title: Analyzing alertness among people with profound multiple disabilities: implications for provision of training.
abstract: We investigated whether variations in alertness among individuals with profound multiple disabilities affected subsequent responsiveness to training programs. Three experiments were conducted involving 5 people. In Experiment 1, results indicated that alertness of 3 individuals increased with provision of skill-acquisition training programs. Results also indicated no predictive relationship between alertness levels prior to training and subsequent responsiveness to training. Experiment 2 replicated results of Experiment 1 with 2 participants from Experiment 1 and an additional participant. Results of Experiment 2 also indicated that the increased alertness levels accompanying provision of training were not a function of the participants simply being in an inactive environment prior to training. Results of Experiment 3 indicated that alertness of an additional participant increased through provision of another training intervention, involving a systematic preference assessment. Responses during the preference assessment appeared to be unrelated to previously existing alertness levels. These findings suggest the need for caution when considering the withholding of scheduled training because an individual appears to be nonalert.
authors.affiliation: Western Carolina Center, Morganton, North Carolina 28655.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Canipe
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012931:Social Environment; D014851:Wakefulness