the presentation of the target stimulus at each prompt level, (c) use of a fixed response interval, and (d) the delivery of reinforcement following correct prompted and unprompted responses. Summary statements and recommendations about future use and research are included.
Caught in the Continuum: A Critical Analysis of the Principle of the Least Restrictive Environment
Authors: Taylor Steven J.
Published: June 2014

This article presents a critical analysis of the principle of the least restrictive environment (LRE). The article begins with a review of the origins of LRE in professional writings and law and moves next to a discussion of how LRE has been operationalized in terms of a continuum of residential, educational, and vocational services. Building on previous critiques of the continuum concept, the author presents seven conceptual and philosophical flaws or pitfalls in the LRE principle itself, especially when it is applied to people with severe disabilities. The author then argues that an uncritical acceptance of LRE may lead to the establishment of a “new” community-based continuum and takes the position that many leading writings in the field can be interpreted to legitimate this new continuum. The conclusion of the article supports an unconditional commitment to integration and briefly contrasts integration with LRE as a guiding principle for the design of services and support for people with developmental disabilities and concludes with a note on the importance of viewing concepts in historical context.
Validation of the Assessment of Social Competence (ASC) for Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Meyer Luanna H. , Cole David A. , McQuarter Ralph , Reichle Joe
Published: June 2014

The social competence of persons with developmental disabilities is generally regarded as predictive of community adjustment. This report describes the development and validation of a measure of social competence designed for use with individuals at all levels of functioning. The Assessment of Social Competence (ASC) represents both social functions and developmental hierarchies within those functions. Assessment progresses from the earliest manifestation of each function to mastery levels of performance as displayed by adults. Reliability and validity studies were conducted with large samples of children and youth (n = 140) and young adults (n = 161) with mental retardation and other disabilities. The results of these studies are presented, and a summary is provided of the strengths and limitations of the ASC. As an alternative to the predominant approach of direct observation of isolated social skill targets, the ASC offers a comprehensive and criterion-referenced assessment that could be useful in both descriptive and intervention social skill research.
Social Interactions of Secondary-Aged Students with Severe Handicaps: Implications for Facilitating the Transition from School to Work
Authors: Chadsey-Rusch Janis
Published: June 2014

The social interactions of a group of 10 students with severe handicaps attending a junior high school campus were described with the use of narrative recording procedures. The students were observed when they arrived at school, during lunch, and when they were engaged in vocational training. In addition, teacher perceptions of behavior were measured, and parents were interviewed regarding their childrens' future vocational opportunities and their social relationships with their peers. The results from this study indicated that (a) these youth of transition age were involved in more task-related than nontask interactions, (b) they were engaged in more interactions with teachers than peers, (c) the purposes of the interactions were similar across contexts, and (d) these youth were dependent on contrived or extra cues and feedback from their environment in their vocational settings. These results are discussed with respect to their implications for facilitating the transition from school to work.
The Social Networks and Activity Patterns of Adults with Severe Disabilities: A Correlational Analysis
Authors: Kennedy Craig H. , Horner Robert H. , Newton J. Stephen
Published: June 2014

This article reports information on the interrelations among measures of lifestyle quality for 20 adults with severe disabilities living in the community. Using two interview-based measures, data were collected on the social networks and activity patterns of the participants. The results indicate that the overall size of the social networks and the number of family members were highly associated with a greater frequency and variety of activities across home and community settings. The results also indicate that neither the number of social network members paid to provide support, nor the number of friends were significantly related to activity patterns. Finally, implications for measuring lifestyle quality and the use of outcome-based measures for assisting people to build and maintain social relationships are presented.
The Role of Response Efficiency in the Reduction of Problem Behaviors through Functional Equivalence Training: A Case Study
Authors: Horner Robert H. , Sprague Jeffrey R. , O'Brien Michelle , Heathfield Lora T.
Published: June 2014

