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D P Wacker

Publications and source records attributed to D P Wacker.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Evaluation of the generalized effects of a peer-training procedure with moderately retarded adolescents.

The use of peer-training procedures by moderately mentally retarded adolescents was evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, 2 students received instruction on peer-training skills to teach a vocational task to 7 classmates. Following instruction, both peer trainers were successful in teaching their classmates to perform the target task and a second untrained (generalization) task. In Experiment 2, 1 peer trainer taught 3 peers to use picture prompts to complete one or two complex vocational tasks. Following instruction by the peer trainer, the trainees independently used novel pictures on novel tasks. The results of both experiments indicate that peer training with moderately handicapped students can be an effective instructional procedure, with generalization occurring for both the trainers (Experiment 1) and the trainees (Experiment 2).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Supported employment as an intervention package: a preliminary analysis of functional variables.

In this two-experiment investigation, the long-term (at least 6 months) employment of 51 moderately mentally retarded clients who were placed into 64 supported employment positions was first evaluated relative to 10 training and posttraining components that comprised a supported employment training package. In Experiment 1, chi-square analyses were used to identify three components that differentiated successful (employed for at least 6 months) from unsuccessful clients. In Experiment 2, 4 successful clients were further evaluated in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design to determine whether the three variables identified during the group analysis (client advocate, collateral behavior, and follow-up plan) were included in the training packages. These results are discussed in terms of the need to establish better the functional variables of supported employment training programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of tactile prompts with a student who is deaf, blind, and mentally retarded.

We provided tactile cues to a student who was deaf, blind, and mentally retarded to guide her performance on a variety of packaging tasks. The student had previously received extensive training on multiple packaging and sequencing tasks through her vocational education program. Although she was able to complete these tasks, each change in materials necessitated that similar levels of retraining be conducted in order for her to perform revised tasks. Tactile cues were introduced and evaluated through a multiple baseline with sequential withdrawal design for two envelope-stuffing tasks and one bagging task. Results indicated that the tactile prompts were effective in guiding her performance on the training task and in promoting generalization to novel tasks and cues. Continued use of the cues was necessary to maintain the student's performance. Our findings suggest that tactile prompts function similarly to picture prompts and may be an effective alternative external prompting system for persons for whom picture prompts would not be appropriate.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Training students with profound or multiple handicaps to make requests via microswitches.

In a series of three experiments, we evaluated the use of microswitches as a means for students with profound, multiple handicaps to demonstrate preferences between toys and to make requests for specific activities. In Experiment 1, 5 students learned to demonstrate toy preferences by using microswitches to activate battery-operated toys. Experiment 2 was conducted to evaluate the students' preferences for social attention. Microswitches were used to activate prerecorded messages that signaled the classroom teacher to attend to the students. In Experiment 3, the students used the switches and prerecorded messages to make specific requests of educational staff in school and community settings. Results of these experiments, evaluated within multiple baseline, alternating treatments, and simultaneous treatments designs, indicated that these students could request specific activities. Results are discussed with respect to the continued use of microswitches and to program development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

An evaluation of labeling-then-doing with moderately handicapped persons: acquisition and generalization with complex tasks.

We conducted two experiments in which moderately mentally retarded persons were trained first to label and then to enter characters into a computer, calculator, or checkbook (label-then-do) within a multiple baseline design. In Experiment 1, 5 young adults were trained to enter statistical programs into computers in an office setting. Following training, all subjects' use of verbal labels and key-entry skills generalized across tasks (programs) and settings (offices and computer terminals). In Experiment 2, 3 junior high school students were trained with self-labeling procedures to complete a key-entry task and to balance a checkbook. The performance of all students generalized across tasks and settings, and the use of labels generalized for 2 of the students. Results are discussed relative to mediated generalization and to establishing verbal control over behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of two stimulus prompt strategies with severely handicapped students.

In this study we compared the effectiveness and efficiency of two treatment packages that used stimulus prompt sequences and task analyses for teaching community living skills to severely handicapped students. Four severely and multiply handicapped students were trained to perform four tasks: (a) making toast, (b) making popcorn, (c) operating a clothes dryer, and (d) operating a washing machine. Following baseline, each student was exposed to two types of training procedures, each involving a task analysis of the target behavior. Training Procedure 1 (Traditional) utilized a least-to-most restrictive prompt sequence. Training Procedure 2 (Prescriptive) utilized ongoing behavioral assessment data to identify discriminative stimuli. The assessment data were used to prescribe instructional prompts across successive training trials. Performance on the tasks was evaluated within a combination multiple baseline (across subjects) and probe (across tasks) design. Training conditions were counterbalanced across subjects and tasks. Results indicated that both training procedures were equally effective in increasing independent task acquisition for subjects on all tasks; however, the prescriptive procedure was the more efficient procedure.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Analysis of a visual prompting procedure on acquisition and generalization of coin skills by mentally retarded children.

