The study examined classroom-based instruction in restauranting skills for three male retarded students (17 to 22 years old). Ss were taught each of four skill components in sequential order: locating, ordering, paying, and eating, and exiting. (Author/DB)

Two functional communication training (FCT) conditions were compared to treat behavior problems of a child with mental retardation. The child was taught to emit a single FCT response to obtain one of six items or multiple FCT responses that specified the exact item. Only the FCT-multiple conditions reduced problem behavior. (Contains four…

Six adult women with mental retardation were trained in sexual abuse prevention, and performance was assessed using four separate measures: pretest and posttests of knowledge, verbal report, role play, and naturalistic probes. All learned the skills but failed to exhibit them to criterion during the probes. (Author/CR)

Currently recommended practice in supported work emphasizes training job skills to workers with severe disabilities while on the job. Early behavioral research indicated that skills needed in natural environments could also be trained in simulated settings. We compared job-site plus simulation training for teaching job skills to supported workers…

Interactional behavior of two groups (N=3 females per group) of elderly mentally retarded group home residents was measured in two generalization situations before, during, and after one group received social skills training. Among conclusions were that generalization to natural interactional situations may be delayed following training.…

Findings of the three experiments indicated that normal children can successfully teach social responses (i.e., delayed imitation, cooperative play, and verbalization of positive comments) to withdrawn mentally retarded peers (8 to 13 years old). Effects generalized across stimulus and response conditions, while the levels of responding were…

Two children with mental retardation were trained to emit different communication responses to request the reinforcer for destructive behavior and an alternative reinforcer. Differential reinforcement of communication reduced destructive behavior regardless of whether a functional reinforcer or an alternative reinforcer was available or whether…

Two aides operating a kindergarten-style program for four to eight institutionalized mental retardates (6-to-11 years-old) were trained, using observer feedback, to apply generalized correct social contingencies to 10 defined classes of appropriate and inappropriate child behaviors. (Author)

Three retarded children 3- to 11-years-old were trained, using prompting and reinforcement procedures, to respond correctly to three categories of prepositional requests (next to, under, and on top of). (Author)

Two approaches to teaching work-site social behaviors to three youths with mental retardation were examined. Problem-solving training, which involved developing skills in decoding, decision, performance, and evaluation, led to substantial generalization and maintenance of social behaviors in natural work settings. Training based upon role-playing…

Four mentally retarded adults received single case instruction, followed by general case instruction, on washing machine and dryer use, using either actual appliances or simulation. Generalization errors were affected by single/general case instruction, not by use of simulated versus natural conditions. General case simulation was more efficient…

Three mentally retarded students (ages 9-12) who exhibited challenging behaviors to escape from academic demands and to receive social attention were taught alternative assistance-seeking and attention-getting phrases. Data indicated that the intervention reduced challenging behavior. The results transferred across settings, and were maintained 18…

We examined some conditions under which a response acquired as a tact might facilitate the establishment of a mand. We taught 3 participants with developmental disabilities to tact the items ranked highest and lowest in a preference assessment and subsequently tested to see if the responses occurred as mands. All participants manded for the highly…

Two experiments were conducted to train six severely multihandicapped students (ages 15 to 23) with hearing impairments to put on their own hearing aids independently, and to provide an empirical evaluation of a comprehensive instructional program for putting on a hearing aid by assessing acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of that skill…