This study describes the results of a functional analysis of aggressive behaviors with a 14-year-old boy with moderate mental retardation. An initial analysis showed that aggression occurred during instruction on difficult tasks, but was less likely to occur when extra teacher assistance was provided. We interpreted the initial analysis as indicating that aggression and teacher assistance both served the function of escaping from difficult tasks (either by avoiding the task altogether, or by making it easier to perform). We subsequently taught the student and compared the effects of two response alternatives for requesting assistance: a high effort/low efficiency response of typing “help please” on an electronic communication device, and a low effort/high efficiency response of pressing a single key that produced the same message. Use of the low efficiency response did not result in a durable reduction of aggression. The high efficiency response, once trained, occurred frequently, and was associated with substantial decreases in aggression. A collateral increase in the use of a pointing response suggests that the effects of the intervention were generalized to a second communication response. The study supports existing recommendations for conducting systematic functional analyses to define the variables maintaining undesirable behavior, and to teach functionally equivalent alternative responses as a strategy for decreasing undesirable behaviors. The results also indicate the need to assess the relative efficiency of appropriate and problem behaviors when designing functional equivalence programs.
Instructional Strategies for Learners with Dual Sensory Impairments in Integrated Settings
Authors: Downing June , Eichinger Joanne
Published: June 2014

This article presents information on instructional strategies and the effective use of personnel needed for educating students with dual sensory impairments in integrated learning environments. To counter the practice of educating students in separate environments according to their most apparent weaknesses and limitations, the authors contend that learners with dual sensory impairments can benefit from shared learning environments (cross-categorical) and from daily interactions with nondisabled peers. Specific examples and practical intervention strategies to accommodate for the sensory losses are provided.
Toward a Technology of “Nonaversive” Behavioral Support
Authors: Horner Robert H. , Dunlap Glen , Koegel Robert L. , Carr Edward G. , Sailor Wayne , Anderson Jacki , Albin Richard W. , O'Neill Robert E.
Published: June 2014

Nonaversive behavior management is an approach to supporting people with undesirable behaviors that integrates technology and values. Although this approach has attracted numerous proponents, more adequate definition and empirical documentation are still needed. This article presents an introduction to the nonaversive approach. Important definitions are suggested, and three fundamental elements are presented: (a) an emerging set of procedures for supporting people with severe challenging behavior; (b) social validation criteria emphasizing personal dignity; and (c) a recommendation for prohibition or restriction of certain strategies. These elements are defined in hopes of stimulating further discussion and empirical analyses of positive behavioral support.
Reinforcement-Based Reductive Procedures: A Review of 20 Years of their Use with Persons with Severe or Profound Retardation
Authors: O'Brien Shirley , Repp Alan C.
Published: June 2014

Although differential reinforcement is a procedure generally used to increase responding, it can also be used to decrease responding that is inappropriate. This article contains a review of 49 articles on studies describing reduced maladaptive responding of persons with severe or profound mental retardation. Four differential reinforcement procedures were reviewed, including the differential reinforcement of (a) alternative behavior (DRA), (b) low rates of responding (DRL), (c) other behavior (DRO), and (d) incompatible behavior (DRI). However, because there were only three articles concerning the first two categories, data were presented only for DRO and DRI. The review categorized the findings in three areas: (a) demographics, (b) methodology, and (c) results. Demographic data showed that the procedures were implemented most often by teachers, in schools or institutions, to treat stereotypy or self-injury. Procedural data showed that (a) information on reinforcer selection was seldom indicated, (b) although social reinforcement was quite common, it appeared to be the least effective consequence, (c) AB or reversal designs were the most common, and (d) only a quarter of the studies provided maintenance data. The results on the individual procedures showed that (a) DRI studies seldom measured the incompatible behavior being increased, (b) DRO studies seldom indicated the basis on which the interval was chosen, and (c) neither group tended to provide information on reinforcement schedules. Results were discussed in terms of areas for further study and proposed methodological changes.
Teaching Spontaneous Language to Individuals with Severe Handicaps: A Matrix Model
Authors: Kaczmarek Louise A.
Published: June 2014

