Five learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and physically disabled adults were taught six basic macrame knots using an instructional manual, series of error correction procedures, and social reinforcement. They then independently used the instructional materials to make three complete macrame projects without direct instruction. Ss also…

Verbal self instruction (VSIT) has potential for training persons with an intellectual disability in the use of strategies, particularly in promoting generalization of behavior. Among technical issues discussed are providing appropriate initial training procedures and identifying differential task effects. Problems with range of application, goal…

Generalization of four retarded children's (five to eight years old) object naming responses to stimuli in the natural environment was assessed after training with either objects or pictures. Generalization was typically greater after training with objects. In a second experiment, an alternating procedure resulted in substantial increases in…

Examined the comparability of three techniques that are used to assess the dependability of family observational measures: analyses of observer agreement, reliability, and generalizability. Results indicated no single evaluative technique will always be most conservative in estimating the quality of observations. Suggests that multiple assessments…

A home-based ecobehavioral parent-training package with a low-income single-parent referred for child neglect, and her seven-year-old son was effective in increasing the mother's frequency of descriptive praise and in producing demonstrable changes in the untreated corollary behaviors. Maintenance probes conducted two and six months following the…

Four high-school-age students with autism and severe disabilities were trained to initiate and sustain social interactions with nondisabled peers at two community job sites. Results showed that all Ss acquired a chain of social break behaviors using one peer trainer. (Author/CL)

To examine the effectiveness of natural environment language training on social competence, teachers introduced delays during predetermined opportunities with three disabled preschoolers. The number of vocal requests initiated by the Ss increased substantially, and their social competence was enhanced. (CL)

An 11-year-old nonverbal boy diagnosed autistic was trained to communicate wants and needs with manual signs. Sign training in the corner of the classroom had no effect on generalization or maladaptive responses, while training in the natural setting was functionally related both to use of signs across the school day and dramatic reductions in…

A 12-step procedure was used in teaching five minimally literate, male juvenile offenders to read and interpret prototypes of road signs displaying words, and a 5-step procedure for interpreting a sign without words. All students' correct responses in reading and interpreting signs increased and were maintained during subsequent post-checks.…

Via a demonstration-plus-model technique, the equal additions method of subtraction was used to teach seven learning disabled students (grades 3-5) subtraction requiring reqrouping. Results suggested that instruction in the equal additions method was effective in producing an increase in student computaton of subtraction with regrouping. All Ss…

Assessed whether experimentally induced learned helplessness on a cognitive training task generalized to a situationally dissimilar social interaction test task. No significant differences were observed between groups on the subsequent test task, showing that helplessness failed to generalize. (Author/ABB)

The educational process is presented as moving through a three-stage cycle: the romance stage, the stage of precision, and the stage of generalization. (MD)

Examined seven-month-old infants' perceptions of happy and fearful facial expressions. Infants could generalize discrimination of expressions across male and female faces if first familiarized with happy faces. Infants tended to look longer at fear faces than at happy faces. Preferential responding was not specific to any individual face.…

Training was effective in producing acquisition and generalization of visual analogy strategies by 19 educable mildly retarded students (12-16 years old), but there was no evidence that cognitive style (reflection-impulsivity), either alone or in combination with the training program, affected acquisition or generalization. (Author/CL)

Teaching exceptional children to use verbal cues to control nonverbal behaviors is suggested as a procedure for establishing adaptive behaviors and as a self-management strategy for ensuring generalization and maintenance of new responses. (Author/CL)