The effects of verbal feedback and verbal feedback plus praise on staff training behaviors were assessed through a multiple baseline design in an adult residential area for mentally retarded individuals. Initial results of this study show both procedures to be effective in improving staff training skills. (Author/CL)

The effect of decreasing the difficulty of reading material on comprehension by 57 direct care trainees at a residential facility for mentally retarded persons was examined. Results confirmed that decreasing the reading difficulty of printed material increases trainees' comprehension levels. (Author/SB)

A survey of 190 public and community residential facilities indicate that staff in community and public residential facilities must be prepared to deal with maladaptive behavior, that behaviorally oriented response strategies appear to be most effective, and that there is a need for greater attention to training direct-care residential staff in…

The 76 responses received from over 300 questionnaires sent to Pennsylvania county programs for distribution to direct service community living arrangement staff (persons working with the mentally retarded on a full-time, live-in basis) indicated that there was a high rate of turnover of staff and that more inservice training was desired. (IM)

The implementation of a duty-card system in which 12 mental health technicians carried out sequentially described individualized tasks with 14 severely and profoundly mentally retarded acting out adults resulted in consistent and immediate improvement in staff performance. (CL)

Nineteen professional (nurses and attendants with bachelor degrees) and 17 paraprofessionals (aides with less than a college education) from a residential institution for the mentally retarded participated in an overview course on mental retardation. (Author/CL)

In an institutional setting for retarded children, 14 staff members were observed during the administration of teaching programs. (Author)

The study investigated the effects of indigenous contingencies in altering administratively related behaviors (including (1) completing federally required reports on student progress, (2) tardiness, and (3) completing weekly timesheets) with 87 employees at a residence for moderately or severely retarded individuals. (Author/PHR)

The effectiveness of video-based staff training with manager-led exercises in improving the performance of six staffers in residential support for persons with disabilities was examined. The training procedures improved performance in hand-washing, glove usage, and frequency of positive interaction, but not in the frequency of valued activities.…

Videotapes from a behavior modification training program for five ward attendants in an institution for the mentally handicapped show these personnel tend to depend too much on verbal prompts and physical guidance. (JG)

The study confirmed previous research indicating that workshop training by itself is an ineffective method of increasing direct care staff compliance to treatment prescriptions, and that providing direct staff supervisors with a training and management tool (prescriptive checklists) may be an effective alternative for serving multihandicapped…

Evaluated with 18 attendants in an institution for the mentally handicapped were several teaching formats: modeling, instructions, videotape feedback, or film, videotape modeling, filmed modeling, or live modeling, or control. (Author/DB)

The impact of a training program to help staff prevent and effectively manage aggressive behavior was assessed with 109 staff members who worked in services for persons with developmental disabilities. Instruction in distraction, defusion, and nonaggressive physical intervention strategies was provided. The training significantly improved…

A program to teach the techniques of behavior modification to attendants working with severely and profoundly retarded institutionalized residents has been developed and tested. (Author)