Although language intervention strategies have been successful in teaching persons with severe handicaps to communicate, success has been limited because individuals with severe handicaps often fail to use these new language skills spontaneously in their natural environment. Previous studies in teaching spontaneous and generalized language usage have not taken into account the need for listener preparatory behaviors such as selecting an appropriate listener, establishing proximity, and obtaining attention before delivering a message, nor have they addressed sufficiently the complexities of the contextual variables affecting spontaneous language/communication. The paper presents a matrix model of spontaneous language that takes into account listener preparatory behaviors and contextual variables, and examines the practical implications of the model for teaching spontaneous language to individuals with severe handicaps.
A Consultation Model to Support Integrated Educational Services for Students with Severe Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors
Authors: Janney Rachel E. , Meyer Luanna H.
Published: June 2014

Students with severe disabilities who also exhibit serious behavior problems are a significant challenge to the provision of integrated educational services in neighborhood public schools. This report summarizes the components of a consultation model that utilizes locally available resources and expertise to support integrated school placements, along with specific efforts to remediate individual student needs. Follow-up placement information is presented for target students receiving project services during the 1986 to 1989 school years, including a description of both successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Procedures and results are discussed in the context of the need for consultation and additional support services for the school and home to help local education agencies achieve a zero reject model of services for students with challenging behaviors.
Assessment and Analysis of Behavior State and Related Variables among Students with Profoundly Handicapping Conditions
Authors: Guess Doug , Siegel-Causey Ellin , Roberts Sally , Rues Jane , Thompson Barbara , Siegel-Causey Douglas
Published: June 2014

Behavior state is potentially a major variable that affects the level of alertness and responsiveness of persons with profoundly handicapping conditions. Two studies were conducted involving 50 students with severe, profound, and multiply handicapping conditions who ranged in age from 1 year and 8 months up to 21 years. In Study 1, behavior slate conditions for each student were observed across 20 sessions in classroom settings. Data were analyzed according to profile groups that reflected similarities and differences in behavior state conditions. The analyses also included short and long term measures of state stability. Results indicated that these stability measures further differentiated the profile groups. The data also showed that the students were observed to spend an average of 42% of their classroom time in slate conditions that were not judged optimal for learning. In Study 2, developmental, medical, environmental, and student characteristic data were compared statistically for the profile groups identified in Study 1. These results showed some different characteristics and conditions associated with each of the behavior state profiles. Overall results suggested that behavior state conditions have significant implications for the education and treatment of students with the most profound handicaps.
“Peter? He comes and goes…”: First Graders' Perspectives on a Part-Time Mainstream Student
Authors: Schnorr Roberta F.
Published: June 2014

Part-time integration of students with moderate and severe disabilities into regular classes has become a common feature of special education programs. How regular education students think about their school experience, including part-time mainstreaming, can be a source of information for integration efforts, but these perceptions have received little attention in the special education literature. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were employed over a 7-month period to study a first grade class in which a student described as “moderately mentally retarded” participated on a part-time basis. This student spent most of his school day in a self-contained special education class.

The findings reveal that these first graders had a common framework for defining their school experience. Their descriptions centered around themes of “where you belong,” “what you do,” and “with whom you play.” Data collected about Peter, the part-time mainstream student, are interpreted according to this student framework. Findings indicate significant discrepancies between the students' definitions of what it means to be part of first grade and the focus of the teacher's efforts to include Peter and present him as a member of the class.
Generalized Effects of Conversation Skill Training
Authors: Hunt Pam , Alwell Morgen , Goetz Lori , Sailor Wayne
Published: June 2014

Three high school students with severe disabilities were taught to initiate and maintain a conversation independently through a 4-min session with a communication book adaptation. Instruction occurred across a variety of school settings with several regular education students serving as communication partners. For each of the three students, an analysis of the generalized effect of conversation training revealed that conversation initiation and “turntaking” skills generalized to “conversation opportunities” in settings and with partners not included in instructional sessions. Additionally, increases in conversation skills and component behaviors (greeting and commenting) were accompanied by decreases in inappropriate social interaction behaviors.
Stress and Stress Management in Families with Adopted Children who Have Severe Disabilities
Authors: Todis Bonnie , Singer George
Published: June 2014

