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Biomedical subjects

C W Green

Publications and source records attributed to C W Green.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Defining, validating, and increasing indices of happiness among people with profound multiple disabilities.

In this study we attempted to operationalize, measure, and increase happiness among people with profound disabilities. Happiness indices were defined and observed among 5 individuals. Validation measures indicated that (a) increases in happiness indices were observed when individuals were presented with most preferred stimuli relative to least preferred stimuli, (b) increases in unhappiness indices were observed when they were presented with least preferred relative to most preferred stimuli, and (c) practitioner ratings of participant happiness coincided with observed indices. Subsequently, classroom staff increased happiness indices through presentation and contingent withdrawal of activities. Results suggested that a behavioral approach can enhance happiness as one aspect of quality of life among people with profound disabilities. Research directions are offered that focus on using a behavioral approach to investigate other private events that are important among people with disabilities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Analyzing alertness among people with profound multiple disabilities: implications for provision of training.

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.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Reduction of self-injurious hand mouthing using response blocking.

We evaluated a response-blocking procedure for reducing the self-injurious hand mouthing of 2 adults with profound disabilities. The procedure reduced mouthing in both cases. The results suggest research is warranted to delineate the behavioral process responsible for the effect of response blocking and to determine the procedure's long-term utility.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Evaluation of components of residential treatment by Medicaid ICF-MR surveys: a validity assessment.

We evaluated the proficiency of the federal Medicaid program's survey process for evaluating intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. In Study 1, an observational analysis of active treatment during leisure times in living units suggested that these surveys did not discriminate between certified and noncertified units. In Study 2, a reactivity analysis of a survey indicated that direct-care staff performed differently during the survey by increasing interactions with clients and decreasing nonwork behavior. Similarly, results of Study 3 showed increases in client access to leisure materials during a survey. In Study 4, questionnaire results indicated considerable variability among service providers' opinions on the consistency, accuracy, and objectivity with which survey teams determine agency standard compliance. Results are discussed regarding effects of the questionable proficiency of survey processes and the potential utility of behavioral assessment methodologies to improve such processes.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Teaching persons with profound multiple handicaps: a review of the effects of behavioral research.

The behavioral research on teaching individuals who have profound multiple handicaps is reviewed. The primary focus is on determining the degree to which behavioral research has demonstrated the teaching of meaningful skills to this population. Results of the review indicate that investigations have demonstrated, albeit inconsistently, that behavior change has resulted from contingency management interventions with persons who have profound multiple handicaps. However, there is little evidence that such interventions have resulted in meaningful behavior change according to currently accepted criteria for beneficially affecting the quality of life of persons with serious handicaps. Potential explanations for the lack of such evidence are offered, including the relative lack of research attention given to this issue, the possible ineffectiveness of the components of the technology applied, and possible ineffective application of the potentially effective technology. Suggestions for future research are discussed in terms of developing more effective educational and habilitative services for persons with profound multiple handicaps. In particular, we suggest research on a wider variety of behavioral teaching procedures, providing more comprehensive evaluations of the applications of procedures and developing treatment programs that do not focus solely on traditional skill acquisition.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Increasing habilitative services for persons with profound handicaps: an application of structural analysis to staff management.

We evaluated a structural analysis methodology for enhancing the utility of a staff management program. In Experiment 1, a structural analysis of direct-care staff behavior in a mental retardation facility revealed differences in work patterns over time. Specific times were identified when few basic care duties were necessary and staff engaged in nonwork activity. In Experiment 2, a management program was implemented to increase staff members' training activities during periods identified through the structural analysis. The program was accompanied by increases in training activities and decreases in nonwork behavior. The improvements were maintained during a 43-week period while the most labor-intensive component of the program was withdrawn. Staff acceptability measures indicated a positive response to the management intervention, although responses varied across components within the multifaceted program. The increased training was accompanied by beneficial changes among clients with profound handicaps. Results are discussed regarding practical considerations for improving staff performance and for adopting innovations resulting from applied research.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A comprehensive evaluation of reinforcer identification processes for persons with profound multiple handicaps.

We evaluated comprehensively a preference assessment for identifying reinforcers for persons with profound multiple handicaps. Four experiments were conducted involving 18 individuals. Results of Experiment 1 replicated previous findings in that the assessment identified student preferences for respective stimuli, and caregiver opinion of preferences did not coincide with the systematic assessment. Results of Experiment 2 indicated highly preferred stimuli were likely to function as reinforcers in training programs, whereas stimuli not highly preferred did not function as reinforcers. Results of Experiment 3 suggested the 12 stimuli used in the assessment represented a comprehensive stimulus set for identifying preferences, although the utility of the set sometimes could be enhanced by caregiver opinion. Results of Experiment 4 indicated the assessment identified preferences likely to be maintained over time. Overall, results are discussed in terms of identifying limits and alternatives to a behavioral teaching technology when applied to persons with profound multiple handicaps.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Reinforcing staff performance in residential facilities: a survey of common managerial practices.

