Teaching developmentally disabled children with chronic illness to swallow prescribed capsules.
Child noncompliance with prescribed medical regimens, including nonacceptance of oral medication, frequently impedes medical treatment and achievement of clinical aims. During this study, we used a single-subject experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of a capsule-swallowing training curriculum specifically developed to promote acceptance of oral medication by multihandicapped children. Four such children participated, each diagnosed with a chronic pediatric illness requiring daily intake of oral medication. Training consisted of verbal instruction, demonstration, reinforcement for swallowing candies/capsules progressively larger in size, ignoring mild inappropriate behavior, and gradually providing less guidance and structure. In each case, the curriculum produced routine independent swallowing of prescribed capsules/tablets. Follow-up assessments, coupled with parent satisfaction ratings, suggest that skill acquisition was both enduring and clinically significant. This study validates a brief, readily exportable, and effective approach to teaching handicapped children to swallow capsules.
Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
R L
RL
Babbitt
J M
JM
Parrish
P E
PE
Brierley
M A
MA
Kohr
D000293:Adolescent; D000592:Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002214:Capsules / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003679:Deglutition; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020163:Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase Deficiency Disease; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012646:Self Administration / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role
D002214:Capsules