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate the sources and methods of dealing with stress in six families with adopted children who have severe developmental or multiple disabilities. These families had adopted from 2 to 28 children. Most of the families also included “birth children” and two included a foster child. Participant observation was used with the families and unstructured interviews were conducted with parents, adoption agency workers, state children's welfare workers, and counselors working with adoptive families. Management of daily household tasks and child care routines were not identified as stressful. However, interactions with school and medical personnel and other professionals were extremely stressful for all families interviewed, as were the difficulty in accessing appropriate services and concern about the availability of future services. Parents also identified medical crises and crises resulting from adolescents' behavior problems as time-limited stressful situations. Effective stress management techniques included household organizational systems and maintaining contact with other families with adopted children that have disabilities. In addition, a positive appraisal of their life circumstances appeared to contribute to the families' successful adjustment to potentially stressful situations. Implications for providing support to families with children with special needs, both adopted and nonadopted, are suggested.
Parent Attitudes about Residential Placement Before and after Deinstitutionalization: A Research Synthesis
Authors: Larson Sheryl A. , Lakin K. Charlie
Published: June 2014

This paper reviews 27 studies of parental attitudes on the deinstitutionalization of a family member. In 12 of the studies, the family member was institutionalized. Those studies showed overwhelming satisfaction with the institutional placement and general opposition to deinstitutionalization. In seven studies, the family member had already moved from an institution to the community. Those parents retrospectively reported lower levels of satisfaction with the earlier institutional placement, lower levels of opposition to deinstitutionalization, and high levels of satisfaction with community settings. The three studies in which parental attitudes were sampled both before and after deinstitutionalization mirrored the other studies, showing high levels of general satisfaction with institutional placements before deinstitutionalization and high levels of satisfaction with community placements after deinstitutionalization. Also summarized are parental concerns about deinstitutionalization, their continuing concerns about their children's community placement, their perceptions of the positive outcomes of community living, and ways to facilitate parental satisfaction with deinstitutionalization.
How Much Time Should Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities Spend in Regular Education Classrooms and Elsewhere?
Authors: Brown Lou , Schwarz Patrick , Udvari-Solner Alice , Kampschroer Elise Frattura , Johnson Fran , Jorgensen Jack , Gruenewald Lee
Published: June 2014

Students with severe intellectual disabilities should be based in the same schools and classrooms in which they would be based if they were not disabled. However, a regular education classroom base in a home school is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for minimally acceptable education. These students should spend some of their time elsewhere. Nine of many factors to consider when determining the amount of time and the kinds of instruction that should be provided in regular education classrooms and other settings are addressed. The ideological and instructional assumptions underlying the benefits that can accrue from functioning in both regular education classrooms and elsewhere must be realized.
An Empirical Investigation of Interrater Agreement for Single-Subject Data Using Graphs with and without Trend Lines
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth J. , Cusick Anne
Published: June 2014

The interrater agreement of visual judgments made from single-subject data was examined. Seventy-nine raters were given 21 single-subject graphs. Thirty-nine of the raters examined graphs containing single-subject data arrayed in the traditional format. The remaining 40 subjects reviewed AB graphs that were supplemented by a trend line. As measured by intraclass correlation coefficients, interrater agreement was higher for the trend line group than for the group relying only on visual analysis. There was a statistically significant correlation between the change in slope across the phases of the AB design and a score reflecting disagreement among raters in the visual analysis group. This relationship between change in slope and rater disagreement was not present in the trend line group. The results suggest that the low interrater agreement often associated with visual analysis of single-subject data may be improved by simple supplements to visually inspected charts.
Creative Daily Scheduling: A Nonintrusive Approach to Challenging Behaviors in Community Residences
Authors: Brown Fredda
Published: June 2014

How a person's day is organized contributes to his or her quality of life. Some people choose to go about their day in a highly structured manner, whereas others choose to function in a more unplanned fashion. Many residential programs, however, do not take these types of life-style preferences into consideration when designing daily activity or routine schedules. Guidelines are presented for individualizing each person's daily schedule of routines to reflect better his or her preferred lifestyle. In so doing, increased control over daily life will be offered to each person. Manipulation of an individual's daily routine also represents a nonintrusive, multicomponent strategy for reducing challenging behaviors and increasing meaningful participation in daily life. The routine schedule offers a method of incorporating information from functional analysis into natural contexts across the day. Four dimensions are presented that can be systematically manipulated as independent variables to address challenging behavior in community residences. Examples are presented to demonstrate the application of schedule manipulations.
The Relationship between Student Performance under Training Conditions and under Probe Conditions and the Implications for Interpretation of Student Performance Data
Authors: Farlow Leslie J. , Lloyd Brenda H. , Snell Martha E.
Published: June 2014

