title: Promoting stimulus control with textual prompts and performance feedback for persons with mild disabilities.
abstract: We assessed whether written task analyses would serve as textual prompts for performing functional tasks by persons with mild disabilities. Several variables that could influence the effectiveness of textual prompts to promote stimulus control were examined across four groups. A consistent finding was that written specific task analyses combined with end-of-trial performance feedback were effective for promoting the acquisition and generalization of several tasks. Performance transferred immediately to natural discriminative stimuli when the written task analyses and feedback were withdrawn for most tasks and participants. For 2 participants, transfer of stimulus control was accomplished by prompt fading, using individualized written task analyses either with or without performance feedback (Group 1). When feedback was not provided, the effectiveness of written specific task analyses was inconsistent across groups. In contrast to the controlling effects of written specific task analyses, written generic task analyses, which specified only major task outcomes, when combined with performance feedback (Group 1) did not control responding. Overall, this research demonstrated the effectiveness of written specific task analyses and performance feedback to promote stimulus control for persons with mild disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901-4609.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cuvo
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crowley
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000379:methods*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D012931:Social Environment