Using a series of reversal designs, interventions to improve the active engagement and peer social skills of five preschool boys with autism were investigated. In contrast to intervention for engagement, peer social skill intervention resulted in "free effects" for all participants, including increased engagement with peers and exposure…

A pyramidal model of parent training by peers was compared to training by a professional, with 26 parents of children with autism. Both types of training helped in acquiring, maintaining, and generalizing parents' teaching skills, and children's performance mostly increased. Improvements were comparable for parents trained by a professional or by…

A system of graduated guidance was used to teach three children (ages six through nine) with severe multiple disabilities to don and remove their jackets and coats independently. The training approach involved initial use of oversized garments, fading of guidance, and individualized reinforcement. Skill maintenance and generalization were also…

A five-second constant time delay procedure with recipe cards was used to teach drink preparation to five intermediate-aged elementary students with moderate mental handicaps. The procedure was effective in teaching all students how to complete the task; 12-month followup showed at least 81 percent accuracy. (Author/JDD)

Eleven mothers with developmental disabilities who provided neglectful child care received parent training. The training (consisting of verbal instructions, pictorial manuals, modeling, feedback, and reinforcement) resulted in rapid acquisition and maintenance of child-care skills in all mothers. (Author/JDD)

The effects of independent living training programs for 1,498 people with developmental disabilities were examined. After seven years, individuals who had received greater amounts of independent living services and improved/maintained their independent living skills were more likely to still live independently. There was no relationship between…

This analysis of the effects of self-management training on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of skills of persons with mental retardation found self-management training to be useful in promoting the maintenance of behavior change first effected by external control procedures. Training effectiveness may depend upon the cognitive and…

Reviews five transfer models that are effective in organizing knowledge sources and stimulating understanding in the process of transferring training skills to the job. Highlights include trainee characteristics, design factors, work environment, a systemic model of factors that predict employee training, trainers becoming performance…

Changes in safety knowledge and skills and self-esteem of 339 Irish children (ages 7-10) who participated in the Stay Safe Programme were compared with those of 388 controls. Trained children showed significant improvements in safety knowledge and skills and these gains were maintained at 5 month follow-up. (Author/CR)

Examines the effectiveness of a commercially available social skills training program plus classroom reinforcement for use with preschoolers with developmental delays. The combinations of training plus classroom reinforcement resulted in statistically significant increases in sharing behavior. Social skills interventions were viewed favorably by…

This study compared immediate, short-term effects of different training components on mothers' acquisition of non-directive play skills. Subjects were dyads of 49 mothers and their sons, ages 4 to 6. Mother-son pairs were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. The control group received no training. All other mothers viewed the videotape…

The growth and influence of the Internet have been phenomenal in the past few years. Academic librarians are faced with a new service for their clientele who, in most cases, will need instruction in order to use the Internet effectively. Many academic libraries are already providing training sessions for their users. A survey of 150 libraries was…

Mentoring is a creative alternative to direct instruction and teaching that provides an emotionally supportive relationship for the protege. Skills of the mentor travel with the protege long after the relationship has ended. Mentoring has become a vehicle to enhance the skills and abilities of one's associates, colleagues, and proteges. Typically,…

A study surveyed current presentation skills training practices of "Fortune 500" industrial companies. Each company's chief executive officer was sent a cover letter explaining the study and a copy of the survey. Data were obtained from 154 respondents (for a 36% response rate). Results indicated the importance of presentation skills to…