Dorothea C. Lerman

Skill acquisition in parents of children with developmental disabilities:: Interaction between skill type and instructional format

A variety of instructional formats have been used to teach parents of children with developmental disabilities how to implement treatments for problem behavior. Although several authors have suggested that the efficacy of various instructional methods might depend on the type of skill taught to parents, no studies have been designed to systematically explore this potential interaction. In this preliminary study, three parents who requested outpatient services for treatment of their childrens problem behavior were taught to implement multiple treatment components. Therapists employed the most cost-efficient method first (i.e., written and verbal instructions) to teach prescribed behavior management strategies (e.g., differential reinforcement). If the parents behavior failed to meet a performance criterion, feedback was included in training sessions. The efficacy of verbal and written instructions varied across different components of the childs treatment program.

A preliminary comparison of guided compliance and high-probability instructional sequences as treatment for noncompliance in children with developmental disabilities

The efficacy of guided compliance and high-probability instructional sequences was compared with two children referred to an outpatient clinic for treatment of noncompliance. Parents were taught to implement the procedures in their homes, and parent-training outcomes for the two interventions were compared in terms of treatment effectiveness, procedural integrity, and parent satisfaction. Levels of compliance were higher under guided compliance than under high-probability instructional sequences. Nevertheless, parents rapidly learned to implement both treatments with a high degree of accuracy and reported equal satisfaction with the procedures.