A review of research on procedures for teaching safety skills to persons with developmental disabilities.
Safety skills are an important but often neglected area of training for persons with developmental disabilities (DD). The present study reviewed the literature on teaching safety skills to persons with DD. Safety skills involve a variety of behaviors such as knowing how to cross the street or what to do in case of a house fire. A number of studies have been conducted on teaching these skills to individuals with DD. The studies reviewed have varying degrees of success and demonstrate varying degrees of generalization, but the general finding has been that prompting, reinforcement, and role-playing are effective teaching procedures across a variety of participants, skills, and settings.
Dixon
Dennis R
DR
Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Tarzana, CA 91356, United States. d.dixon@centerforautism.com
Bergstrom
Ryan
R
Smith
Marlena N
MN
Tarbox
Jonathan
J
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003415:Crime / Q000517:prevention & control; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000379:methods*; D004630:Emergencies / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D014040:Token Economy; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology