Jan B. Sheldon

Application of a Group Training Program in Social Skills and Problem Solving to Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Youth

The efficacy of training learning disabled adolescents in social and problem-solving skills was evaluated by conducting a group skill-training program with three sets of youths: learning disabled adolescents attending an alternative high school, non-learning disabled youths attending the same school, and court-adjudicated youths on probation with a juvenile court. The six skills taught as part of the program included: giving positive feedback, giving negative feedback, accepting negative feedback, resisting peer pressure, negotiation, and problem solving in social situations. Training procedures consisted of skill explanation, rationales, modeling, and behavioral rehearsal with feedback. Skills were trained in a multiple-baseline design across skills. Youth performance of the skills was assessed through behavioral role-play testing using novel, nonpracticed situations. All three groups of subjects showed increased skill levels following training. On the cognitive problem-solving skill, learning disabled adolescents demonstrated only a slight gain when compared to non-learning disabled and court-adjudicated youths.

The Use of Self-Management Procedures by People with Developmental Disabilities: A Brief Review.

Self-management procedures, such as self-monitoring, self-administering consequences, and self-instructing, are frequently taught to people with developmental disabilities. In this paper, research examining the use of self-management procedures is reviewed and critiqued. Areas for future investigation are discussed.

Comparing the Teaching Interaction Procedure to Social Stories for People with Autism.

This study compared social stories and the teaching interaction procedure to teach social skills to 6 children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. Researchers taught 18 social skills with social stories and 18 social skills with the teaching interaction procedure within a parallel treatment design. The teaching interaction procedure resulted in mastery of all 18 skills across the 6 participants. Social stories, in the same amount of teaching sessions, resulted in mastery of 4 of the 18 social skills across the 6 participants. Participants also displayed more generalization of social skills taught with the teaching interaction procedure to known adults and peers.

Behavioral Interventions to Reduce the Pica of Persons with Developmental Disabilities

The consumption of nonfood items (i. e., pica) frequently occurs in persons with developmental disabilities. Pica may result in the puncture or blockage of the digestive tract, infestation by gastrointestinal parasites, and can interfere with an individual’s daily learning, occupational performance, and quality of life. Twenty-six published studies have examined the efficacy of behavioral-intervention packages (e. g., differential reinforcement of other behavior, noncontingent attention, or overcorrection) on the pica of persons with developmental disabilities. This article reviews those studies and discusses the effectiveness, generality, and acceptability of the various intervention packages used to reduce pica. Additionally, this article highlights the recent clinical advancements that have been made in the treatment of the pica of persons with developmental disabilities.

Choice and Control New Opportunities for People with Developmental Disabilities

Over the past few years, people with developmental disabilities have had an increasing number of opportunities to make choices and have control over their lives. There has also been a considerable amount of experimental research conducted on the effects of providing opportunities to make choices or to exercise control. The results of this research strongly suggest that providing opportunities for choice and control over events can affect the degree to which people participate in activities, the types of behaviors displayed during the participation, and peoples perceptions about the situation. This article reviews this experimental research, discusses traditional views and current perspectives regarding choice and control for people with developmental disabilities, and presents ways of increasing the amount of choice and control available to people with developmental disabilities.

Reducing agitated—Disruptive behavior of mentally retarded residents of community group homes: The role of self-recording and peer-prompted self-recording

Abstract Agitated—disruptive behavior such as cursing, hitting, kicking, throwing objects, and verbal threats from three mentally retarded residents From community group homes was reduced using procedures that included a self-recorded DRO, point fines for agitated—disruptive behavior, social skills training, and relaxation training. The agitated-disruptive behavior of all three subjects was markedly reduced as a result of the use of these procedures in combination. Further, with all subjects, the self-recorded DRO appeared to be critical to the effectiveness of the treatment program. Although subjects did not self-record accurately when they displayed agitated—disruptive behavior, the self-recording appeared to be effective in recruiting social approval from others in the environment when a specified period of time had passed without the occurence of agitated—disruptive behavior.

Drug-behavior interactions in persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities

Treatment for aberrant behavior in persons diagnosed with developmental disabilities typically involves either behavioral interventions or medication. Often, the treatment is a combination of the two. Schroeder and coworkers (Schroeder et al. [1983] Adv Learn Behav Disabil 2:179–225) outlined criteria for the evaluation of the combination of behavioral and drug interventions in persons with developmental disabilities. A review of the research that examined the combination of drug and behavior interactions since 1983, using the Schroeder et al. criteria, is provided. An evaluation of research since 1983 that examined medication effects on multiple dependent measures and between multiple medications, using the criteria for medication research by Sprague and Werry (Sprague and Werry [1971] Int Rev Res Ment Retard vol. 5) is also provided. Additionally, the final section provides a list of recommendations and criteria for practitioners and researchers when conducting or evaluating research designed to examine medication effects on multiple variables in persons with developmental disabilities. MRDD Research Reviews 1999;5:322–334.

Reducing Disruptive Behavior of a Group-Home Resident with Autism and Mental Retardation.

A treatment package consisting of a DRO procedure, token fines, and prompted relaxation was used to reduce the agitated-disruptive behavior of a person with autism and mental retardation living in a community group home. The agitated-disruptive behaviors (cursing, hitting, kicking, throwing objects, and verbal threats) were measured during three different activities in a group home. The baseline rates of the agitated-disruptive behavior during one of these activities was relatively low, during another was moderate, and during the third was high. DRO procedures were partially implemented by a peer with Down syndrome and mental retardation during a portion of the study. Effects of the DRO procedures were as follows: During each activity an initial reduction of agitated-disruptive behavior was dependent on choosing an appropriate DRO interval, with shorter DRO intervals required during activities in which the baseline rates of the agitated-disruptive behavior were higher. Once shorter DRO intervals had been used to reduce agitated-disruptive behavior, longer DRO intervals were effective in maintaining those reductions. Reductions were maintained for up to 6 months.

Observing signs of pain in relation to self‐injurious behaviour among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

BACKGROUND Self-injurious behaviour is a chronic condition among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for which there is no known cure. The pain hypothesis suggests that individuals who engage in self-injury have altered or diminished pain perception. The purpose of the present study was to assess how frequently individuals diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental disability who engage in chronic self-injury displayed non-verbal signs of pain in relation to their self-injury. METHODS We videotaped four participants (aged 28-50 years) in their homes during times when they were likely to engage in self-injury. Using continuous recording measures, we coded videotapes for the frequency and duration of self-injury and expressions of non-verbal pain-related behaviours. Sequential analyses were conducted to identify temporal relations between pain-related behaviours and self-injury. RESULTS Our data suggest that the existing measures of pain may be systematically related to instances of self-injury. The relationships, however, appear to vary depending on the person who engages in self-injury, the environmental contexts in which the self-injury occurs, and perhaps, the type of self-injury in which the person engages. CONCLUSIONS These results support some of the findings of Symons et al. and they raise questions about the blunted nociception hypothesis of self-injury.

OBSERVATIONAL EFFECTS ON THE PREFERENCES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may play with limited objects or toys, making it difficult for teachers to identify reinforcers to use in teaching new skills. The goal of this study was to alter childrens preferences from highly preferred toys to toys that were originally less preferred using an observational pairing procedure. Child participants observed a preferred adult playing with toys that were initially less preferred by the child. This intervention resulted in a shift in preference toward the item manipulated by the adult. Maintenance of the changed preference was idiosyncratic across participants. Results suggest a procedure for expanding the range of items that students with ASD will select.