A national survey was conducted to investigate how managers in public residential facilities for persons with mental retardation attempt to reinforce work performance of direct-care staff. The reinforcement procedure reported most frequently by 460 managers was performance feedback (as opposed to monetary increments and time off). Essentially all managers reported using feedback, and virtually all of them reported that feedback was effective to varying degrees as a means of reinforcing staff performance. In response to an open-ended question regarding other procedures for reinforcing staff performance, they most frequently reported increasing staff involvement in management decision-making. Results were discussed in light of future research needs for improving staff work performance and incorporating results of management research into routine management practices.

Employee Incentive Plans↗
PubMed1988

Identifying reinforcers for persons with profound handicaps: staff opinion versus systematic assessment of preferences.

We evaluated a systematic means of determining stimulus preferences among seven profoundly handicapped persons. Preferences were determined by observing student approach responses to individual stimuli. Results indicated that there were differential stimulus preferences across the multiply handicapped participants. However, results of the systematic assessment did not coincide with the results of a more traditional, caregiver-opinion method of assessing student preferences. A second experiment was then conducted with five participants to evaluate whether stimuli that were assessed to consistently represent preferences would function as reinforcers in skill training programs. Results indicated that stimuli that were systematically assessed to represent student preferences typically functioned as reinforcers when applied contingently. However, preferred stimuli as reflected by caregiver opinion did not function as reinforcers unless those stimuli were also preferred on the systematic assessment. Results are discussed in terms of assisting profoundly handicapped persons by (a) improving the effectiveness of training programs by increasing the likelihood of using stimuli that have reinforcing value and (b) increasing the overall quality of life by providing preferred stimuli in the routine living environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Expanding the impact of behavioral staff management: a large-scale, long-term application in schools serving severely handicapped students.

Experimental evaluations of behavioral staff management procedures usually have been limited to relatively small-scale demonstration studies. We evaluated a large-scale, long-term application of a staff management program designed to improve the functional utility of educational services for severely handicapped persons. The intervention, involving a brief in-service program followed by supervisory prompts and feedback, was implemented by three principals in four schools involving 21 classrooms. Implementation of the management procedures was consistently accompanied by increases in student involvement in functional educational tasks in each classroom. Further, the improved services continued throughout a 2-year follow-up period. Staff responses to a questionnaire indicated a high degree of staff acceptance of the management program. Results are discussed in terms of expanding the use of behavioral supervisory procedures from experimental demonstrations to actual adoption by existing human service agencies.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Naturalistic observations of classrooms serving severely handicapped persons: establishing evaluative norms.

A naturalistic, observational analysis was conducted of 43 self-contained classrooms serving severely handicapped students. The primary focus of the observations was on levels of on-task student performance and student involvement in functional educational tasks. Results indicated that during designated instructional periods, slightly less than half of all student time was spent on-task. When students were on-task, almost two-thirds of their time involved nonfunctional instructional tasks. Results are discussed in terms of establishing norms for evaluating and improving educational services for the severely handicapped. Additionally, future research directions are noted, with a particular emphasis on investigating means of assisting educators in providing more useful teaching tasks for severely handicapped students.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Providing a more appropriate education for severely handicapped persons: increasing and validating functional classroom tasks.

We evaluated a teacher training and supervision program for increasing the involvement of severely handicapped adolescents and adults in functional educational tasks. The program, consisting of a brief in-service followed by supervisory prompts and feedback, was accompanied by large increases in functional tasks in three classrooms. In addition, generalized increases occurred during nontargeted times in the classroom and the changes during both the targeted and nontargeted times were maintained over a 44-45 week period. In two subsequent experiments, surveys provided social validation for the criteria for functional versus nonfunctional tasks in that: (a) relevant individuals reliably categorized functional tasks as representing typical living, work, social, and leisure situations and (b) experienced clinicians consistently rated tasks previously categorized as functional as being more useful for severely handicapped persons than tasks categorized as nonfunctional. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship of functional classroom tasks in the overall provision of appropriate educational services for severely handicapped students.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Training basic teaching skills to community and institutional support staff for people with severe disabilities: a one-day program.

Shortcomings in the technology for training support staff in methods of teaching people with severe disabilities recently have resulted in calls to improve the technology. We evaluated a program for training basic teaching skills within one day. The program entailed classroom-based verbal and video instruction, practice, and feedback followed by on-the-job feedback. In Study I, four undergraduate interns participated in the program, and all four met the mastery criterion for teaching skills. Three teacher aides participated in Study 2, with results indicating that when the staff applied their newly acquired teaching skills, students with profound disabilities made progress in skill acquisition. Clinical replications occurred in Study 3, involving 17 staff in school classrooms, group homes, and an institution. Results of Studies 2 and 3 also indicated staff were accepting of the program and improved their verbal skills. Results are discussed regarding advantages of training staff in one day. Future research suggestions are offered, focusing on identifying means of rapidly training other teaching skills in order to develop the most effective, acceptable, and efficient technology for staff training.

Adolescent↗