Teachers need to evaluate student performance to make instructional decisions, but student performance can be affected by the conditions under which the data are collected. This study explores the relationship between student performance under training conditions and under two types of probe conditions: (a) multiple-opportunity (student is given the opportunity to perform every step in a task analysis), and (b) single-opportunity (student is not given the opportunity to complete the task after the first error). Eighteen randomly selected sets of classroom data collected on performance of multiple-step functional tasks by students with severe disabilities were used for the analysis. Correlations were calculated to describe the strength of the relationship between training and probe data, and X-tests were run to examine the differences between probe conditions. The relationship between probe and training varied. Single-opportunity probe data were more variable than multiple-opportunity probe data, and the difference between training and probe scores was greater under the single-opportunity probe condition than under the multiple-opportunity condition. The results indicated that: (a) students do not react to probe conditions as if they were extinction conditions: (b) training data do not consistently reflect performance under probe conditions: and (c) teachers may need to use different criteria to interpret data collected under different probe conditions. The implications of different data collection conditions on data for visual analysis and teacher interpretation of student performance data are discussed.
Education and Treatment Needs of Students with Profound, Multiply Handicapping, and Medically Fragile Conditions: A Survey of Teachers' Perceptions
Authors: Izen Cornelia Lively , Brown Fredda
Published: June 2014

This investigation assessed perceptions of special educators regarding the education and treatment needs of students with profound or multiple handicaps or medically fragile conditions. A survey was distributed nationally to 500 special educators chosen randomly from the membership list of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps. The survey sought to: (a) identify what educators perceived to be important variables in delivering quality educational programs, (b) determine current classroom practices, and (c) identify what educators perceived to be strengths and weaknesses of their university teacher training programs.

A total of 148 surveys were returned (29.6%) and 123 were included in the final data analysis. Results indicate that respondents did not feel adequately trained by university teacher training programs to work with many individuals having profoundly handicapping conditions. Some teachers did not include certain curricular areas (e.g., vocational skills, community living skills) because they felt they would not benefit students. For a variety of reasons, instructional techniques such as integration strategies, application of technology, and use of van Dijk, neurodevelopmental, and Piagetian procedures also are not implemented by some teachers. In general, as class size and the proportion of students with profound disabilities increases, teachers find implementation of some best practices to be less important.
Ecological Validity Revisited: A 10-Year Comparison of Two Journals
Authors: Ford Jerry , Gaylord-Ross Robert
Published: June 2014

The effect of pleas for ecologically valid research in the 1970s was examined. The research in two periodicals, the American Journal on Mental Retardation (AJMR), and the Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (JASH) was assessed for criteria of ecological validity. Using a 2 × 2 design, we found that the periodicals had relatively low and similar ecological validity scores in 1976 to 1978. For 1986 to 1988, however, JASH scores increased substantially, whereas AJMR remained at about the same level. Four of five categories changed significantly in JASH. Results were interpreted with respect to the nature of the advocacy and scientific values espoused by the mother organization of each periodical.
An Investigation of the Feasibility of a Video Game System for Developing Scanning and Selection Skills
Authors: Horn Eva , Jones Hazel A. , Hamlett Carol
Published: June 2014

This study examined the effectiveness of a microcomputer-operated video-game format in training nonvocal students with severe physical handicaps to make scan and selection responses similar to those needed for operating linear scanning augmentative communication aids. The video scanning and selection game systematically shaped scanning on more complex screens by slowly increasing the number of boxes presented simultaneously on the screen (i.e., from one to three boxes). Three children participated in a multiple probe across-subjects design to evaluate the effectiveness of the video game. Results indicated that all three children showed substantial increases in the number of correct scan and selection responses made at all three levels of difficulty. Generalization data indicated that all three children were able to transfer use of the skill to a Zygo 100 communication device. Maintenance of the effects also was demonstrated.
Employment of Persons with Dual Sensory Impairments: Strategies for Inclusion
Authors: Goetz Lori , Lee Mellanie , Johnston Stacey , Gaylord-Ross Robert
Published: June 2014

