Ten adults with moderate and severe mental retardation were taught to construct shipping boxes using a dyadic instructional format in which each member of the dyad received instruction on one half of the task analysis on an alternative basis. Four of the five dyads learned to construct shipping boxes. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Prompting videos were developed and successfully used to train four adolescents with moderate intellectual disabilities the operation of a videorecorder and personal computer. Training transferred to another teacher, another setting, and, with additional training, to another type of videorecorder and personal computer. (Author/DB)

Two young adults with severe intellectual disabilities received either frequent or infrequent verbal prompts through a small earphone and pocket radio- and computer-controlled device as they completed daily living tasks. Data indicated that the frequent prompts condition fostered a higher level of on-task behavior and correct task responding.…

A sequence of choice levels was implemented using constant time delay to teach choice making to five children with severe intellectual disabilities. Evaluation indicated that both the specific sequence of choice levels and constant time delay were effective in teaching these students to make choices. It also found that individual preferences…

A study assessed effects of a self-instructional package on complex problem-solving skills by three adults with intellectual disabilities. Problem situations were embedded in the participants' daily routines that consisted of multiple task sequences. The training package was effective in producing generalized, complex correct problem solving in…

Sequence errors may be reduced by allowing students to perform a chained task in any functional order. This study, involving four elementary-aged students with moderate intellectual disabilities, found that tasks taught with functional procedures were acquired in fewer sessions, in less time, and with fewer errors than tasks taught in a specific…

A procedure involving prompting, repetition of the correct response, and reinforcement was effectively used to teach three adults with profound mental retardation gestural yes-no responding. However, reliable generalization of the individuals' responses across settings or persons did not occur even after generality training. (Author/DB)

A study of five adults with severe mental retardation in a residential facility found that progressive time delay was effective in establishing a receptive repertoire of communicative gestures. Results of the study also found no differential training effect for known versus unknown gestures. (Author/CR)

A process social skills training approach was implemented and evaluated with two high school students having mild intellectual disabilities and social skills deficits. The intervention package was successful in promoting generalization of targeted social skills from the training setting to the classroom for both students. Participants had…

This paper discusses guidelines for devising a hierarchy when fading response prompts in training individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing guidelines are seen as poorly defined, inconsistent, and lacking both theoretical and experimental support. An alternative theoretical account is proposed which suggests that prompts in a hierarchy…

This study found that, following a systematic fading of putting guides, three adults with severe/profound mental retardation increased accuracy in making putts during posttraining assessments on a practice green. Results also maintained at, or increased above, posttraining levels at a two-week maintenance check and were generalized to a local golf…

A teaching procedure incorporated high-probability request sequences to increase low-probability communication behaviors of a 4-year old and an 8-year old with severe disabilities. Findings included increases in communication responses by both participants, as well as increases in unprompted communication responses by one participant. (Author/DB)

The effectiveness of simultaneous prompting, an instructional procedure which involves presenting the task direction and immediately providing the controlling prompt, was evaluated with four young adults with severe intellectual disabilities. Daily probe sessions assessed acquisition of the target behavior. Results indicated the procedure was…

Three students (ages 14-16) with mild mental retardation were taught to use an auditory prompting system to complete the vocational tasks of cleaning a bathroom in a classroom setting. Students acquired the skills and generalized them to a novel setting. There were mixed results concerning maintenance of the skills. (Contains 10 references.)…

Four caregivers used a constant time delay procedure to teach leisure skills to four adolescents or adults with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities. A multiple probe designed across behaviors and replicated across leisure learners demonstrated the success of the participant-instructors in delivering systematic instruction. (Author/CR)