Reliability of emotional problems with the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH).
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
J L Matson
Publications and source records attributed to J L Matson.
A social skills training program for preschoolers with developmental delays. Generalization and social validity.
This investigation was designed to assess a social skills training program with 32 developmentally delayed preschoolers. Subjects were evaluated in an unstructured play session, matched for levels of appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors, and assigned to either a treatment or control condition. The treatment group (N = 16) was presented with a 6-week protocol involving positive reinforcement, modeling, rehearsal, feedback, and time out. Controls (N = 16) received no instruction beyond regular classroom activities during the 6 weeks. The two groups were reevaluated in a posttest session and again in a generalization setting where two peers with developmental delays (not included in either experimental condition) were included. Prosocial behaviors were successfully taught and maintained in generalization settings. Efforts to reduce inappropriate behaviors were less successful. A test of social validity via teachers' ratings of videotapes of pretest and posttest assessments was also conducted. Implications for generalization and social validity research are discussed.
Behavior Therapy↗
Comparison of psychotic and autistic children using behavioral observation.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between autism and childhood psychosis. Fifteen children with psychotic symptoms were compared to 15 children with autism, using two observational measures, the Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Rating Scale (RLRS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), which rate subjects on behaviors pathognomic to autism. In comparison to autistic persons, psychotic individuals were judged to have better language and social skills. In addition, autistic persons were also rated as having more difficulty adapting to new situations and appeared more "autistic-like." Overall scores on the CARS and RLRS were significantly different between the two groups, indicating that these two assessment instruments may be useful in differential diagnosis. However, 20% of the psychotic subjects received pervasive developmental disorder diagnoses, indicating that there may be a relationship between those two disorders.
Autistic Disorder↗
Theories of dual diagnosis in mental retardation.
Dual diagnosis, defined in this instance as the co-occurrence of mental health disorders with mental retardation, has become a major area of clinical practice and research in the past 10 years. Whereas areas such as differential diagnosis, assessment, and prevalence have been major focuses of research, etiologies of dual diagnosis have received less attention. Current etiological theories have practical implications for the treatment and prevention of dual diagnoses and suggest important directions for future research. This article provides a historical review of theory development in the field of dual diagnosis. Current status of etiological theories and future directions are discussed with an aim toward encouraging further study.
Comorbidity↗
Generalizing spontaneous language in developmentally delayed children via a visual cue procedure using caregivers as therapists.
Developmentally delayed children are recognized by deficits in language, motor skills, and social interaction. The importance of this topic is demonstrated by the fact that many studies have focused on increasing different aspects of this population's language. New training elements for this population were used here (e.g., the visual cue method was used in home settings). Caregivers were trained as therapists to teach children spontaneous speech by targeting two behaviors. The visual cue method was effective for increasing spontaneous speech in developmentally delayed children in the home. This finding is significant in that home training with caregivers promoted generalization of language by programming common stimuli. Implication of these data for future research is discussed.
Caregivers↗
Empirical study of mental health professionals' knowledge and attitudes towards the concept of age appropriateness.
Questionnaires on age appropriateness were completed by 100 mental health professionals from 10 states. In general, the respondents were familiar with the concept and had learned about age appropriateness from a variety of sources. Age appropriateness was defined in terms of chronological age rather than mental age or the two concepts combined. Respondents viewed it as a particularly important component in treatment success, especially in working with people who have developmental disabilities, adolescents, and young adults. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research were provided.
Age Factors↗
Brief report: analysis of the internal consistency of three autism scales.
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Adolescent↗
Treatment of elective mute behavior in two developmentally delayed children using modeling and contingency management.
Most classification schemes differentiate elective mutism from language problems seen in the developmentally delayed population. Two preschool developmentally delayed children were treated for speech reluctance using modeling and contingency management. Employing a multiple baseline across therapists, it was found that these treatment components were effective in increasing frequency of labeling behavior in both children. Results were maintained at follow-up. Generalization to new words and to spontaneous speech were also noted, and suggest that characteristics of elective mutism in this population may be similar to what is found in the general population.
Child Language↗
Applied behavior analysis: its impact on the treatment of mentally retarded emotionally disturbed people.
Laboratory research on behavior analysis proved to be useful in establishing principles of learning with many relevant applications for people. Early efforts in the applied behavior analysis area proved to be particularly successful with mentally retarded persons. Self-help skills received much of the earliest attention, but another area that became quite fruitful for study was dual diagnosis--mental health problems of mentally retarded individuals. This paper reviews some of the early works of Skinner and his colleagues and the implications of this work on the rapidly developing subdiscipline of dual diagnosis. Current status and future trends are discussed.
Affective Symptoms↗
A comparison and evaluation of three commonly used autism scales.
Reliability and validity of three commonly used autism scales, the Autism Behavior Checklist (Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1980), the Real Life Rating Scale (Freeman, Ritvo, Yokota, & Ritvo, 1986), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (Schopler, Reichler, & Renner, 1988), were investigated. Data analyses were based on completed protocols for 24 children or adolescents who met DSM-III-R criteria for pervasive developmental disorders. First, to replicate previous findings, interrater reliability of each of the two direct observational scales was assessed. Second, correlations between pairs of the three scales were calculated. Third, diagnostic classifications based on autism scale cutoff scores were compared to classifications based on DSM-III-R criteria. Fourth, relationships between autism scale scores and adaptive behavior scores were investigated. Results and implications for the use of these scales in the assessment of autistic behaviors are discussed.