Case study examples highlight several strategies used by Bay Area Personnel Systems, a model demonstration project, to ensure the inclusion of persons with dual sensory impairments and other multiple disabilities in integrated community employment. Heterogeneous group placement, job restructuring, use of natural support, volunteerism, and social skills training are practices perceived to be particularly critical in ensuring integrated work for people with dual sensory impairment.
Teaching Students to Request the Continuation of Routine Activities by Using Time Delay and Decreasing Physical Assistance in the Context of Chain Interruption
Authors: Gee Kathleen , Graham Nan , Goetz Lori , Oshima Gail , Yoshioka Karen
Published: June 2014

Three students with profound intellectual, sensory, and physical disabilities learned to activate a communication device as a “want”/request function within an initial chain interruption context and generalized the use of the switch for the same function to the two or three remaining contexts when these chains were interrupted. The intervention consisted of the use of a consistent response interval to allow for student preference and increasing time delay paired with decreasing physical assistance to teach initiation of an adaptive switch to operate a call device. A multiple baseline design across participants with successive generalization contexts was employed. The intervention was successful with all three students. Each participant learned to initiate and activate a device to request the continuation of routines in which they were only partially physically active or in which their participation was purely social. The outcomes are important for the participant population since previous work typically has focused on requests for reinforcers such as objects, food, or social attention. In the following study the participants requested the continuation of an activity. The role of initiation versus performance data is discussed, as well as issues related to the validity of learning outcomes and measurement of those outcomes for the target population.
Medical Conditions, Level of Care Needs, and Health-Related Outcomes of Persons with Mental Retardation: A Review
Authors: Hayden Mary F. , DePaepe Paris A.
Published: June 2014

A literature review was conducted to analyze existing data on health needs of people with mental retardation and possible barriers to integration in the community. Information was obtained on medical conditions, level of care needed, and health-related outcomes. The type and range of medical care, resources, and support services needed to maintain individuals with medical problems were identified, as were barriers to and recommendations for the provision of community-based medical care. Although there are barriers to the provision of services to people with mental retardation and allied medical conditions, there are people who currently live in the community who have the same type of medical conditions and who require the same level of care needed as those who live in institutions. Medical services are typically, but not always, available to persons with mental retardation who reside in the community. Availability and access to services are addressed. Recommendations for future research and policy implications are presented.
Increasing the Reliability of Self-Report by Adults with Moderate Mental Retardation
Authors: Wadsworth John S. , Harper Dennis C.
Published: June 2014

Reliable self-reporting by individuals with mental retardation is especially important as the field moves to promote consumer participation in decision making and program evaluation. The Sheltered Care Environmental Scale (SCES) was chosen as a basis for constructing a picture-prompted questionnaire assessing three dimensions of the SCES: Conflict, Cohesion, and Independence. A test-retest design was used to compare picture-prompted administration with reliance exclusively on verbal questioning. Data indicate that the use of pictures enhances the test-retest reliability of the instrument.
The Influence of Antecedent Exercise on Problem Behaviors in Persons with Mental Retardation: A Failure to Replicate
Authors: Larson Jan L. , Miltenberger Raymond G.
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a jogging program on behavior problems in adults with mental retardation. Six adults with severe mental retardation were exposed to sequential conditions of baseline (routine physical education activities), leisure games (attention control), and 15 minutes of daily jogging. The results showed that neither the jogging nor the leisure games condition produced consistent changes in problem behaviors. Possible explanations for this failure to replicate results of previous studies are discussed.
Consumer Choice and Empowerment in Supported Employment Services: Issues and Strategies
Authors: West Michael D. , Parent Wendy S.
Published: June 2014