The effects of a visual prompting procedure were evaluated as a means of training four mentally retarded children to make purchases. Following baseline, training consisted of teaching students to use a number line to make purchases. Posttesting and follow-up were conducted after training. Results indicated all students acquired coin skills taught during training, generalized skills to untrained items, and maintained skills over a 4-week interval. Removal of visual prompts (fading) resulted in improvement for all children on the training items. Similar results occurred for untrained items. In addition, all children improved in their ability to make purchases in a more natural environment, the school store.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Evaluation of reinforcer preferences for profoundly handicapped students.

Five students classified as profoundly/multiply handicapped were trained to use microswitches to indicate reinforcer preferences. The students were trained to emit a designated motoric response (raise arm or raise head) which in turn activated a microswitch. The microswitches were connected to battery-operated toys and devices, and served to provide immediate, contingent consequences to the students for their motoric responding. The results of the investigation were evaluated within a multiple baseline (across students) with alternating treatments (potential reinforcers) design. During baseline, the students were provided with the switches and devices, but the switches were not connected to the devices. During the training conditions, the switches activated the devices. Evaluation of the devices was conducted by recording the cumulative frequency and duration of the students' responses. When the microswitches activated the devices during training, a substantial increase in the duration of motoric responding occurred for all students. In addition, some students performed differentially across devices, suggesting that they had reinforcer preferences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Teaching selected microcomputer skills to retarded students via picture prompts.

Five retarded students were taught to use picture prompts to help them access and terminate a microcomputer program. Training was provided within a multiple baseline format. Posttesting (picture prompts without feedback), and a return to baseline were later conducted for both the training program and an untrained (generalization) program. The results indicate that the program was successful in teaching the microcomputer skills to the students. In addition, all students were able to maintain their skills over a 7-day interval in which they did not have access to the microcomputer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Generalization and maintenance of complex skills by severely handicapped adolescents following picture prompt training.

Three severely handicapped adolescents were trained, using a picture prompt package, to complete three complex vocational or daily living tasks. Results indicated that all students required many training sessions to learn the first training task. Following initial training, however, all students generalized their use of the pictures across settings without additional training. The students also needed substantially reduced amounts of training on the remaining two tasks. During maintenance, two of the students continued to perform at relatively high levels of accuracy with and without the picture prompts, whereas one student continued to need the pictures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Efficacy of a verbal training sequence on the sorting performance of moderately and severely mentally retarded adolescents.

Seven mentally retarded adolescents received either verbal or nonverbal training on a shape-sorting task within a multiple baseline design. Three clients received the nonverbal training sequence, which used contingent attention and praise for correct responses and a correction procedure for incorrect responses. The remaining four clients received the verbal training sequence, which was the same as the nonverbal sequence except that the clients were taught to verbalize (label) the relevant dimension of the objects they were sorting. Both training sequences resulted in the successful acquisition of the target performance, but only the verbal training sequence facilitated generalization of performance to a novel shape and to a new dimension. Following generalization testing, clients initially exposed to the nonverbal sequence were provided verbal training, which produced generalization in these previously unsuccessful clients.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Life outcomes and satisfaction ratings of multihandicapped adults.

Ten and 20 year longitudinal data were collected on 180 multihandicapped adults. Subjects completed a 50-item questionnaire which was divided into five sections: (a) living circumstances, (b) physical status, (c) social situation, (d) education, and (e) vocational training and employment. Respondents provided both outcome data and their satisfaction with those outcomes. The results indicated that most lived at home, were financially dependent and were not married. However, they reported that they were satisfied with these life outcomes and that they were very satisfied with their social activities. Few significant differences separated the age groups, suggesting that societal and legal changes over the last 20 years have had a limited impact. The variable most strongly related to life outcome and satisfaction with life outcome was functional status. In addition, perceived (self-reported) functional skills were highly correlated with more objective clinical ratings of functional status.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1983

Effects of picture prompts on the acquisition of complex vocational tasks by mentally retarded adolescents.

The effects of using picture prompts on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of complex vocational tasks were evaluated within a multiple baseline design across subjects and tasks. Five moderately and severely mentally retarded adolescents were first trained to use picture prompts to guide their performance on one or more complex tasks. Following training, posttesting with and without the picture prompts was conducted to evaluate the effects of training and to determine maintenance effects over a 2- to 4-week interval. Generalization of performance across tasks was assessed with three of the students who were provided novel tasks (with and without picture prompts) without training. Results indicated that picture prompts can be successfully used to promote both acquisition and generalization of performance, and that subsequent training time on a novel task was reduced when the use of picture prompts had been previously trained.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of an assembly task by mentally retarded children.

Four TMR children were taught a three-piece assembly task. They were taught to verbalize the steps in the designated sequence before actually assembling the objects. Data were collected on their performance in both the training setting and in the regular classroom. Maintenance sessions were also recorded. Each child rapidly acquired the target behavior in the treatment setting and was successful in generalizing and maintaining the behavior in an extra-treatment setting.

Child↗