Adolescent↗
Comparison and item analysis of the MESSY for autistic and normal children.
Seventeen autistic children were matched for age, race, and sex with 17 nonautistic children, and group differences in social skills were assessed. Appropriate social skills and levels of inappropriate assertiveness/impulsiveness were assessed and evaluated using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY). Significant differences in both the appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors displayed by the two groups were found. The implications of these results are discussed.
Adolescent↗
A factor analytic study of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped Scale.
Five hundred six severe and profoundly mentally retarded persons (247 women and 259 men) from Wisconsin and Louisiana were assessed on the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped Scale. A factor analysis yielded six factor scales: tantrums, aggression/conduct, language disorder/verbal aggression, social withdrawal/stereotypy, eating disorders, and sleep disorders. These data demonstrate a nosology of symptoms loading more heavily on vegetative symptoms than what is evident with persons in the mild and moderate ranges of mental retardation and persons who are not mentally retarded. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Activities of Daily Living↗
A scale for evaluating emotional disorders in severely and profoundly mentally retarded persons. Development of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH) scale.
The DASH scale was used to assess 506 profoundly and severely mentally retarded persons (247 females and 259 males). The scale, covering 13 major psychiatric disorders, consists of 83 items derived from DSM-III-R as well as previously published studies of this population. Data were collected on symptom frequency, duration and severity in individual interviews with direct-care staff. Elimination and pervasive developmental disorders were most frequent, self-injurious behaviour disorders most severe. Most symptoms had been evident for at least a year. Inter-rater reliability was generally good.
Adult↗
A comparison of DRO to movement suppression time-out and DRO with two self-injurious and aggressive mentally retarded adults.
Movement Suppression Time-Out is a recently developed variant of physical restraint which may have applicability for serious behavior problems of developmentally disabled persons. However, the current debate over aversives and the argument by some that positives alone are sufficient to treat all behavior problems requires study. Initial trials with reinforcement alone, compared to reinforcement and punishers are necessary to empirically establish the limits of various treatment methodologies. This study was designed to evaluate reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and verbal reprimands and Movement Suppression Time-Out, DRO and verbal reprimands with two severely mentally retarded males, 35 and 39 years of age. Using a multiple baseline design, self-injury was studied across setting with one client and across self-injury and aggression with the second person. Improvements were only apparent when Movement Suppression Time-Out was paired with verbal reprimands and DRO. With one client effects were maintained at an 8 month follow-up. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Adult↗
Teaching self-help skills to autistic and mentally retarded children.
Three autistic, mentally retarded children, ranging in age from 4 to 11 years, and a six-year-old mentally retarded girl, were taught various adaptive behaviors using a multiple baseline design. Skills taught were shoe typing, toothbrushing, hair combing, putting on pants, shirt, and socks, and eating and drinking. Training included modeling, verbal instructions, prompting, and edible and social reinforcement. Treatment procedures involved the whole-task method of teaching self-help skills and consisted of three phases: (a) the trainer modeled and verbally described the target behavior; (b) the trainer physically and verbally guided the child through the entire sequence of task-analyzed steps; and, (c) the child was instructed to perform the behavior independently. The results of this study and their implications for future research are discussed.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Increasing spontaneous language in three autistic children.
A time delay procedure was used to increase spontaneous verbalizations of 3 autistic children. Multiple baseline across behaviors designs were used with target responses, selected via a social validation procedure, of two spontaneous responses ("please" and "thank you") and one verbally prompted response ("you're welcome"). The results indicate gains across target behaviors for all children, with occurrence across other stimuli and settings. These gains were validated socially with 10 adults. Furthermore, increases in appropriate language had no effect on levels of inappropriate speech.
Autistic Disorder↗
Mothers as effective therapists for autistic children's phobias.
Two autistic children were treated for specific fears. A three-component participant modeling procedure was implemented within a multiple baseline design across subjects. Children were exposed gradually to fearful situations, with mothers serving as therapists and reinforcers. Dependent measures were (a) number of approach steps completed, (b) frequency of verbalizations and vocalizations of fear, and (c) overall appearance of fear. Following treatment, the children functioned effectively in previously fearful situations without verbalizations or appearance of fear. Five-month and 1-year follow-up assessments with 1 child showed maintenance of treatment effects.
Arousal↗
A 20 year review of punishment and alternative methods to treat problem behaviors in developmentally delayed persons.
Relevant journals were reviewed (n = 23) for a 20 year period (1967 to 1987) to assess the status of treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons. A hand search of journals was made; 382 studies were identified. Procedures were analyzed by problem behaviors treated, side effects reported, whether the procedure involved painful stimuli, nonpainful stimuli, food satiation, positive procedures, extinction or combinations of methods. The number of studies reported yearly was also plotted. The implication of these data for federal and state policy makers and for treatment programs dealing with difficult to treat clients is discussed.
Behavior Therapy↗