This article examines consumer empowerment issues in supported employment services. First, it describes in general terms how service consumers can be given more control over supported employment services and, by extension, their work experiences. Then, consumer empowerment issues are examined from various aspects of service delivery (e.g., choice of occupation, preferences for training methods) and various types of problems that consumers typically encounter. Illustrative case examples are provided that show the effects of choice on individuals' satisfaction with employment and general well-being.
Using Self-Scheduling to Promote Self-Directed Leisure Activity in Home and Community Settings
Authors: Bambara Linda M. , Ager Christina
Published: June 2014

The effects of self-scheduling plus training to implement weekly schedules on the frequency, diversity, and novelty of self-directed leisure activities by three adults with moderate developmental disabilities living in the community were examined in this study. Self-scheduling consisted of the adults choosing desired leisure/recreational activities via picture cards, and then placing the cards in a sequenced activity book for each day of the week. Training for schedule implementation consisted of a daily prompt to look at the picture schedule plus a nightly review of engaged activities. All participants learned to independently self-schedule their leisure activity as a result of training and maintained their performance on probes conducted between 8 weeks and 6 months after training. Self-scheduling and training schedule implementation resulted in substantial increases in the weekly frequency and diversity of self-directed leisure activity, as well as increases in the cumulative novelty of activity. These results were also maintained long term. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating choice and self-management in leisure education for persons with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities.
A Comparison of Methods for the Functional Assessment of Stereotypic Behavior
Authors: Crawford Jacqueline , Brockel Becky , Schauss Scott , Miltenberger Raymond G.
Published: June 2014

Three functional assessment methods were conducted with four adults with severe to profound mental retardation who exhibited stereotypic behavior. We compared the results of an informant assessment using the MAS, an A-B-C direct observation assessment, and a functional analysis in which variables were manipulated in four experimental conditions. The results of the A-B-C observations and the MAS indicated a sensory function of the stereotypic behavior for all subjects. The functional analysis results were more ambiguous, with a different pattern of results for each subject. These results are discussed with regard to the practicality and utility of each functional assessment procedure conducted in an applied setting.
The Wage Effects of Supported Employment
Authors: Thompson Lyke , Powers Greg , Houchard Berenice
Published: June 2014

This study investigated the effects of supported employment on wages earned by persons with disabilities. We sought to determine whether supported employment produced higher wages than sheltered employment, whether any effect was a result of increases in wage rates or hours, and whether one model of supported employment had more impact than another. The analysis showed that wages increased after entering supported employment, after correcting for differences in employees' measured IQs. Entry into supported employment had a more consistent impact on wage rates than on hours of employment. Individual placement was shown to have the largest effect on wages, while participation in mobile crews had little effect.
The Application of General-Case Instruction to the Requesting Repertoires of Learners with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Chadsey-Rusch Janis , Halle Jim
Published: June 2014

General-case instruction has contributed substantially to the improvement of generalized responding by learners with severe disabilities. Although these procedures have been used with success across a wide variety of behaviors (e.g., street crossing, dressing, grocery store purchasing), applications of these procedures to communicative behaviors are lacking. This paper proposes an application of the stimulus-control features of the general-case model to enhance the communicative behavior of learners with severe disabilities. Specifically, the relationship between stimulus control and the pragmatic function of requesting is elaborated. Two examples of the general-case process for specifying the range of relevant stimulus and response variations within instructional, or communicative, universes are offered.
Effects of a Small Group Microcomputer-Mediated Motor Skills Instructional Package
Authors: Horn Eva M. , Warren Steven F. , Reith Herbert J.
Published: June 2014

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a microcomputer-mediated motor skills teaching package in a small group training session. Two groups of three young children with cerebral palsy were provided motor skills instruction by a trainer across two conditions. Condition A consisted of a package of adaptive positioning and behavioral teaching procedures. Condition B consisted of the same adaptive positioning and behavioral procedures plus “computer assistance” and response-contingent toys. An A-B-A-B multitreatment design with across-site replication was used to compare the effects of the two training packages. Results indicated a consistent relationship between the introduction of a computer-mediated package (Condition B) and improvement in both the children's behaviors and the trainer's quality of instruction. The computer-mediated package was shown to be successful in increasing the children's general level of engagement as well as their performance of the target motor skills. Simultaneously, improvements in the consistency of immediate performance-based reinforcement and corrective feedback provided to the children by trainers were noted.